Rocket Report: ABL loses its second booster; Falcon 9 cleared for return to flight

Enlarge / NASA's SLS rocket core stage for Artemis II is moved to the VAB. (credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky)

Welcome to Edition 7.04 of the Rocket Report! Probably the most striking news this week came from ABL, which said in a terse social media statement that it had lost its second RS1 rocket during pre-flight testing. This is unfortunate, since the company had been so careful and meticulous in working toward this second launch attempt. It's a reminder of how demanding this industry remains.

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.

ABL loses rocket after static fire test. ABL Space Systems said Monday that its next rocket had suffered "irrecoverable" damage during preparations for launch. "After a pre-flight static fire test on Friday, a residual pad fire caused irrecoverable damage to RS1," the company said on the social media site X. "The team is investigating root cause and will provide updates as the investigation progresses." As of the writing of this report three days later, the company has not posted any additional information.