Topic: reader submissions
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Indian startup nears first launch; SpaceX hits millenary milestone
Delays remain a constant in the space industry, as only one of 20 highlighted 2026 events,NASA’s Artemis II mission,has been completed by mid-year, with many others slipping into next year. A pioneering commercial mission using Katalyst Space Technologies' Link satellite launched Friday on a Nort...
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Starship V3 Test-Fired; ESA Advances Crew Launch Plans
The Artemis II mission's momentum is shifting focus to lunar lander development, with key updates on contractors and global launch technologies. Israel's Moonshot Space plans to build its first electromagnetic accelerator in Alaska, aiming to launch payloads at hypersonic speeds using electricity...
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Russia Reopens ISS Access; Cape Canaveral Tests Missile
NASA has announced a major strategic shift, pausing development of the Gateway lunar space station to focus resources on establishing a permanent lunar surface base and advancing a nuclear-powered rocket program for Mars. The agency is repurposing the nearly-ready Power and Propulsion Element fro...
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Vulcan Delayed, Falcon 9 Reuse Record Soars in Rocket Report
Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket launch is delayed to likely 2027 due to a testing failure, while SpaceX's Falcon 9 sets a new reusability record, highlighting the industry's progress in rocket reuse. Phantom Space has acquired assets from the defunct Vector Launch to accelerate development of its Day...
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Rocket Report: Neutron's 'Hungry Hippo' Cleared for Flight, Orbex's Future in Question
SpaceX plans an IPO within 12-18 months, a move that could either shift its focus or accelerate its Mars ambitions through new capital. Avio USA will build a major solid rocket motor factory in Virginia with a $500 million investment, aiming to serve defense and commercial markets. Orbex faces a ...
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China's Falcon 9-Style Rocket Tested as NASA's Moon Rocket Completes Stacking
LandSpace and Blue Origin are advancing reusable rocket technology, with LandSpace preparing its Zhuque-3 for a Falcon 9-style vertical landing and Blue Origin planning its second New Glenn mission, aiming to recover orbital-class boosters like SpaceX. Private companies and defense contractors ar...
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SpaceX Raises Launch Prices; Russia Repairs Damaged Pad
NASA's Artemis program has shifted strategy by canceling the SLS upper stage for a commercial alternative, reducing costs and delaying the need for orbital refueling, which pushes the first Moon landing to the Artemis IV mission. SpaceX has raised launch prices due to its market dominance and inc...
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Alpha Rocket Explodes in Test; Europe Plans Mini Starship
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is preparing for its second flight and landing attempt, while SpaceX's Starship aims for its final test flight of the year, and Rocket Lab's Neutron vehicle may debut by year-end or slip into 2026. Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket booster was destroyed in a testing ...
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Neutron's Pad Opens, SpaceX's Falcon 9 Cleared for Launch
Congress opposes the Trump administration's plan to retire the Space Launch System rocket after Artemis III, signaling a potential conflict over NASA's deep space exploration future. Israel successfully launched the Ofek 19 satellite, an advanced synthetic aperture radar observation satellite, us...
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Rocket Report: Canada's big space move, US Space Force urges haste
Canada is investing $200 million to build a domestic spaceport in Nova Scotia, aiming to reduce reliance on foreign launch partners and enhance its orbital independence. The government is also funding three Canadian rocket companies with $8.3 million each to develop launch vehicles intended to us...
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Pentagon Seeks More Missile Interceptors; Artemis II Clears Key Review
NASA is proceeding with the Artemis II mission without an additional fueling test, targeting a launch on April 1 with a secondary window on April 2 for a daytime liftoff. Firefly Aerospace successfully returned its Alpha rocket to flight, validating a key engine restart and new avionics after a p...
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Soyuz Pad Fix, Ariane 6 Goals: This Week's Rocket Report
The global launch industry saw key debuts in late 2025, including Blue Origin's New Glenn completing its first drone ship landing and China's Zhuque-3 reaching orbit on its first launch. Rocket Lab successfully deployed four experimental DiskSat satellites for the U.S. Space Force and NASA from V...
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Rocket Report: Baikonur Blunder; Are Engines Essential for Launch?
The global launch industry is highly active, with SpaceX conducting seven recent launches and up to twenty more orbital attempts expected worldwide before December ends. A major Russian RS-28 Sarmat ICBM test failed dramatically, with the missile crashing seconds after liftoff near its launch sit...
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Bezos' Firm to Bundle Satellites; Starship Launch Imminent
Despite the ongoing federal government shutdown, U.S. military space missions and NASA's Artemis II preparations continue uninterrupted, though federal employees risk missing paychecks. The majority of the most hazardous space debris consists of objects left in orbit before the year 2000, with sp...
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Rocket Report: 5-Ton Satellite Falls Off Booster; SpaceX-xAI Merger?
NASA is conducting a critical wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis II mission's Space Launch System rocket, a key step toward a launch targeted for no earlier than February 6. The UK launch company Orbex is being sold to spacecraft manufacturer The Exploration Company, a major shift that reverses ...
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Rocket Report: China Masters Booster Landings as Orbex Bows Out
China's Long March 10 rocket successfully tested a reusable subscale model, marking a key advancement in its reusable launch technology. UK launch firm Orbex entered insolvency after failing to secure funding or a merger, having never produced flight-ready hardware despite years of operation. Fir...
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