Space News reports, “Rocket Lab will establish a new launch site in Alaska under a $266 million U.S. Space Force contract for up to 18 suborbital missions, expanding the company’s role in military launch services as the Pentagon seeks more capacity for weapons testing.”
Full Story (Space News)
Tag: rockets
SpaceX Halts New Commercial Rideshare Reservations Beyond 2028 as Launch Schedule Fills
SatNews reports, “SpaceX has stopped accepting new commercial launch bookings for both its Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) Transporter series and mid-inclination Bandwagon missions beyond late 2028.”
Full Story (SatNews)
Full Story (SatNews)
Space Force Triples Launch Contract Limit as Demand Accelerates
Space News reports, “The maximum value of the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 contract was raised from $5.6 billion to $17 billion.”
Full Story (Space News)
SpaceX Aborts Starship Test flight Moments Before Liftoff
The New York Times reports, “A last-second scrub aborted Thursday’s test flight of SpaceX’s Starship rocket. The countdown reached all the way to zero, and the engines started to ignite, but then everything was shut down. Elon Musk shared on X that some of the engines didn’t start, which triggered an automatic launch abort. “Next launch attempt hopefully in a few days,” he shared.”
Full Story (New York Times – Subscription Publication)
SpaceX to Launch First Starlink V3 Satellites on Starship Test Flight
Spaceflight Now reports the mission will also test out a series of improvements to the launcher to help push it closer to full reusability. “Liftoff from Pad 2 at SpaceX’s Starbase facilities in southern Texas is scheduled during a 90-minute window that opens at 5:45 p.m. CDT (6:45 p.m. EDT / 2245 UTC).”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Soyuz Carries U.S. Astronaut and Two Cosmonauts to Space Station
Reuters reports, “Russia sent two cosmonauts and an American astronaut to the International Space Station on Tuesday from Kazakhstan, resuming crewed flights from a recently repaired launchpad with a rare joint attendance by the heads of NASA and Russia’s space agency.”
Full Story (Reuters – Subscription Publication)
Falcon 9 Carries 27 Starlink Satellites to Orbit From California
Spaceflight Now reports, “The Starlink 15-14 mission will add another 27 broadband internet satellites to the low Earth orbit constellation … Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East happened at 6:28:17 p.m. PDT (9:28:17 p.m. EDT / 0128:17 UTC).”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Video
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 27 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California (Launch occurs at the 29:59 mark)
Spaceflight Now; YouTube
Starship Flight 13 Moves Closer After Super Heavy Engine Test
SPACE reports SpaceX completed an engine test of the next Super Heavy booster slated to launch Starship’s next mission, which could lift off as soon as next week.
Full Story (SPACE)
China Achieves First Orbital Booster Recovery With Long March 10B
Space News reports, “China launched its Long March 10B rocket early Friday and successfully recovered the first stage, marking a huge step for the country’s reusable rocket efforts. The first Long March 10B rocket lifted off at 12:15 a.m. Eastern (0415 UTC) July 10 from Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site on the southern island province of Hainan.”
Full Story (Space News)
Video
Long March-10B first launch and landing (Launch occurs at the 00:43 mark)
SciNews; YouTube
SpaceX Breaks Rocket Reuse Record on 36th Falcon 9 Flight
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX broke another rocket reuse record Thursday morning when it launched its most-flown Falcon 9 booster for a 36th time. It flew in support of the Starlink 10-42 mission, which added another 29 broadband internet satellites to the company’s low Earth orbit constellation.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Video
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 29 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (Launch occurs at the 1:00:20 mark)
Spaceflight Now; YouTube