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Rocket Launches

Rocket launches used to be the realm of national governments, but with the rise of private spaceflight companies more rockets are launching into space than ever before. While most rockets launch satellites into orbit, some like Russia's Soyuz, carry astronauts on missions into space. SpaceX's Dragon and Boeing's CST-100 Starliner will fly Americans into orbit, while Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin will launch space tourists on short suborbital trips. SpaceX and Blue Origin even land their rockets after launch for later reuse. See news, photos and videos of the latest rocket launches from around the world here. 

Related Topics: Falcon Heavy, SpaceX, NASA Space Launch System, Space Tourism, International Space Station

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Virgin Orbit's carrier plane, Cosmic Girl, hauls the company's LauncherOne rocket aloft on the Launch Demo mission on May 25, 2020. LauncherOne did not reach orbit on the flight.

Virgin Orbit's 1st test launch fails to reach orbit

By Mike Wall

Virgin Orbit aimed to send its LauncherOne rocket to orbit for the first time today (May 25). But something went wrong shortly after LauncherOne separated from its carrier plane.

The HTV-9 cargo ship arrives at the International Space Station on May 25, 2020 to deliver more than 4 tons of supplies on the final HTV flight by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Japanese cargo ship arrives at space station to make one last delivery

By Tariq Malik

A robotic Japanese cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station Monday (May 25) to make one final delivery before its fleet is retired.

A Soyuz-2 rocket launches a missile-warning satellite from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia on May 22, 2020.

Russian military satellite launch spawns space-junk fireball over Australia (video)

By Mike Wall

Russia launched a military satellite to orbit on Friday (May 22), and the mission generated plenty of drama in the downward direction as well.

Virgin Orbit's Cosmic Girl carries a LauncherOne booster in a captive-carry flight on April 12, 2020. The company plans to launch its first test flight in May 2020.

Sensor glitch delays Virgin Orbit's 1st launch of new LauncherOne rocket

By Tariq Malik

Virgin Orbit called off the planned debut launch of its new LauncherOne rocket Sunday (May 24) due to a sensor issue on the air-launched booster.

A close-up of SpaceX's first Crew Dragon spacecraft to carry astronauts and its Falcon 9 rocket on Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as seen by Maxar's WorldView-3 satellite taken on May 23, 2020 during a launch dress rehearsal.

Here's what SpaceX's 1st spaceship to carry astronauts looks like from space (satellite photos)

By Meghan Bartels

A satellite has spotted SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon standing tall on a launch pad in Florida, ready for this week's historic crewed flight.

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken (left) and Doug Hurley smile ahead of a final dress rehearsal of their SpaceX Demo-2 launch on a Crew Dragon spacecraft at Pad 39A of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 23, 2020.

Meet the NASA astronauts launching on SpaceX's historic Crew Dragon test flight

By Chelsea Gohd

Two veteran NASA astronauts are ready and excited to launch from Florida to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX spacecraft next week. But who are they?

SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule sits ready for launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket on Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On Wednesday (May 27), two NASA astronauts will launch to the International Space Station for the first crewed test flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft. The Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket reached the launch site on Thursday (May 21).

NASA and SpaceX to launch astronauts into orbit this week on Crew Dragon spacecraft

By Chelsea Gohd

This week, astronauts will take off from American soil aboard a SpaceX capsule in a historic launch.

Astronauts Bob Behnken (right) and Doug Hurley walk out of their Astronaut Crew Quarters to take a Tesla Model X to NASA's Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 23, 2020 during a dress rehearsal of their SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-2 launch.

Astronauts perform one last dress rehearsal for big SpaceX launch next week

By Tariq Malik

Two NASA astronauts climbed inside their SpaceX spaceship today (May 23) for one last rehearsal ahead of a historic launch into orbit next week.

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken (right) and Doug Hurley (left) arrived today (May 20, 2020) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center a week ahead of their historic test mission Demo-2 aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule.

These 2 NASA astronauts are ready to make history on a SpaceX spaceship

By Chelsea Gohd

Veteran NASA astronauts preparing to blast off in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule shared their expectations for the approaching historic launch.

There's a lot going in space in 2019. Check out our up-to-date space launch schedule and calendar here!

Space calendar 2020: Rocket launches, sky events, missions & more!

By Hanneke Weitering

Here's a guide to all the rocket launches and astronomical events in 2020, as well as milestones for space missions, anniversaries and conferences.

Space.com's Chelsea Gohd goes live with updates and a Q&A every Friday at 1 pm EDT (1700 GMT) leading up to SpaceX's Demo-2 launch.

SpaceX Demo-2 with Space.com! Tune in Fridays for weekly updates

By Chelsea Gohd

Space.com is live and ready to take your questions about SpaceX's upcoming Demo-2 launch.

SpaceX's first Crew Dragon spacecraft for the Demo-2 test fight with astronauts is seen before being mated to its Falcon 9 rocket.

NASA review of Space's 1st launch to carry astronauts goes into overtime

By Tariq Malik

President Donald Trump speaks with NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir from the White House on Oct. 18, 2019 as the astronauts performed the first all-woman spacewalk in history at the International Space Station.

Trump will watch SpaceX's 1st astronaut launch for NASA in person

By Tariq Malik

President Donald Trump may watch SpaceX's first astronaut launch for NASA in person on May 27.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the first Crew Dragon spacecraft to carry astronauts is raised atop its launch pad at Pad 39A of NASA's Kennedy Space Center on May 21, 2020. Liftoff is set for May 27.

SpaceX Crew Dragon reaches launch pad for historic NASA astronaut launch

By Chelsea Gohd

Crew Dragon has arrived at Launch Pad 39A ahead of next week's launch.

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken (at left) and Doug Hurley are set to launch aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft on the first U.S. rocket to launch into orbit from U.S. soil in nearly a decade.

SpaceX will make history with NASA astronaut launch next week. But will it draw crowds to Florida?

By Meghan Bartels

NASA wants spectators to stay home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket falls away from its carrier plane during the company’s first-ever drop test on July 10, 2019.

Virgin Orbit to attempt 1st launch of LauncherOne rocket this weekend

By Mike Wall

Virgin Orbit is targeting Sunday (May 24) for its Launch Demo mission, with a backup opportunity on Monday (May 25). The four-hour window will open each day at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT).

A Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIB rocket launches the final HTV cargo ship to the International Space Station from Tanegashima Space Center at 2:31 a.m. JST on May 21, 2020 (1:31 p.m. EDT/1731 GMT on May 20).

Japanese HTV cargo ship, the last of its kind, launches to International Space Station

By Tariq Malik

An unpiloted Japanese cargo ship, the last of its kind, launched toward the International Space Station today (May 20), kicking off a final voyage for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

A Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIB rocket carrying the HTV-9 cargo ship stands ready to launch at the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. The mission will deliver cargo to the International Space Station.

Japan will launch its last HTV cargo ship to the space station today. Here's how to watch live.

By Tariq Malik

Japan will launch its final HTV cargo ship HTV-9 today, May 20, at 1:31 p.m. EDT (1731 GMT) and you can watch it live. Here's how.

SpaceX's Starlink satellite megaconstellation launches in photos

By Space.com Staff

See photo's of SpaceX's Starlink missions to deploy thousands of small internet satellites into orbit.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches an X-37B space plane on a classified mission for the U.S. Space Force from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on May 17, 2020.

Space Force launches robotic X-37B space plane on new mystery mission

By Amy Thompson

The U.S. Space Force's mysterious X-37B space plane successfully launched on its sixth mystery mission from Florida today (May 17).