Launch

A collection of 54 posts

Launch

SpaceX Readies First Flight of Secret Disk-Shaped Starfall Reentry Capsule

SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, June 23 for the debut flight of Starfall, a reentry capsule developed almost entirely in private, with a Falcon 9 launch window opening at 6:43 a.m. ET from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The vehicle targets the orbital manufacturing

Launch

Roman Space Telescope Reaches Kennedy for Falcon Heavy Launch No Earlier Than August 30

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope arrived at the Kennedy Space Center aboard the agency's Pegasus barge late Sunday morning, June 21, beginning the final stretch before a targeted launch from Launch Complex 39A. The $4.3 billion observatory now faces roughly 70 days of prelaunch

Launch

South Korea Launches Search for Second Spaceport to Handle Reusable Rocket Surge

South Korea will open a nationwide search for the site of a second spaceport, the Korea AeroSpace Administration said, preparing for an expected jump in launch activity driven by reusable rockets. The agency announced Sunday it would accept bids from local governments through August 6 to host the facility, which

Policy

Texas Supreme Court Blocks Beach Access Lawsuits Against SpaceX Launch Closures

The Texas Supreme Court ruled on June 19, 2026, that private environmental groups have no legal remedy to sue over public beach closures near SpaceX's Boca Chica launch site. The decision allows SpaceX to continue closing the beach during rocket launches and removes one of the few remaining

Launch

Ariane 64 Lofts Record 36 Amazon Leo Satellites on Debut of Upgraded Boosters

Arianespace launched its heaviest payload to date on June 17, sending 36 Amazon Leo broadband satellites into low Earth orbit aboard an Ariane 64 rocket flying with newly upgraded solid rocket boosters for the first time. The mission, designated VA269 by Arianespace and Leo Europe 03 by Amazon, lifted off

Launch

Astrobotic Unveils Griffin-1 Lunar Lander, Now NASA's Moon Base 2 Mission, Ahead of Late-2026 Launch

Astrobotic showed off its nearly completed Griffin-1 lunar lander on June 15 at its Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania facility, marking a major milestone for the robotic vehicle before it ships to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California for environmental testing later this month. The lander, which carries a 650

Launch

Chinese Commercial Rocket Stage Breaks Apart in Orbit, Scattering Debris Near Starlink Shell

The upper stage of a Zhuque-2E rocket has fragmented in low-Earth orbit, generating an estimated 100 to 150 pieces of debris in a region home to the International Space Station and a significant portion of SpaceX's Starlink network. The breakup occurred shortly after the rocket reached

Launch

Booster 20 Clears Cryo Proof Testing as Ship 40 Heads Toward Static Fire

SpaceX has completed cryogenic proof testing on Starship Booster 20 and is preparing Ship 40 for static fire, with both vehicles forming the stack for Flight 13. The activity comes roughly three weeks after Flight 12, with all development focus now shifted to the next vehicle pair. Flight 13 will

Launch

China's Tallest Active Rocket Reaches Orbit as LandSpace Readies Second Landing Try

China debuted its tallest currently flying rocket, the Chang Zheng 12B, on June 1, lofting two SpaceSail Qianfan satellites into orbit on its maiden flight. The launch came amid a burst of Chinese space activity that included three constellation missions in under four days and preparations by commercial provider LandSpace

Launch

Stoke Space Clears Nova First Stage Structural Qualification, Eyes Late-2026 Debut

Stoke Space has completed proto-qualification of the first stage of its Nova rocket at its Moses Lake, Washington, testing site, the company announced in early June 2026. The milestone clears a major technical hurdle for the medium-lift Nova vehicle, which the company is targeting for a debut flight

Markets

German Launch Startup Isar Aerospace Raises $312 Million Despite September Failure

German launch company Isar Aerospace has secured 270 million euros ($312 million) in Series D funding as it prepares to reattempt its Spectrum rocket launch after a failure last September. The round, led by new investors Island Green Capital and Molten Ventures, signals strong backer confidence in the company'

Launch

SpaceX Falcon 9 Booster Reaches 35th Flight, Extending Reusability Lead

A SpaceX Falcon 9 booster completed its 35th orbital flight on June 7, carrying Starlink satellites to orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The milestone extends SpaceX's commanding lead in rocket reusability, a capability that translates directly into lower launch costs and higher flight rates for the

