Firefly Aerospace launches Victus Nox tactically responsive space mission

by Zach Rosenberg

Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket launches the Victus Nox mission on 14 September. (Firefly Aerospace)

Firefly Aerospace launched an Alpha rocket on a Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, sending into orbit a Millennium Space Systems-built satellite on 14 September. The US Space Force (USSF), which sponsored the mission, called it Victus Nox.

“I'm incredibly proud of this team for completing these critical mission milestones and successfully launching in a matter of hours rather than weeks or months in a typical operation,” Adam Oakes, vice-president of launch vehicles at Firefly Aerospace, said in a statement.

Although little is publicly known about the satellite, it is intended to perform space situational awareness (SSA) tasks, examining other objects in orbit. The TacRS programme required that the satellite complete checks and begin operations within 48 hours of launch, a task Millennium Space Systems said was completed in 37 hours.

“What made Victus Nox more exciting than usual was getting the satellite online in such a rapid timeline, and we were able to do that in 37 hours,” said Andrew Chau, Victus Nox programme manager at Millennium Space Systems, in a statement.


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Poland completes receipt of Turkish UAVs

by Gareth Jennings

Poland now has all 24 of the TB2 UAVs it ordered from Türkiye, operating them across four systems based at the 12th Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Base at Mirosławiec. (Polish MND)

Poland has received the last of 24 Baykar Bayraktar TB2 armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Türkiye.

The Polish Armaments Agency (AA) announced the milestone on 16 May, saying that the last four unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), each comprising six UAVs, had been received into the 12th Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Base at Mirosławiec on the same day.

“The Secretary of State in the Ministry of National Defense, Paweł Bejda, together with representatives of the Polish Armed Forces, took part in the ceremony of completing the delivery of the last, fourth set of the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned reconnaissance and strike system,” the AA said.


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Edge unveils Hunter 5 loitering munition prototype in test video

by Jeremy Binnie

The Hunter 5 prototype before its first test flight at the X Range. (Edge Group)

The United Arab Emirates' (UAE's) Edge Group has updated the product page for its Hunter 5 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a video showing its first test flight.

The video said the flight took place in November 2023 at the company's X Range testing facility on Abu al Abyad island. It showed a prototype fitted with fixed undercarriage and non-folding wings, having its two-cylinder petrol engine manually started before it took off and flew around the range's runway.

The promotional image of the Hunter 5 on the Edge website shows it with folding wings, no undercarriage, and a probable rocket booster for launching it from a rail or canister.


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Heron TP makes maiden German flight

by Gareth Jennings

The GHTP lifts off from Jagel for its maiden flight in German airspace. (IAI)

The Luftwaffe has flown the first of its leased Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Heron TP unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) on its maiden flight in German airspace on 15 May.

Announced by the Bundeswehr, Airbus Defence and Space as the lead contractor for the programme, and IAI, the milestone saw the medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operating out of its future home station of Jagel (also known as Schleswig Air Base) in the far north of Germany.

Known as the German Heron TP (GHTP), the UAS was awarded a type certificate by the German Military Aviation Authority in late 2022, at which time it was operated out of an undisclosed location in Israel.

The GHTP is intended to bridge the gap between the retirement of the earlier Heron 1 UAS and the introduction of the new European MALE UAS known as Eurodrone, with Airbus Defence and Space operating five air vehicles out to 2027.


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Firefly Aerospace launched an Alpha rocket on a Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) mission from Van...

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