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Space Launch Delta 45 supports historic Artemis II mission
April 2, 2026
PATRICK SPACE FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) – On April 1, NASA's Artemis II mission successfully launched from the Eastern Range at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, with four astronauts bound for lunar orbit.
This historic moment would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of Space Launch Delta 45 personnel.
There are many steps involved in ensuring a safe and successful launch.
From oversight of range operations to planning potential emergency response, members of SLD 45 aim to guarantee all launches from the Eastern Range keep the launch vehicle, range personnel and the local community safe.
The mission starts before the launch countdown begins. Members of the SLD 45 team are responsible for analyzing specific payloads, launch vehicles and their proposed trajectories to compute hazard zones.
These zones span land, sea and air and are crucial to ensuring no person or vehicle is operating within a specified distance of the pad.
"Each hazardous area reflects hours of trajectory analysis, debris analysis and coordination across multiple agencies," said Emma Cusano, SLD 45 flight safety analyst and aerospace engineer.
"When it comes to launch, safety is our No. 1 priority, regardless of whether it is crewed or not."
Prior to launch, the SLD 45 Office of Emergency Management coordinates with state and local leaders to develop plans for an anomaly.
Taking the hazard zones into account, the office proactively decides on where roadblocks should be placed, how traffic will flow and where emergency response vehicles will be staged in case of necessary response.
"We are committed to doing everything we can in the planning phase to ensure we are ready to execute our emergency response plans," said Air Force Master Sgt. Robert Ridgway, SLD 45 installation emergency manager.
"Having effective plans in place is necessary for both ensuring the safety of the local community and the astronauts in the capsule."
The Office of Emergency Management oversees and activates the launch emergency operations center.
The operations center's primary function is to survey and respond to any and all potential dangers a launch could pose to Cape Canaveral SFS.
Because of the inherently volatile nature of spaceflight, the center remains staffed during launch to act as a node for disseminating emergency information and direction.
To safely get the launch vehicle from the pad to orbit, the 1st Range Operations Squadron and the 45th Weather Squadron are key players in each mission.
The 1st ROS is responsible for performing real-time command and control of the Eastern Range. The team continuously analyzes telemetry data, weather and numerous other factors to determine whether a launch is safe to proceed.
The 45th WS supplements the squadron in its uninterrupted investigation of current and future conditions.
Weather plays a crucial role in safety and launch success as inclement conditions can damage rockets and payloads. Examining the weather helps to advise SLD 45 personnel on the console.
"Access to space would not be possible without the contributions of SLD 45 and its oversight of the Eastern Range," said Space Force Col. Joyce Bulson, SLD 45 deputy commander for operations.
"These contributions enabled more than 100 launches in 2025, and we aim to only increase the pace."
South of Cape Canaveral SFS, the 45th Logistics Readiness Squadron postures airfield support to facilitate the Air Force Detachment 3's human spaceflight recovery team, which plays the role of overseeing rescue forces at Patrick Space Force Base.
"I am extremely proud of the members of SLD 45 and their continued determination in executing the mission. These professionals train day in and day out to guarantee space access," said Space Force Col. Brian Chatman, SLD 45 commander.
"They are the driving force to maintaining U.S. presence and superiority in the space domain."
In addition to the components already mentioned that support launch, SLD 45 includes many more teams and organizations that enable space launch from the Eastern Range.
As the pace of launches and mass to orbit increases, SLD 45 personnel remain committed to safety and mission success.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4450943/space-launch-delta-45-supports-historic-artemis-ii-mission/
extra Space Force
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/space-force-to-create-futures-like-group-hq-staff/
China’s commercial Tianlong-3 rocket fails on debut launch
April 3, 2026
HELSINKI — The first launch of the Tianlong-3 rocket from Chinese commercial firm Space Pioneer failed Friday after suffering an anomaly in its ascent phase.
The Tianlong-3 lifted off at 12:17 a.m. Eastern (0417 UTC) April 3 from the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
Amateur footage shared on Chinese social media captured the event, showing apparent issues during the ascent.
State media Xinhua confirmed the failure with a short text report a few hours after liftoff. The specific cause is under further analysis and investigation, the report stated.
A later statement from Space Pioneer included an apology to its partners and all sectors of society who care about the development of commercial spaceflight.
The company stated it would work to ensure the complete success of subsequent launch missions. The company did not disclose whether any payloads were lost.
