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

China's three-person Shenzhou-21 crew splashed down on May 29, 2026, ending a 210-day mission aboard Tiangong that sets a new national record for crewed spaceflight duration. The landing marks a significant milestone in China's push toward long-duration operations, demonstrating both technical capability

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

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

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

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

SpaceX has set May 21, 2026, for the maiden flight of Starship V3 from its Starbase facility in Texas. The 124-meter-tall vehicle represents the first operational variant of the megarocket designed to support NASA's Artemis lunar program and eventual crewed missions to Mars. The announcement came

A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft docked with the International Space Station on Sunday, delivering 6,500 pounds of science experiments and supplies to the orbiting laboratory. The mission marks another routine resupply run under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services program -- a cadence that reflects how thoroughly space logistics has

SpaceX has set May 19 as the target launch date for Starship Version 3, the most substantially redesigned iteration of its super-heavy launch system yet. The flight will also mark the operational debut of Launch Pad 2 at Starbase in South Texas, a facility the company has spent two