"Welcome to Edition 8.09 of the Rocket Report! The biggest news of the week happened inside the Beltway rather than on a launch pad somewhere. In Washington, DC, Congress has pushed back on the Trump administration's plan to stop flying the Space Launch System rocket after Artemis III. Congress made it clear that it wants to keep the booster in business for a long time. The big question now is whether the Trump White House will blink."
"The Israel Ministry of Defense, Israel Defense Forces, and Israel Aerospace Industries successfully launched the Ofek 19 satellite on Tuesday from the Palmachim Airbase. The launch was carried out by the country's solid-propellant Shavit 2 rocket. Ofek 19 is a synthetic aperture radar observation satellite with enhanced capabilities, 7 Israel National News reports. A unique launch posture ... This was the seventh launch of the Shavit-2 vehicle, which made its debut in June 2007. The most recent launch prior to this week occurred in March 2023."
Congress directed continued use of the Space Launch System beyond Artemis III by rejecting a plan to end SLS flights and signaling legislative intent to sustain the heavy-lift booster long-term. The White House faces a decision whether to accept that directive. Israel launched the Ofek 19 synthetic aperture radar satellite from Palmachim using a Shavit 2 solid-propellant rocket; the flight marked the seventh Shavit-2 launch, following a March 2023 mission and the vehicle's June 2007 debut. Israel conducts westward launches over the Mediterranean because of geographic location and regional security constraints. Ontario-based Reaction Dynamics closed a $10 million Series A to advance a hybrid propulsion system and pursue an initial suborbital demonstration flight. The week’s coverage includes small-, medium-, and heavy-lift developments and previews of upcoming launches.
Read at Ars Technica
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