Launches & Spacecraft
Latest about Launches & Spacecraft

Mission Hayabusa: Test your JAXA IQ
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published
Test your knowledge of Japan's boldest leaps into the cosmos with a quiz that explores JAXA's missions, milestones, and the science shaping humanity's future among the stars.

SpaceX deploys two more Starlink groups into orbit on March 1 bicoastal launches (video)
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
SpaceX Falcon 9 launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida lofted 54 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit on Sunday, March 1, 2026.

Watch Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket launch tonight for 1st time in 10 months
By Mike Wall published
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.

Firefly Aerospace prepares Alpha rocket for 1st launch since explosive mishaps last year
By Josh Dinner last updated
Firefly Aerospace is gearing up for the seventh liftoff of its Alpha rocket on March 1, after two explosive events in 2025 stalled development of the launch vehicle.

February finale: SpaceX wraps up month with three Starlink launches this week
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
Two Falcon 9 launches from Florida and one from California deployed 83 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit, wrapping up February 2026 for the SpaceX network.

US Space Force pauses national security launches on ULA Vulcan rocket due to booster glitch
By Josh Dinner published
The U.S. Space Force is putting an indefinite halt on all national security missions aboard United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur, following a repeat anomaly with the rocket's side boosters.

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

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

Falcon 9 rocket sets new reuse record on SpaceX's 2nd Starlink launch of the day (video)
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
Two SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets, each carrying Starlink satellites, launched from California and Florida on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. The second booster set a new reuse record.
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