Family-level launch record combining canonical variants, historical missions, public cadence forecasts, and available payload performance specs.
Historical missions are grouped by actual launch year. Forecast cadence uses family-level launch-rate rows.
| Year | Historical missions | Forecast launches |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | 0 |
Payload capacity by variant and target orbit when structured capacity rows are available.
| Variant | Orbit | Capacity | Altitude | Inclination | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No performance specsNo structured payload capacity rows are linked to this vehicle family. | |||||
Latest launched missions using variants in this family.
| Mission | Variant | Launch |
|---|---|---|
| Launch 2023-F02 | RS1 | Jan 10, 2023 |
Upcoming mission rows with announced launch timing.
| Mission | Variant | Announced |
|---|---|---|
No forecasted missionsNo upcoming announced mission rows are linked to this vehicle family. | ||
Canonical variants rolled up into this launch vehicle family.
| Variant | Stages | Missions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
RS1 | Not stated | 1 | Retired |
ABL Space Systems projected eight RS1 launches in 2022 and projected double that number in 2023.
Much of the additional $200,000,000 funding will be used to scale up production of the RS1 vehicle.
ABL Space Systems has received large orders for its RS1 vehicle and has more than 75 RS1 launches under contract.
ABL Space Systems will launch the NASA Cryogenic Demonstration Mission spacecraft on its RS1 rocket in 2023.
ABL Space Systems plans to perform its first RS1 launch before the end of 2023 from the Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska on Kodiak Island.
ABL Space Systems had been working toward a first RS1 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California in 2023.
ABL Space Systems expects to launch its RS1 rocket for the first time later 2021.
ABL Space Systems advertises a $12,000,000 price for an RS1 rocket.
ABL Space Systems is developing the RS1 small launch vehicle designed to deliver up to 1,350 kg into low Earth orbit.
ABL Space Systems lists a price of $12,000,000 per RS1 launch.
Lockheed Martin's contract with ABL Space Systems, announced 2021-04-05, covers up to 26 RS1 launches through 2025 and an additional 32 launches from 2026 through 2029.
RS1 is capable of delivering up to 1,350 kg (1,350 kg) to low Earth orbit.
ABL Space Systems raised a $170,000,000 Series B round on 2021-03-25 to scale up production of the RS1 rocket and establish launch sites in the United States and the United Kingdom.
If Lockheed Martin ordered all 58 RS1 launches at ABL Space Systems' listed price of $12,000,000 each, the total contract value would be $696,000,000.
Lockheed Martin selected ABL Space Systems' RS1 in February for the UK Pathfinder launch from the Shetland Space Centre in 2022.
ABL Space Systems is developing the RS1 small launch vehicle capable of placing up to 1,350 kg into low Earth orbit.
ABL Space Systems’ RS1 rocket is part of a flexible, integrated geostationary orbit (GSO) launch system designed for rapid and cost-effective deployment with high launch performance.
Lockheed Martin selected ABL Space Systems for the UK Pathfinder launch to use ABL’s integrated GS0 launch system and RS1 rocket for rapid site stand-up with limited on-site infrastructure.
The RS1 is intended to place up to 1,000 kg into sun-synchronous orbit for $12,000,000 per launch.
ABL Space Systems expects to ship the first flight version of the RS1 first stage from its El Segundo, California headquarters to Vandenberg Air Force Base by the end of the year for a launch attempt in the first quarter of 2021.