Rocket Report: How a 5-ton satellite fell off a booster; will SpaceX and xAI merge?

"If all goes well this weekend, NASA will complete a wet dress rehearsal test of the Space Launch System rocket in Florida. This is the final key test, in which the rocket is fueled and brought to within seconds of engine ignition, before the liftoff of the Artemis II mission. This is set to occur no earlier than February 6. Ars will have full coverage of the test this weekend."

"Why did the UK abandon Orbex? European Spaceflight explores the recent announcement that British launch company Orbex is preparing to sell the business to The Exploration Company in close cooperation with the UK government. This represents a reversal from early 2025, when the United Kingdom appeared prepared to back Orbex as a means of using British rockets to launch British satellites into space. Now the government is prepared to walk away. So what happened? "There are still too many unknowns to count, and the story is far from told," the publication states."

"Why would someone want to buy Orbex? ... My sense is that there is not too much of a mystery here. UK space officials probably looked under the hood of what hardware Orbex had developed and its current financial status and likely decided that the company had a low probability of reaching orbit even with a significant infusion of cash. Also curious is a decision by The Exploration Company, which builds spaceships, to consider acquiring Orbex. The European Spaceflight article speculates that this could be to capture funding through the UK's share of the European Launch Challenge, rather than a"

NASA plans a wet dress rehearsal of the Space Launch System in Florida, fueling the rocket and cycling to within seconds of engine ignition as the final test ahead of Artemis II. The rehearsal is scheduled no earlier than February 6. Full coverage is planned for the test. British launch company Orbex is preparing to sell to The Exploration Company with UK government cooperation after the government reversed earlier support. UK officials likely assessed Orbex's hardware and finances as unlikely to reach orbit even with major funding. The Exploration Company’s interest may seek to capture UK funding via the European Launch Challenge. Information also covers small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets and previews the next three launches.

Read at Ars Technica