Tianlong-3 is a 72-meter-long, 3.8-meter-diameter, two-stage launch vehicle using a kerosene-liquid oxygen propellant mix.
Designed for partial reusability, it is intended to be comparable to SpaceX’s Falcon 9. It is capable of carrying 17-22,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit, or 10-17,000 kg to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit.
The first stage is powered by nine Tianhuo-12 variable thrust engines.
Saturday’s failure follows nearly two years after a near-disastrous event in June 2024, when a static fire test of the Tianlong-3 first stage saw the stage unintentionally lift off after escaping its clamps, flying a short distance before crashing into a nearby hillside and exploding.
The incident prompted a review of regulations for the commercial launch sector and forced a redesign of the first stage and a significant delay for the Tianlong-3.
In July 2025, Space Pioneer completed the launch pad for Tianlong-3 at Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone and completed a successful static fire of the redesigned first stage.
It was among a number of new, potentially recoverable rockets developed by commercial and state entities then preparing for debut flights, including the Zhuque-3 and Long March 12A, both of which successfully reached orbit but failed with first stage recovery attempts in December.
Space Pioneer announced funding rounds totalling around $350 million in October 2025 to support the Tianlong-3 and next-generation launch vehicle and engine development.
The company also developed the Tianlong-2 kerosene-liquid oxygen rocket which reached orbit on its solitary flight in April 2023.
The launch was China’s 19th orbital launch attempt of 2026, and the third failure. It follows the successful debut flight of CAS Space’s Kinetica-2 kerolox rocket March 30 carrying a prototype cargo spacecraft.
The two previous failures occurred in mid-January, with the loss of the first Ceres-2 solid rocket, while a Long March 3B rocket suffered a third stage anomaly.
China is targeting around 140 launches in 2026, according to a commercial space executive.
Notable activities will include numerous constellation launches, tests related to China’s crewed lunar program, human spaceflight missions to Tiangong space station, and the Chang’e-7 lunar landing mission.
https://spacenews.com/chinas-commercial-tianlong-3-rocket-fails-on-debut-launch/
https://twitter.com/raz_liu/status/2039927917686477035
Ukraine rocked by new multimillion-dollar corruption scandal
Updated 3 Apr, 2026 13:15
An alleged corruption scheme involving the embezzlement of $17.7 million worth of grain has been uncovered in Ukraine, implicating senior officials of a state grain corporation and an unnamed foreign company.
The US-backed National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), leading the probe, said on Thursday that the scheme dates back to 2021, when the State Food and Grain Corporation of Ukraine (SFGCU) signed four contracts to supply corn to a foreign buyer.
The contracts required full prepayment. Instead, officials and the company allegedly colluded to hand over control of shipments without payment, investigators said.
NABU said no payment was made. Despite this, the corporation allegedly transferred key shipping documents to the buyer, giving it control over the cargo.
“Contrary to the contract terms, which required 100% payment for the goods before the transfer of ownership, the original bills of lading ended up in the hands of the buyer,” the agency said.
“This allowed the vessels to be unloaded and the unpaid grain to be freely used or disposed of.”
To cover up the loss, officials kept internal copies of the documents with forged signatures and seals, creating the appearance that the shipments remained under state control, investigators said.
In total, around 106,000 tons of grain were allegedly taken, causing losses estimated at 776 million hryvnia ($17.7 million).
Proceeds from the sale of the grain were allegedly laundered through bank transfers to blend them with legitimate funds, and by buying raw materials and assets for affiliated companies, investigators said.
Several individuals have been notified of suspicion, including a former head of the SFGCU, its ex-trading director, the head and beneficial owner of the foreign company, his associate, and another alleged accomplice.
They face charges of embezzlement, money laundering, and forgery.
Kiev has been hit by a series of corruption scandals over the past year.
In November, the anti-corruption agencies uncovered a $100 million kickback scheme involving state nuclear operator Energoatom, implicating a close associate of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, Timur Mindich, who fled the country.
The fallout included the resignation of Energy Minister German Galushchenko, who was later arrested while attempting to flee to Poland, and Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak.
NABU has also exposed an alleged vote-rigging scheme involving more than 40 sitting MPs who were reportedly bribed in exchange for votes.
https://www.rt.com/news/637158-ukraine-grain-corruption-scandal/