MAHIA, New Zealand - Rocket Lab Corporation successfully launched its 68th Electron rocket to deploy a single satellite to space for a confidential commercial customer.

The mission was the second of two launches from the same launch site in less than 48 hours, a new launch record for the Company as it continues to deliver dedicated, repeatable and reliable access to space for satellite operators.

The ‘Symphony In The Stars’ mission lifted-off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand on June 28th (7:08 p.m./07:08 UTC) to deploy a single spacecraft to a 650km circular Earth orbit. The mission was the first of two dedicated launches for the new customer on Electron booked less than four months ago, with a second mission scheduled before the end of 2025.

Rocket Lab has now completed four launches in June for commercial satellite constellation operators, underscoring Electron's consistent performance and rapid deployment capabilities as the world’s leading small launcher: the 'Full Stream Ahead' mission on June 3rd; 'The Mountain God Guards' mission on June 11th; 'Get The Hawk Outta Here' launched on June 26th UTC, and today’s 'Symphony In The Stars' mission.

‘Symphony In The Stars’ was Rocket Lab’s tenth Electron mission of 2025 and its 68th launch overall. With 100% mission success so far this year, Electron continues to deliver reliable deployment amid an increasing launch cadence and rapid contract-to-launch timelines.

Source: Rocket Lab
Associated URL: https://rocketlabcorp.com/updates/new-blog-post-21/

CEDAR PARK, Tex. - Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) and Firefly Aerospace are moving closer to a historic first satellite launch from Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, Sweden, following a Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) that was signed between Sweden and the United States on June 20.

The bilateral agreement, signed at the Embassy of Sweden in Washington D.C., provides the legal and technical framework for U.S. commercial launches from Swedish spaceports while ensuring proper handling of sensitive technology. This agreement - only the sixth TSA signed by the United States with another country - allows SSC and Firefly Aerospace to continue building a comprehensive satellite launch service at Esrange Space Center and meet the increasing demand for orbital launch capabilities from mainland Europe.

Infrastructure development at SSC’s Esrange Space Center is progressing for Launch Complex 3C where Firefly’s Alpha rocket will launch. The tracking and control systems, security and depot facilities, and the Launch Control Center have already been stood up.

Source: Firefly Aerospace
Associated URL: https://fireflyspace.com/news/ssc-and-firefly-progress-towards-orbital-launch-from-esrange-following-tsa-signing-between-sweden-and-the-u-s/

WASHINGTON -- Lockheed Martin Space is positioning itself to meet U.S. science and exploration priorities with a slate of commercial, fixed-price space offerings. In 2024, fixed-price contracts accounted for 60 percent of the company’s total sales, and the Space unit has already delivered service-based NASA missions such as Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1).

The latest proposal to the agency is a firm-fixed-price Mars Sample Return (MSR) architecture capped below $3 billion - less than half of current government estimates that approach $7 billion. The company says the cost savings come from re-using proven spacecraft designs and streamlining oversight and operations.

Lockheed Martin’s concept relies on a lighter, simplified system: a lander derived from the flight-proven InSight platform, a downsized Mars Ascent Vehicle, and a compact Earth-entry capsule optimized for returning Martian material. The reduced-mass, centralized architecture is designed to cut complexity and shorten mission timelines.

The contractor has deep heritage at the Red Planet, having supported all 22 NASA Mars missions and built 11 of those spacecraft. Its hardware also enabled all three of NASA’s robotic sample-return effortsincluding OSIRIS-REx, which delivered the agency’s first asteroid samples in 2023. In addition, Lockheed Martin currently operates NASA’s trio of Mars orbiters - MRO, MAVEN, and Odyssey - that provide critical communications and navigation support for ongoing and future surface missions such as MSR.

Source: Forecast International
Associated URL: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news/features/2025/bringing-commercial-industry-efficiency-to-exploration-lockheed-martins-plan-for-mars-sample-return.html