Rocket Report: Chinese version of Falcon 9 fails; Artemis depends on rapid heavy lift

Alpha rocket may launch offshore. Seagate Space Corporation announced on Monday a "memorandum of understanding" with Firefly Aerospace to explore the development of an offshore launch platform that enables a sea-based launch capability for the Alpha rocket. Seagate Space said it will work closely with Firefly to mature the design of an integrated offshore launch system capable of supporting Alpha.

Seeking to be the first … The launch attempt from a site in Norway follows the initial flight of the Spectrum rocket about a year ago, during which the rocket cartwheeled upside-down and fell a short distance from its Arctic launch pad. Isar is attempting to become the first European launch startup to reach orbit. The Spectrum rocket is designed to have a lift capacity of up to 1 metric ton to low-Earth orbit.

Isar Aerospace stands down from Thursday launch attempt. The Germany-based launch company had said its latest launch window for the second launch of the Spectrum rocket would open at 20:00 UTC on Thursday, April 9. However, about an hour before the opening of the window, the company said it was standing down to "evaluate a suspected leak in a composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV).