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Illustration - Thales France

FRANCE. ALPES MARITIMES (06) CANNES. THALES ALENIA SPACE. FRONT VIEW OF THE PROPELLANT TANK WITH ITS GOLDEN PROTECTION (MULTI-LAYER INSULATION SATELLITE) KOREASAT 7 Photo by Christophe Lepetit/Only France/ABACAPRESS.COM

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HICOOL 2025 Global Entrepreneur Summit Exhibition in Beijing

Visitors visit a rocket propellant tank model at the HICOOL 2025 Global Entrepreneur Summit Exhibition Hall in Beijing, China on October 18, 2025.

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Commercial Space Tianlong 3 Test Run - Yantai

This aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 15, 2025, shows a first-stage propulsion system test for the Tianlong-3 liquid carrier rocket conducted on an offshore launch pad at the Haiyang Oriental Aerospace Port in east China's Shandong Province. A first-stage propulsion system test for the Tianlong-3 large liquid-propellant carrier rocket was successfully held here on Monday. Independent development of the Tianlong-3 rocket began in March 2022 by Chinese commercial aerospace company Space Pioneer. The rocket is 72 meters in length with a takeoff mass of 600 tonnes. Its first stage is equipped with nine "Tianhuo-12" engines operating in parallel. The rocket has a low-Earth orbit carrying capacity of 17-22 tonnes, and a sun-synchronous orbit capacity of 10-17 tonnes. It is able to launch 36 satellites in a single mission and supports large-scale cargo transport for China's space station, as well as medium- and high-orbit satellite launches. Photo by Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

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China Commercial Aerospace Market

HAIYANG, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2025 - A model of Jiutian Xingge Rocket Propellant Storage Tank is seen at Dongfang Spaceport in Haiyang city, East China's Shandong province, Jan 13, 2025.

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China Commercial Aerospace Market

HAIYANG, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2025 - A model of Jiutian Xingge Rocket Propellant Storage Tank is seen at Dongfang Spaceport in Haiyang city, East China's Shandong province, Jan 13, 2025.

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China to launch Chang'e-6 lunar probe on May 3

STORY: China to launch Chang'e-6 lunar probe on May 3 SHOOTING TIME: May 1, 2024 DATELINE: May 1, 2024 LENGTH: 00:02:13 LOCATION: WENCHANG, China CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the Chang'e-6 lunar probe and Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket combination STORYLINE: The Chang'e-6 lunar probe is scheduled for launch on May 3, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Wednesday. The probe is set to collect samples from the far side of the moon, making this mission the first of its kind in human history. At present, preparations for the mission are progressing steadily at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, and the Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket will soon be refuelled with propellant, the CNSA said. As there is a narrow launch window on the two consecutive days, with only 50 minutes for each day, the mission's rocket team has designed a total of 10 trajectories, the CNSA added. The Wenchang Space Launch Site on Wednesday conducted a fi

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Commercial CERES-1 Y9 rocket sends new satellites to twilight orbit

STORY: Commercial CERES-1 Y9 rocket sends new satellites to twilight orbit SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 5, 2023 DATELINE: Dec. 6, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:03 LOCATION: JIUQUAN, China CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the rocket's launch 2. various of the rocket STORYLINE: China on Tuesday launched a CERES-1 Y9 carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, sending two new satellites to their planned orbits. The commercial rocket blasted off at 7:33 a.m. (Beijing Time). The launch was the 11th flight mission to use the CERES-1 rocket series. Developed by Beijing-based Galactic Energy, CERES-1 is a small-scale solid-propellant carrier rocket designed to send micro-satellites to low orbit. The commercial rocket is 1.4 meters in diameter, and has a total length of about 20 meters and a takeoff weight of 33 tonnes. It can carry a payload of up to 300 kg to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 km. With the capacity to carry both a single satellite and multipl

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China launches tech-experiment satellite

STORY: China launches tech-experiment satellite SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 23, 2023 DATELINE: Nov. 25, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:35 LOCATION: XICHANG, China CATEGORY: SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the launch of the experiment satellite 2. various of simulations STORYLINE: China on Thursday sent a technology experiment satellite into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The experiment satellite for satellite internet technologies was launched at 6:00 p.m. (Beijing Time) by a Long March-2D carrier rocket, and entered its planned orbit successfully. The launch is the 498th mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. It is also the 84th mission of the Long March-2D carrier rocket. A two-stage liquid propellant launch vehicle, the Long March-2D is capable of lifting 1.3-tonne payloads to the sun-synchronous orbit 700 km above Earth. This carrier rocket has the capability of launching both single and multiple satellites into various orbits. The upper sta

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China's commercial rocket CERES-1 Y6 launches 2 satellites

STORY: China's commercial rocket CERES-1 Y6 launches 2 satellites DATELINE: July 22, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:20 LOCATION: JIUQUAN, China CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the launch of the rocket STORYLINE: China on Saturday launched the CERES-1 Y6 carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The commercial rocket blasted off at 1:07 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the launch site, sending two commercial satellites, Qiankun-1 and Xingshidai-16, into the planned orbit. Developed by the Beijing-based high-tech company Galactic Energy, the CERES-1 is a small-scale solid-propellant carrier rocket capable of sending micro-satellites into orbit. The launch was the sixth flight mission of the CERES-1 rocket series. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Jiuquan, China. (XHTV)

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China completes trial of new test stand for large-thrust rocket engine

STORY: China completes trial of new test stand for large-thrust rocket engine DATELINE: June 2, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:44 LOCATION: XI'AN, China CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the trial of the test stand STORYLINE: China has completed one more trial of a test stand for large-thrust liquid rocket engines that could power its future crewed lunar missions. The test stand in Tongchuan, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, is now Asia's largest for testing liquid-propellant rocket engines. Designed to support a basic thrust of 700 tonnes, the site conducted a successful engine hot fire test on April 24, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the owner of the stand. The latest trial marked a substantial improvement in rocket engine testing capabilities, offering support for launch vehicles that will be used in future crewed lunar landings, deep space explorations and space infrastructure construction, said Tan Yonghua, a senior official of the corporation. China plans to rea

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SpaceX's massive Starship rocket explodes after launch during maiden flight

STORY: SpaceX's massive Starship rocket explodes after launch during maiden flight DATELINE: April 21, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:36 LOCATION: Washington D.C. CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the launch STORYLINE: SpaceX's giant Starship rocket, the most powerful ever built, exploded after liftoff from the U.S. state of Texas during an inaugural test flight on Thursday morning. The rocket got off the launch pad in SpaceX's Starbase in Boca Chica, South Texas, but exploded minutes later. The spacecraft failed to reach orbit. The uncrewed spacecraft was scheduled to have a 90-minute trip around the Earth before a splashdown near Hawaii. Starship was fully loaded with more than 4500 metric tons (10 million pounds) of propellant before the launch, according to SpaceX. The launch was the first test flight of SpaceX's fully integrated Starship and Super Heavy rocket. Starship experienced a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" before stage separation, according to SpaceX. "Today's test will help us improve S

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Low-cost experimental rocket lifts off in Hokkaido

TAIKI, Japan - An experimental rocket that uses liquid oxygen and polyethylene as composite propellant lifts off from Taichi, Hokkaido, on Dec. 23. The 2.8-meter rocket soared to an altitude of about 1,000 meters in 10 seconds. Developers say the rocket, developed by Harunori Nagata, professor of space engineering at Hokkaido University, takes just about one-10th of the launch cost for a conventional solid-fuel rocket.

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China launches CERES-1 Y4 commercial rocket with five satellites

STORY: China launches CERES-1 Y4 commercial rocket with five satellites DATELINE: Nov. 16, 2022 LENGTH: 00:00:28 LOCATION: JIUQUAN, China CATEGORY: SCIENCE SHOTLIST: 1. various of the launch of the CERES-1 Y4 carrier rocket STORYLINE: China on Wednesday launched a CERES-1 Y4 carrier rocket placing a commercial satellite group in space. The rocket blasted off at 2:20 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, sending five Jilin-1 Gaofen 03D satellites into the planned orbit. The payloads lifted by the rocket will be used to provide commercial remote sensing services. Developed by the Beijing-based rocket maker Galactic Energy, the CERES-1 is a small-scale solid-propellant carrier rocket capable of sending micro-satellites into low-Earth orbit. This was the 4th flight mission of the CERES-1 rocket series, the launch center said. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Jiuquan, China. (XHTV)

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What is on board China's cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-4?

STORY: What is on board China's cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-4? DATELINE: May 10, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:07 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Tianzhou-4 2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): YANG SHENG, Designer of China's cargo spacecraft Tianzhou at China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) STORYLINE: China's cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-4 is delivering supplies for its space station under construction. What is on board the cargo ship? SOUNDBITE (Chinese): YANG SHENG, Designer of China's cargo spacecraft Tianzhou at China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) "This time, Tianzhou-4 delivers four categories of supplies to the space station. They are daily necessities for astronauts, spare parts for space station maintenance, space research equipment, and propellant. Around 6 tonnes of supplies are delivered. The launch of Tianzhou-4 means that we've completed the first mission in the in-orbit construction of the space station. We are tasked with six missions this year. The success of Tianzhou-4 lays a

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NASA's major test for Artemis I mission called off due to tech issue

STORY: NASA's major test for Artemis I mission called off due to tech issue DATELINE: April 6, 2022 LENGTH: 00:00:36 LOCATION: Washington D.C. CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the launch site STORYLINE: NASA's final major test for its mega Moon rocket and Orion spacecraft was called off due to a tech issue on Monday, the agency said on Tuesday. During the approximate two-day test, known as a wet dress rehearsal, the launch team ran through operations to load propellant into the mega rocket's tanks, conduct a full launch countdown, demonstrate the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and also drain propellants to give them an opportunity to practice the timelines and procedures they will use for launch, according to NASA. NASA encountered an issue Monday, with a panel on the mobile launcher that controls the core stage vent valve. The purpose of the valve is to relieve pressure from the rocket's core stage during tanking, according to NASA. NASA's launch director made the call to

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NASA holds major test for Artemis I mission

STORY: NASA holds major test for Artemis I mission DATELINE: April 3, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:17 LOCATION: Washington D.C. CATEGORY: SCIENCE SHOTLIST: 1. various of Artemis I mission STORYLINE: NASA is having a final major test for its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft over the weekend to prepare for Artemis I mission. The test, known as the wet dress rehearsal, is scheduled from Friday to Sunday on Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The test will run the Artemis I launch team through operations to load propellant into the SLS rocket's tanks, conduct a full launch countdown, demonstrate the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and also drain propellants to give them an opportunity to practice the timelines and procedures they will use for launch, according to NASA. Around 3 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, the Artemis I launch control team powered up the SLS rocket's core stage, which would be loaded with more than 700,000 gallons of propellants during the tanking

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Scale 1 model of the Ariane 5 rocket, at the Cité de l'Espace - Toulouse. Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Scale 1 model of the Ariane 5 rocket, at the Cité de l'Espace - Toulouse. Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Scale 1 model of the Ariane 5 rocket, at the Cité de l'Espace - Toulouse. Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Scale 1 model of the Ariane 5 rocket, at the Cité de l'Espace - Toulouse. Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Scale 1 model of the Ariane 5 rocket, at the Cité de l'Espace - Toulouse. Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Scale 1 model of the Ariane 5 rocket, at the Cité de l'Espace - Toulouse. Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Scale 1 model of the Ariane 5 rocket, at the Cité de l'Espace - Toulouse. Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Scale 1 model of the Ariane 5 rocket, at the Cité de l'Espace - Toulouse. Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Scale 1 model of the Ariane 5 rocket, at the Cité de l'Espace - Toulouse. Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Scale 1 model of the Ariane 5 rocket, at the Cité de l'Espace - Toulouse. Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Layoffs at Ariane Group - Toulouse

Ariane Group, manufacturer in particular of launchers for Ariane 6, has announced the elimination of 600 jobs in France and Germany by the end of 2022. In Toulouse (France), the company, jointly owned by Airbus and Safran, is preparing, developing and producing ammonium perchlorate, the main constituent of the solid propellant in boosters for Ariane launchers. Toulouse, France on September 24, 2021. Photo by Patrick Batard/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Kanagawa University's Hybrid Rocket

The Aerospace Structures Laboratory of Kanagawa University will conduct a flight demonstration in September of a hybrid rocket whose components are being jointly developed with a small and medium-sized manufacturing company in Ota-ku, Tokyo. The target altitude is a maximum of 15 kilometers, and in order to reach this altitude, the vehicle has been made larger than before, and the basic technology will be established with the aim of reaching the target altitude of 100 kilometers by 2022. The ratio of propellant to the total weight of the rocket has also been increased. Up to now, the machining of the parts had been done in the Aerospace Structures Laboratory of Kanagawa University, but with the increase in size of the vehicle, they began to collaborate with companies. "In the future, we want to develop a rocket that can launch small satellites quickly and inexpensively," without using special technology. (= August 10, 2019, photo location unknown, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images)

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Low-cost experimental rocket lifts off in Hokkaido

TAIKI, Japan - An experimental rocket that uses liquid oxygen and polyethylene as composite propellant lifts off from Taichi, Hokkaido, on Dec. 23. The 2.8-meter rocket soared to an altitude of about 1,000 meters in 10 seconds. Developers say the rocket, developed by Harunori Nagata, professor of space engineering at Hokkaido University, takes just about one-10th of the launch cost for a conventional solid-fuel rocket. (Kyodo)