Enlarge / Estes is now selling a New Shepard model rocket for $69.99. (credit: Estes )

Welcome to Edition 4.13 of the Rocket Report! While there may be a LOX shortage in launch, there is no shortage of launch news this week. So this report runs long.

As always, we welcome reader submissions , and if you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.

Virgin Orbit to go public, expand offerings . Virgin Orbit will use the proceeds of a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company to expand its launch business and develop a satellite constellation for Internet-of-things and Earth-observation services. After merging with NextGen Acquisition Corp. II, in a deal expected to close at the end of this year, Virgin Orbit will receive as much as $483 million in capital before transaction expenses. The deal includes $100 million in funding from Boeing and AE Industrial Partners, SpaceNews reports .

Enlarge / Starship SN15 takes to the skies in early April. (credit: SpaceX )

Welcome to Edition 3.44 of the Rocket Report! I took just three days off from work last week, and when I returned to the home office, there was an absolute torrent of launch news to catch up with. In this report, I attempt to do just that.

As always, we welcome reader submissions , and if you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.

Canadian spaceport secures funding . The company behind a proposed spaceport in Canso, Nova Scotia, has secured financing it says will allow it to begin construction on the facility this fall and get its first launch off the ground in 2022. Maritime Launch Services is receiving $10.5 million from Toronto investment bank PowerOne Capital Markets, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reports .

Enlarge / The Transporter-1 mission launches from Florida on January 24, 2021. (credit: SpaceX )

Welcome to Edition 3.33 of the Rocket Report! Plenty of news this week about NASA awarding contracts to launch companies and also some new details about a pair of German rocket startups seeking to develop orbital boosters.

As always, we welcome reader submissions , and if you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.

Firefly wins lunar lander contract . NASA has awarded Texas-based Firefly $93.3 million to deliver a suite of 10 NASA-sponsored science and technology demonstration payloads to Mare Crisium in the Moon's Crisium basin. Firefly's "Blue Ghost" lunar lander will deliver the payloads to the lunar surface in 2023 in fulfillment of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order, the company said .

Enlarge / Eighteenth SpaceX Starlink mission streaks to orbit from the Space Coast of Florida on Thursday, February 4. (credit: Trevor Mahlmann / Ars Technica )

Welcome to Edition 3.32 of the Rocket Report! The Starship prototype SN9 gave us quite a week, what with the FAA drama surrounding its (eventually fiery) launch and hard landing, but let's not forget the couple of small satellite-launch companies seeking public funding. With help from readers, we're doing our best to stay on top of it all.

As always, we welcome reader submissions , and if you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.

Astra to become a publicly traded company . After very nearly reaching orbit during its second launch attempt in December, Astra announced this week it would be joining a "special purpose acquisition company," or SPAC, that valued the company at $2.1 billion. The public listing is expected to take place in late 2021 when Astra combines with Seattle-area investment company Holicity. The stock would trade as ASTR on Nasdaq.

Enlarge / Northrop Grumman conducted a validation test of its GEM 63XL rocket motor on Jan. 21 at its Promontory, Utah, facility. (credit: Northrop Grumman)

Welcome to Edition 3.31 of the Rocket Report! Most of the news this week has happened with bigger rockets, with an especially interesting bit concerning the Falcon Heavy rocket and NASA's Europa Clipper that's worth checking out. It's also exciting to see NASA and Boeing move the launch date for Starliner's second test flight forward .

As always, we welcome reader submissions , and if you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.

Firefly seeks to raise additional funding . Firefly Aerospace said this week it is looking to raise $350 million to scale up production and work on a new, larger vehicle, SpaceNews reports . Speaking during a webinar on Tuesday about investment in the space industry, Firefly CEO Tom Markusic said the funding would support its long-term growth as it brings the Alpha rocket into service while the company develops a medium-class launch vehicle named Beta.

Enlarge / A dedicated 747-400 aircraft will carry Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne to an altitude of approximately 35,000 feet before release for its rocket-powered flight to orbit. (credit: Virgin Orbit )

Welcome to Edition 3.28 of the Rocket Report, our very first of 2021, and a Happy New Year for what promises to be a great year for rockets! We start January off as busy as can be with a Space Launch System hot-fire test, likely another Starship flight, followed by a second orbital attempt by LauncherOne.

As always, we welcome reader submissions , and if you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.

Virgin Orbit sets date for second launch attempt . After delaying its Launch Demo 2 mission from December due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Virgin Orbit announced a new window opening from 7am to 10am PT (15:00-18:00 UTC) on Wednesday, January 13th. Should there be an issue, the company said it had additional opportunities later in the month.