Tag: Aerospace News

SpaceX and China Power Record-Breaking Year for Orbital Launches

Space News reports, “Orbital launch activity set another annual record in 2025, although future growth may depend on factors different from those that fueled the recent surge. There were 324 orbital launch attempts worldwide in 2025, according to a SpaceNews analysis of open-source data. The total excludes suborbital launches, such as five test flights of SpaceX’s Starship that did not reach orbit by design, as well as three launches of the HASTE variant of Rocket Lab’s Electron.”
Full Story (Space News)

SpaceX Smashes Its Own Launch Record With 165 Orbital Flights in 2025

SPACE reports, “Elon Musk’s company has now set a new mark six years in a row, and the numbers are getting pretty silly. The record has risen from 25 orbital liftoffs in 2020 to 31 (2021) to 61 (2022) to 96 (2023) to 134 (2024) and, now, to a whopping 165. And that’s not including five non-orbital Starship test flights by SpaceX.”
Full Story (SPACE)

FAA’s ‘Michigan Model’ Lays Groundwork for Large-Scale AAM Operations

Flying Magazine reports, “The FAA has taken major strides toward the safe integration of advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft such as drones and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis. A special federal aviation regulation (SFAR) for powered-lift pilot training and operations, guidance for powered-lift certification projects, a proposal for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flight, and more have been introduced in recent months. An eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) is set to begin next year and conclude in 2028—a year the FAA anticipates AAM operations scaling up in major U.S. cities.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)

Long March 12A Reaches Orbit in Reusable Rocket Debut, Booster Landing Falls Short

Space News reports, “A first launch of the Long March 12A Chinese state-owned reusable rocket reached orbit late Monday, but attempted recovery of the first stage downrange failed. The Long March 12A rocket lifted off at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, Dec. 22 (0200 UTC, Dec. 23) from a dedicated pad at Jiuquan spaceport’s Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone. Amateur footage of the launch quickly appeared on Chinese social media.”
Full Story (Space News)
More Info (Video)

My Daily Launch

My Daily Launch will not publish over the winter holidays from Wednesday, 24 December, through Thursday, 1 January. Service will resume on Friday, 2 January.
More Info (My Daily Launch)

Rocket Lab Closes Record-Breaking Year With Successful Electron Launch

Space News reports, “Rocket Lab successfully launched a Japanese radar imaging satellite Dec. 21 in the final flight of a record-setting year for the company. An Electron rocket lifted off at 1:36 a.m. Eastern from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. The rocket deployed its payload, the QPS-SAR-15 satellite for Japanese company iQPS, into a 575-kilometer orbit at an inclination of 42 degrees about 50 minutes later. The satellite later made contact with controllers, iQPS said.”
Full Story (Space News – Subscription Publication)

BAE’s PHASA-35 HAPS Secures Multiyear AFRL Surveillance Contract

Aviation Week reports, “The BAE Systems PHASA-35, an uncrewed, high-altitude, pseudo-satellite (HAPS), will operate monthslong airborne surveillance missions in coordination with U.S. Southern Command under a new contract. Acting on behalf of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), NASA quietly awarded a contract five months ago worth up to $10 million for the PHASA-35 to resume airborne missions operating from July 23, 2025, to April 17, 2030.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

Rocket Lab Launches STP-S30 DiskSat Mission From Wallops Island

Via Satellite reports, “A Rocket Lab Electron rocket carrying the Pentagon’s Space Test Program (STP) S30 mission lifted off from the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia, on Thursday, according to U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command. S30 has four research and development, Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) DiskSat satellites, funded by NASA and developed by Aerospace Corp. as an alternative to cube satellites.”
Full Story (Via Satellite)



Video

Rocket Lab Electron launches Space Test Program (STP) S30 mission (Launch occurs at the 49:44 mark)
NASASpaceFlight; YouTube