Arianespace and United Launch Alliance (ULA) continue to wrestle with final preparations for the long-delayed maiden flights of the Ariane 6 and Vulcan Centaur launch vehicles. Meanwhile, Arianespace, SpaceX, and other launch providers are recovering from the failure of various launchers on their most recent flights. Here’s a look at the status of various launch vehicles.

Welcome to Biz Briefs! In today’s edition, merger talks between Intelsat and SES broke down, Tomorrow.io raises $87 million, Intelsat orders a Mission Extension Pod from SpaceLogistics, United Launch Alliance conducts its first launch of 2023, and much more.

United Launch Alliance (ULA) briefly test-fired the first-stage engines on its new Vulcan Centaur rocket on Wednesday evening (June 7), completing a crucial milestone for the booster’s first flight.

SpaceX will lease Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rocket flights, the U.S. Space Force announced. It will be the fifth launch pad operated by the company.

WASHINGTON — United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) CEO reaffirmed a May 2023 flight date for the maiden flight of the company’s new rocket; SpaceX and Rocket Lab officials laid out plans for record launch years; and a Blue Origin executive said Jeff Bezos’ company might never reveal what caused one of its rockets to explode last year.

WASHINGTON — During a panel discussion at Satellite 2023 Conference on Wednesday afternoon, United Launch Alliance (ULA) CEO Tory Bruno predicted there would be a shake out among small launch providers over the next 24 months that could leave only one or two companies standing. CNBC reports that process might have already begun earlier in the day with Richard Branson’s struggling launch provider.

Credit: Par SeanMichealClemes — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=117737080

United Launch Alliance (ULA) has set May 4 as the date for the maiden launch of its new Vulcan rocket. The flight will launch Astrobotic Technology’s Peregrine spacecraft to land on the Moon as well as two other payloads.

Also: UK Space Agency funds 18 projects, stc Group and Omnispace Sign MOU

Boeing and NASA say they are on track to launch the first crewed CST-100 Starliner to the International Space Station (ISS) in mid to late April.

There’s good news and bad news in the latest scientific assessment of Earth’s vital ozone layer, which helps to protect life on Earth by absorbing the Sun’s ultraviolet light.

No longer able to export rocket engines to the United States, Roscomos is looking to India as a new market. RBC reports that the state corporation is exploring the possibility of supplying 10 RD-191 rocket engines manufactured by NPO Energomash to India over a five-year period beginning in 2024.