United Launch Alliance (ULA) CEO Tory Bruno insists Aerojet Rocketdyne’s AR1 engine is still in contention to serve as the first stage of ULA’s Vulcan next- generation launch vehicle, despite rumors that the company was heavily favoring Blue Origin’s BE 4 engine. Bruno told Defense Daily April 5 in an interview at the 33rd Space Symposium…

Rocket reusability, Earth observation and big data promise to be hot topics at the 33rd Space Symposium, taking place in Colorado Springs, Colorado this week. Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) President Eric Stallmer told Via Satellite's sister publication Defense Daily Monday the aspects of Reusability — feasibility, practicality and how it will happen — will be the big…

Rep. Jim Bridenstine, R-Okla., defended intervening in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) program because he didn’t want the program, and its potential commercial capability, to denigrate into the bitter feud that permeates the United Launch Alliance (ULA) versus Space Exploration Technology (SpaceX) battle. Bridenstine told an industry…

[Via Satellite 11-10-2016] Despite a vision from top Air Force officers that reusable rockets can play roles in future military missions, a conservative safety culture on launch ranges and institutional bureaucracy are slowing the service on its path to embracing the technology and, accordingly, low cost launch, when it is ready in four to five…