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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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The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) captured this unprecedented image of two circumstellar disks, in which baby stars are growing, feeding with material from their surrounding birth disk.

Space Photos: The Most Amazing Images This Week!

By Doris Elin Urrutia

Here are our picks for the most amazing space photos of the week.

A Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket streaks toward space carrying NASA's Ionosphere Connection Explorer satellite, or ICON, on Oct. 10, 2019. The rocket was launched from mid-air after being dropped by an L-1011 Stargazer carrier plane that took off from the Skid Strip runway at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

NASA Launches Long-Delayed ICON Space Weather Satellite to Study Earth's Ionosphere

By Amy Thompson

NASA's long-awaited ICON mission has finally taken off after years of delays.

An Antares rocket sits on the launch pad, ready to launch the CRS-11 mission to the International Space Station on July 3, 2017. The CRS2 NG-12 mission, originally scheduled to launch on Oct. 21, has now been pushed back until at least Nov. 2.

Northrop Grumman Cargo Ship Launch to Space Station Delayed to November

By Chelsea Gohd

An Antares rocket originally scheduled to launch on October 21 from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia will now launch after November 2.

Construction on a low-cost vertical spaceport in the north of Scotland may commence within a year. This visualization pictures an Orbex rocket lifting off.

Scottish Spaceport to Begin Construction Soon

By Tereza Pultarova

Construction on a low-cost vertical spaceport in the north of Scotland may commence within a year, pending the approval of a planning application by a local authority.

An artist's depiction of the ICON mission in orbit.

NASA's Long-Delayed Space Weather Mission Just Got Delayed Again

By Meghan Bartels

NASA's long-awaited space weather mission is making scientists wait again — ironically, due to terrestrial weather.

A Russian Proton rocket launches Eutelsat's 5 West B communications satellite and Northrop Grumman's Mission Extension Vehicle-1 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Oct. 9, 2019.

First-of-Its-Kind Satellite Servicing Spacecraft Launches on Russian Rocket

By Mike Wall

Northrop Grumman's Mission Extension Vehicle-1 (MEV-1) launched today (Oct. 9) from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, kicking off a first-of-its-kind commercial-servicing mission.

The Rocket Lab Electron booster carrying an Astro Digital satellite stands atop its Mahia Peninsula launch site in New Zealand during a wet rehearsal for an Oct. 14, 2019 launch.

Rocket Lab Swaps Satellite Customers for Electron Launch Next Week

By Elizabeth Howell

Liftoff is set for no earlier than Oct. 14.

An artist's depiction of the ICON mission in orbit.

You Can Watch a Plane Drop a Rocket to Launch a NASA's ICON Space Weather Mission Tonight

By Meghan Bartels

NASA hopes that the long-delayed launch of a space weather mission called ICON will finally occur tonight (Oct. 9) — but terrestrial weather concerns may scrub the flight.

Aerial view of Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Virginia's Wallops Island,

Rocket Lab Gearing Up for 1st Launches from US Soil in Early 2020

By Mike Wall

Rocket Lab will start flying from the United States just a few short months from now, if all goes according to plan.

An image taken from the International Space Station of a crewed Soyuz capsule launching to visit the facility on Sept. 25, 2019.

This Astronaut Photo of Her Friend's Launch Into Space Is Absolutely Stunning!

By Meghan Bartels

The best view of today's crew launch turned out to be from the spacecraft's destination itself, the International Space Station.

NASA astronaut waves to the camera before launching to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft on Sept. 25, 2019.

Astronaut Jessica Meir's Lifelong Dream Just Came True as She Begins 1st Space Mission

By Chelsea Gohd

Today (Sept. 25), NASA astronaut Jessica Meir launched on a six-month mission to the International Space Station.

Soyuz MS-15 launches for the International Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019.

First UAE Astronaut Lifts Off with US and Russian Space Station Crew

By Robert Z. Pearlman

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has now become the 40th country in history to see one of its citizens fly into space with the launch of a crew bound for the International Space Station.

A Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency H-IIB rocket launches the HTV-8 cargo ship to the International Space Station on Sept. 24, 2019 EDT (Sept. 25 Japan Time) from Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan.

Liftoff! Japan Launches Unpiloted Cargo Ship Toward Space Station

By Elizabeth Howell

A Japanese cargo ship successfully launched to the International Space Station Tuesday (Sept. 24), lifting off two weeks late due a launch pad fire during its first liftoff attempt.

A Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-built H-IIB rocket carrying the HTV-8 cargo ship for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency stands atop its launchpad at Tanegashima Space Center for a Sept. 24, 2019 launch.

Japan Is Launching an Unpiloted Cargo Ship to the Space Station Today. Watch Live

By Tariq Malik

Liftoff is at 12:05 p.m. EDT (1605 GMT).

An illustration of Relativity Space's Terran 1 rocket launching into space.

Relativity Space to Launch Satellite 'Tugs' on 3D-Printed Rocket

By Doris Elin Urrutia

Relativity Space, a company that builds and lofts 3D-printed rockets, will launch a half-dozen missions for the in-orbit shuttle service company Momentus beginning in 2021.

A Chinese Long March 11 rocket lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's Gobi Desert on Sept. 19, 2019, carrying five Zhuhai-1 Group-3 remote-sensing satellites into orbit.

China Launches 5 New Earth Observation Satellites into Orbit (Video)

By Hanneke Weitering

A Chinese Long March 11 rocket successfully launched five new remote-sensing satellites today (Sept. 19).

The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIB rocket carrying the HTV-8 spacecraft atop its launchpad at Tanegashima Space Center in Japan on Sept. 10, 2019.

Launchpad Fire Forces Japan to Postpone Cargo Ship Launch to Space Station: Report

By Elizabeth Howell

Japan called off a planned cargo ship launch to the International Space Station today (Sept. 10) after a fire erupted on the launch platform for the mission's rocket, according to press reports.

A Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-built H-IIB rocket carrying the HTV-8 cargo ship for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency stands atop its launchpad at Tanegashima Space Center for a Sept. 10, 2019 launch.

Japan to Launch Robotic Cargo Ship to Space Station Today. Watch It Live

By Tariq Malik

Liftoff is at 5:33 p.m. EDT (2133 GMT).

Rocket Lab launched an Electron rocket on the "Look Ma, No Hands" mission to orbit four cubesats into orbit from Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand on Aug. 19, 2019. The company is developing a reusable rocket system, building a U.S.-based launch pad in Virginia and developing Photon, a unique, end-to-end satellite service.

What's Next for Rocket Lab? A Q&A With CEO Peter Beck

By Chelsea Gohd

Rocket Lab Founder and CEO Peter Beck discusses the future of the aerospace company with Space.com.

An Arianespace Vega rocket carrying the FalconEye1 Earth-watching satellite for the United Arab Emirates, shown here at liftoff, suffered a major anomaly after launch, resulting the loss of the rocket and its payload on July 10, 2019.

Vega Rocket Launch Failure in July Caused by Faulty Motor, Investigators Find

By Mike Wall

The failure of a European Vega rocket during a July launch attempt was likely caused by a problem with the vehicle's second-stage motor, an investigation has concluded.