Mike Wall

Rocket Lab launches mystery satellite for 'confidential commercial customer' (video)

By Mike Wall Last updated 6 March 26

Rocket Lab launched a mystery satellite for a confidential commercial customer this evening (March 5). It was the company's 83rd liftoff to date.

Vast raises $500 million to keep developing 'Haven' private space stations

By Mike Wall Published 5 March 26

Vast has raised $500 million in new funding, which the California startup will put toward its goal of getting private space stations up and running in Earth orbit.

Japan's private Space One Kairos rocket explodes after launch failure during 3rd test flight

By Mike Wall Last updated 5 March 26

The Japanese company Space One launched its Kairos rocket for the third time ever today (March 4). The rocket failed, as it did on its first two attempts.

NASA repairs Artemis 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch

By Mike Wall Published 3 March 26

NASA has repaired its Artemis 2 rocket, apparently keeping things on track for a possible April launch of the first crewed moon mission in more than 50 years.

Watch Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket launch tonight for 1st time in 10 months

By Mike Wall Published 1 March 26

Firefly Aerospace plans to launch its Alpha rocket for the first time in 10 months on Wednesday night (March 11), and you can watch the action live.

'Pushing this competition': SpaceX's Starship might not fly on NASA's newly revamped Artemis 3 mission

By Mike Wall Published 28 February 26

NASA's Artemis 3 mission will no longer land astronauts on the moon — and it might not involve SpaceX's Starship megarocket, either.

NASA shakes up leadership of human spaceflight program in wake of critical Starliner report

By Mike Wall Published 26 February 26

NASA has replaced two bigwigs in its human spaceflight program, just a week after releasing a report criticizing how the agency handled the first crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner astronaut taxi.

SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule splashes down after historic ISS-boosting mission (video)

By Mike Wall Last updated 26 February 26

A SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule returned to Earth on Friday (Feb. 27) after spending six months docked with the International Space Station.

Rocket Lab launches hypersonic scramjet vehicle for the US military

By Mike Wall Published 25 February 26

Rocket Lab launched a scramjet-powered hypersonic vehicle for the U.S. military to suborbital space on Friday (Feb. 27).

'The Space Force is my baby': Trump lauds military space in State of the Union but skips Artemis 2 moon crew namedrop

By Mike Wall Published 25 February 26

President Trump lauded the Space Force in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night (Feb. 24) but did not mention the Artemis 2 moon mission, which could launch as soon as April 1.

Watch NASA roll Artemis 2 moon rocket off launch pad today to deal with glitch

By Mike Wall Published 24 February 26

NASA will roll its Artemis 2 moon rocket off the launch pad on Wednesday (Feb. 25) to deal with a glitch, and you can watch the four-mile trek live.

China's mysterious Shenlong space plane recently launched on its 4th mission. What is it doing up there?

By Mike Wall Published 23 February 26

China's reusable Shenlong space plane launched on its fourth space mission earlier this month. What is it doing in Earth orbit, and how do those activities advance China's space goals?

NASA's Artemis 2 moon rocket has a problem and it's leaving the launch pad. Don't expect a moonshot in March

By Mike Wall Last updated 22 February 26

NASA on Sunday (Sept. 22) announced that the space agency will roll its massive Artemis 2 moon rocket to fix a helium system glitch on the massive booster.

'This is really getting real.' NASA's Artemis 2 moon rocket fueling test went so well, astronauts could launch March 6

By Mike Wall Published 20 February 26

NASA announced today (Feb. 20) that it’s targeting March 6 for the liftoff of Artemis 2, which will be the first crewed mission to go beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 back in 1972.

SpaceX lands Falcon 9 rocket in The Bahamas for 2nd time ever (video)

By Mike Wall Last updated 20 February 26

SpaceX landed a rocket in The Bahamas for the second time ever on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, after launching 29 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

'We almost did have a really terrible day.' NASA now says Boeing's 1st Starliner astronaut flight was a 'Type A mishap'

By Mike Wall Published 19 February 26

"This was a really challenging event in our recent history."

SpaceX will resume landing rockets in The Bahamas after raining debris on the country last year

By Mike Wall Published 18 February 26

The Bahamas has given SpaceX permission to resume rocket landings in the country, which were paused last year after a Starship test flight explosion caused a debris shower.

NASA will fuel up its Artemis 2 moon rocket for the 2nd time on Feb. 19. Will it leak again?

By Mike Wall Published 17 February 26

NASA will try again to fuel up its Artemis 2 moon rocket on Feb. 19. If all goes well, the crewed mission could launch as soon as March 6.

'Fully unlocking the orbital economy': This California company will fly astronauts to the space station in 2027

By Mike Wall Published 16 February 26

NASA has selected the California startup Vast to operate the sixth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff is targeted for summer 2027.

SpaceX Dragon astronauts make Valentine's Day docking at space station to boost skeleton crew (video)

By Mike Wall Last updated 14 February 26

SpaceX's Crew-12 astronaut mission docked with the short-staffed International Space Station on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026.

Watch SpaceX launch Crew-12 astronaut mission to the International Space Station this morning

By Mike Wall Published 12 February 26

SpaceX will launch the latest batch of astronauts to the International Space Station early Friday morning (Feb. 13), and you can watch the action live.

Deja vu: Vulcan Centaur rocket powers through 'significant performance anomaly' on satellite launch

By Mike Wall Published 12 February 26

A Vulcan Centaur rocket successfully launched two U.S. spy satellites on Feb. 12 despite suffering an anomaly with one of its solid rocket boosters, echoing the result of an October 2024 mission.

Europe's most powerful rocket launches for 1st time, carrying 32 Amazon internet satellites to orbit (video)

By Mike Wall Published 12 February 26

The most powerful version of Europe's Ariane 6 rocket flew for the first time ever on Thursday (Feb. 12), launching 32 of Amazon's internet satellites to orbit.

Vulcan Centaur rocket launches 'neighborhood watch' satellites for the US military (video)

By Mike Wall Last updated 12 February 26

Liftoff of the USSF-87 mission occurred at 4:22 a.m. ET on Thursday (Feb. 12).

China aces test of next-gen lunar capsule and rocket in effort to land humans on moon before NASA (video)

By Mike Wall Published 11 February 26

China just took another step toward landing astronauts on the moon, acing a key abort test with its Mengzhou crew capsule and pulling off a soft splashdown with the returning rocket.