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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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This new, stunning image of Jupiter, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, was captured on Aug. 25, 2020 and shows the planet's turbulent, swirling storms. In the photo, you can see the ripples in the planet's atmosphere, Jupiter's famous Great Red Spot and the planet's striking colors.

Space photos: The most amazing images this week!

By Doris Elin Urrutia

See the best photos on Space.com this week.

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying the NROL-44 spy satellites stands atop Pad 37 of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida ahead of a planned launch on Sept. 27, 2020.

You can watch a US spy satellite launch on a giant Delta IV Heavy rocket overnight tonight. Here's how.

By Amy Thompson

Liftoff is scheduled for 12:10 a.m. EDT (0410 GMT) on Sunday (Sept. 27).

Blue Origin's New Shepard space capsule and rocket on the pad at the company's West Texas Launch Site in January 2019. The same rocket will launch the NS-13 mission in September 2020.

Blue Origin scrubs New Shepard rocket launch due to power glitch

By Hanneke Weitering

Blue Origin has delayed the planned launch of its New Shepard rocket from West Texas today (Sept. 24), citing a power glitch.

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.

A Rocket Lab Electron booster stands on the pad at the company's Launch Complex 2, at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia, shortly after completing a “wet dress rehearsal” in September 2020.

Rocket Lab gears up for 1st launch from US soil

By Mike Wall

Rocket Lab just wrapped up a "wet dress rehearsal" at its U.S. launch site, a major milestone in the leadup to the first-ever liftoff from the new pad.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying South Korea's ANASIS-II satellite stands atop a Florida launch pad ahead of a July 2020 launch. The same rocket booster will launch 60 Starlink satellites on Sept. 18, 2020.

SpaceX delays next Starlink satellite fleet launch due to rocket 'recovery issue'

By Tariq Malik

SpaceX called off the launch of 60 Starlink satellites Thursday (Feb. 17) due to a "recovery issue" related to its Falcon 9 rocket.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 58 Starlink satellites and three Planet SkySats into orbit from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on Aug. 18, 2020.

SpaceX to launch 60 Starlink internet satellites today. Here's how to watch live.

By Amy Thompson

SpaceX will launch another big batch of Starlink satellites into orbit for the company's burgeoning megaconstellation today (Sept. 17), and you can watch the action live online.

A Chinese Long March 11 rocket carrying nine Jilin-1 Gaofen-3 Earth observation satellites launches from the country's sea-based platform De Bo 3 in the Yellow Sea on Sept. 15, 2020.

China launches 9 satellites into space from ocean platform

By Andrew Jones

It's the country's second sea launch success.

Astra's Rocket 3.1 launches from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska on Sept. 11, 2020. Astra terminated the launch, the company’s first orbital test mission, about 30 seconds after liftoff when the rocket started drifting off course.

Astra may make 2nd orbital launch attempt this year after test flight failure

By Mike Wall

Friday night's launch failure was apparently caused by a software issue that should be relatively straightforward to fix, Astra representatives said.

Astra's Rocket 3.1 rises into the sky above Alaska's Pacific Spaceport Complex during the company's first orbital launch attempt on Sept. 11, 2020. The flight ended during the first-stage engine burn.

Astra's 1st orbital test launch fails during first-stage engine burn

By Mike Wall

Astra launched its first orbital test mission tonight (Sept. 11), sending its two-stage Rocket 3.1 skyward from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket approaches its landing site after successfully launching the SAOCOM 1B satellite for Argentina from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Aug. 30, 2020.

Hitch a ride to space (and back) on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in this awesome video

By Amy Thompson

Falcon 9 made a rare onshore landing following its historic launch on Aug. 30.

A Chinese Long March 4B rocket launches the Gaofen 11 (02) Earth observation satellite into orbit from the Taiyun Satellite Launch Center on Sept. 7, 2020.

Chinese rocket booster appears to crash near school during Gaofen 11 satellite launch

By Andrew Jones

A Chinese Long March 4B rocket successfully launched a new Earth-watching satellite Monday (Sep. 7) but its first stage narrowly missed a school when it fell back to Earth.

A Chinese Long March 2F rocket launches the Shenzhou-11 mission from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Oct. 17, 2016.

China just launched a 'reusable experimental spacecraft' into orbit

By Elizabeth Howell

China launched an experimental spacecraft into orbit on Friday (Sept. 4), with few details about what the spacecraft will do.

Earth as seen by "First Light," the first of Rocket Lab's Photon satellite line to reach space. First Light launched atop an Electron rocket on Aug. 30, 2020.

Rocket Lab has launched its 1st homegrown Photon satellite

By Mike Wall

Rocket Lab now has a spacecraft in Earth orbit — the first of its Photon satellite line, which is designed to tote customer payloads to a variety of destinations, including the moon and Venus.

A SpcaeX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 60 Starlink internet satellite lifts off from Pad 39A of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 3, 2020.

SpaceX launches 60 Starlink internet satellites, sticks rocket landing

By Amy Thompson

SpaceX delivered a new batch of its Starlink satellites into orbit today (Sept. 3) and nailed a rocket landing, following a few delays.

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.

An Arianespace Vega rocket topped with 53 small satellites launches from the Guiana Space Center on Sept. 2, 2020.

Vega rocket launches 53 satellites in return-to-flight mission

By Mike Wall

Europe's Vega rocket launched 53 satellites tonight (Sept. 2) on its first mission since suffering a major anomaly in July of last year.

In preparation for Europe's first rideshare mission, flight VV16, Vega's upper composite containing 53 satellites secured on the new Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS) dispenser move to the launch zone for integration with the launch vehicle at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on June 12, 2020.

Vega rocket launching on return-to-flight mission tonight: Watch it live

By Samantha Mathewson

Arianespace's Vega rocket is scheduled to launch from the Guiana Space Center tonight (Sept. 2) at 9:51 p.m. EDT, carrying 53 satellites into orbit.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 58 Starlink satellites and three Planet SkySats into orbit from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on Aug. 18, 2020.

SpaceX delays launch of next 60 Starlink internet satellites to Thursday

By Mike Wall

SpaceX has pushed the launch of its next big batch of Starlink internet satellites back two days, to Thursday (Sept. 3).

A Rocket Lab Electron booster carrying the Sequoia Earth-watching satellite for Capella Space launches into orbit from Launch Complex 1 at Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand in a successful return-to-flight mission on Aug. 31, 2020 NZT (Aug. 30 GMT/EDT).

Rocket Lab's Electron booster returns to flight with Earth-observing satellite launch

By Mike Wall

Rocket Lab's Electron launcher aced its return-to-flight mission tonight (Aug. 30), delivering an Earth-observation satellite to orbit.