Launches & Spacecraft

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Miss Sam, a rhesus monkey,, is seen in her with fiberglass couch for launch on a Mercury spacecraft.

On this day in space: Jan. 21, 1960: 'Miss Sam' the rhesus monkey launched into space

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

On January 21, 1960, a monkey named Miss Sam launched on a Little Joe rocket to help NASA test the launch escape system for its new Mercury spacecraft.

Launches & Spacecraft
An illustration of two satellites with opposing solar panels on either side floating above the glowing blue atmosphere of Earth

US Space Force awards 1st-of-its-kind $52 million contract to deorbit its satellites

By Mike Wall published

"This contract reflects both the value of affordable servicing missions and the technical readiness of the Otter."

Launches & Spacecraft
An Isar Aerospace Spectrum rocke lifts off from Andoya Spaceport in Norway on March 30, 2025 on its first flight.

Watch private German rocket attempt history-making launch from Norway today

By Mike Wall published

Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket will try to become the first vehicle ever to reach orbit from European soil today (Jan. 21), and you can watch the action live.

Launches & Spacecraft
a white and black rocket lifts off into the night sky, its bright yellow-white plume lighting its launch pad below.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 29 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida (video)

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 Starlink satellites launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026.

Launches & Spacecraft
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the NROL-105 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Jan. 16, 2026.

SpaceX launches its 1st national security mission of 2026, sending US spy satellites to orbit

By Mike Wall last updated

SpaceX will launch its first national security mission of the year tonight (Jan. 16), and you can watch the action live.

Launches & Spacecraft
a close-up of a payload fairing atop a rocket as it lifs off from its ocean-side launch pad

Starlink satellites lift off on SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral (video)

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

A SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying 29 Starlink satellites launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.

Launches & Spacecraft
a triple-core rocket blasts off under a sunny, partly cloudy blue sky. smoke expands below next to an obscured launch tower, near a long white hanger with SPACEX written on the side. To the left, a bird flies away.

Rocket launch today: Is there a rocket launch and what time?

By Josh Dinner, Tariq Malik last updated

Follow Space.com's rocket launch blog for the latest on when the next rocket launch will be and how to follow it live.

Launches & Spacecraft
A black and white photo shows a small rocket launching from the ground

Blast from the past: A rocket history quiz

By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published

Test how well you know the breakthroughs, pioneers, and turning points that shaped modern rocketry.

Launches & Spacecraft
a white and black rocket lifts off from its launch pad, leaving a large white plume

SpaceX launches 29 Starlink satellites into orbit from Florida (video)

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026.

Launches & Spacecraft
An Indian PSLV rocket launches the EOS-N1 military satellite and 15 other payloads on Jan. 11, 2025. It was the first PSLV flight since a failure in May 2025.

Indian PSLV rocket apparently fails for 2nd launch in a row (video)

By Mike Wall last updated

India's PSLV rocket apparently failed Sunday night (Jan. 11) while trying to launch 16 payloads to space. It was the PSLV's first liftoff since a May 2025 failure.

Launches & Spacecraft
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