RS1 first stage
The interior of the first stage of the first RS1 rocket. ABL Space Systems plans to launch its RS1 rocket for the first time by the end of the year from Alaska. Credit: ABL Space Systems

KIHEI, Hawaii — Small launch vehicle developer ABL Space Systems has won a contract to launch a NASA technology demonstration spacecraft in 2023.

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Jeff Foust writes about space policy, commercial space, and related topics for SpaceNews. He earned a Ph.D. in planetary sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree with honors in geophysics and planetary science...