Satellites

Amazon to Launch 36 Satellites on Ariane 6's Upgraded Booster Flight

Amazon Leo will deploy 36 satellites aboard an Ariane 6 rocket this month, marking both the largest single payload for its Project Kuiper constellation and the debut flight of the European launcher's enhanced booster configuration. The mission represents a watershed moment for Ariane 6, which will demonstrate upgraded

Launch

Blue Origin targets year-end New Glenn launch after Cape Canaveral ground test explosion

Blue Origin said it will return its New Glenn rocket to flight before the end of 2026, roughly seven months after an uncrewed vehicle exploded during ground testing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base on May 28. The company's assessment found that the main propellant tanks survived the

Markets

South Korean startup Unastella lands $24 million to pursue domestic orbital launches

Unastella, a Seoul-based rocket developer, raised $24 million in a funding round announced June 1 to advance its proprietary launch vehicles and engines toward orbital capability. The round, led by Altos Ventures, brings the company's total funding to $44 million. The company has already conducted test launches

Launch

China Launches Reusable Rocket Without Notice, Orbits Operational Satellites

China conducted the first flight of its Long March 12B reusable rocket on June 1, flying unannounced from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and successfully delivering operational Qianfan satellites to orbit. The surprise launch, executed without pre-flight announcements or a livestream, signals that China has moved past the experimental

Launch

SpaceX's Starfall Project Aims to Transform Orbital Manufacturing Into Routine Business

SpaceX is developing a dedicated reentry vehicle system called Starfall designed to return products manufactured in orbit to Earth, according to Federal Aviation Administration filings released May 31. The project represents a significant expansion of commercial space infrastructure beyond launch services, positioning the company to capture the return-cargo segment

Launch

ULA Launches Record-Heavy Amazon Leo Batch as Blue Origin Explosion Threatens Constellation Timeline

United Launch Alliance successfully deployed 29 Amazon Leo satellites aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on May 29, marking the second-to-last Atlas V mission Amazon has contracted. The payload equaled the heaviest mass ever carried by Atlas V, underscoring the rocket's

Launch

Blue Origin's New Glenn Explodes During Static Fire Test at Cape Canaveral

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded during a static fire engine test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on May 28, destroying the vehicle and inflicting extensive damage to Launch Complex 36. The explosion, visible from 115 miles away in Fort Pierce, Florida, marks a catastrophic setback for

Policy

FAA Grounds SpaceX Starship After Super Heavy Booster Crashes During Landing

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered SpaceX to halt all Starship launches indefinitely after the company's upgraded V3 variant experienced a catastrophic booster failure during its May 22 test flight from Texas. The Super Heavy booster lost control during its landing sequence and crashed into the Gulf of Mexico,

Markets

Firefly Aerospace Launches Public Stock Offering on Heels of Lunar Contract Win

Firefly Aerospace announced a public equity offering of 12 million shares on May 26, capitalizing on momentum from a recent $75 million NASA subcontract to deliver robotic assets to the lunar south pole. The company is offering 4 million shares while existing stockholders are selling 8 million, signaling both capital

Markets

NASA Exercises SpaceX Option for Six Additional Crew Missions as Boeing Starliner Remains Uncertified

NASA will purchase six additional crew rotation missions from SpaceX under an expanded Commercial Crew contract, with three ordered immediately and three reserved for future use through the end of International Space Station operations. The procurement follows Boeing's continued inability to obtain NASA certification for Starliner to conduct

Launch

Blue Origin Clears Path to Resume New Glenn Heavy-Lift Operations

Blue Origin has received FAA clearance to return its New Glenn rocket to flight operations following an extended grounding, the agency confirmed on May 25. The regulatory approval removes the final institutional barrier preventing the company from conducting launch missions with its heavy-lift vehicle, though Blue Origin has not

Launch

SpaceX's Starship V3 Validates Reentry Heat Shield Despite Booster Loss

SpaceX completed the first test flight of its redesigned Starship V3 on May 22, achieving its primary objective of validating new reentry systems and heat protection, even though the Super Heavy booster was destroyed shortly after stage separation. The upper stage conducted a controlled atmospheric reentry and splashed down on

Launch

China Reaches Year-Long Spaceflight Milestone With Shenzhou-23 Launch

China launched its Shenzhou-23 mission on May 25, 2026, carrying three astronauts to the Tiangong space station, including Hong Kong's first astronaut and a crew member scheduled to remain in orbit for a full year. The mission represents a significant step in China's human spaceflight