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)
Tag: to launch
NASA Alters Artemis 3 Launch Vehicle Configuration
Space News reports, “NASA plans to fly the Space Launch System on Artemis 3 without an upper stage as the agency begins to define revised plans for the mission. NASA, in a May 13 update on Artemis 3, said the SLS will launch with an inert ‘spacer’ in place of the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage on the mission. The spacer, being built at Marshall Space Flight Center, will have the same dimensions and interfaces as the ICPS.”
Full Story (Space News)
ASCEND 2026 Program to Launch with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
FROM THE INSTITUTE
ASCEND 2026 will open on Tuesday, 19 May, with keynote remarks from Jared Isaacman, the 15th Administrator of NASA. It’s not his first time appearing at ASCEND. Isaacman spoke at ASCEND in 2021, just after returning from commanding Inspiration4, the first all-civilian orbital spaceflight. Now he’ll share perspectives from his new role leading America’s space program.
Blue Origin Successfully Test-Fires New Glenn Rocket Engines at Cape Canaveral
Ars Technica reports, “The road to the second flight of Blue Origin’s heavy-lifting New Glenn rocket got a lot clearer Thursday night with a success test-firing of the launcher’s seven main engines on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Standing on a seaside launch pad, the New Glenn rocket ignited its seven BE-4 main engines at 9:59 pm EDT Thursday (01:59 UTC Friday). The engines burned for 38 seconds while the rocket remained firmly on the ground, according to a social media post by Blue Origin.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)
Blue Origin to Land NASA’s Ice-hunting VIPER Rover on Moon in 2027
SPACE reports, “VIPER has officially come back from the dead. The NASA moon robot, whose name is short for ‘Volatiles Investigating Polar Explorer Rover,’ will hitch a ride to the lunar surface with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin in late 2027, agency officials announced this afternoon.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha Rocket Cleared to Fly Again
SPACE reports, “The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has cleared Firefly Aerospace to resume launches of its Alpha rocket. The approval follows a months-long review of the mission in April, during which the rocket’s first stage broke apart moments after separation and compromised the vehicle’s second stage.”
Full Story (SPACE)
ULA to Launch Amazon’s Second Batch of Kuiper Internet Satellites
SPACE reports, “United Launch Alliance (ULA) is set to launch Amazon’s second group of satellites for its Kuiper internet satellite constellation today (June 16), and you can watch the action live. The 27 satellites, riding atop a ULA Atlas V rocket, are scheduled to lift off at 1:25 p.m. EDT (1725 GMT) today from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Amazon’s Second Batch of Kuiper Internet Satellites Targeted for June 13 Launch on Atlas V
SPACE reports, “Amazon’s second fleet of internet satellites now has a target launch date. The stack of 27 satellites, part of Amazon’s Project Kuiper constellation, is scheduled to launch on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket next Friday (June 13). Liftoff of the mission, known as Kuiper 2, is set for 2:29 p.m. EDT (1829 GMT), from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, ULA announced.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Joby and Virgin Atlantic to Launch Air Taxi in UK
Aerotime reports, “In a groundbreaking move set to launch air taxi services in the UK, Joby Aviation has announced a strategic partnership with Virgin Atlantic. The new partnership, which was unveiled on March 15, 2025, marks a significant step toward launching zero-emission, high-speed air taxi services across the country. According to the United States venture-backed aviation company, the new air taxi service will initially connect key Virgin Atlantic hubs, including London Heathrow (LHR) and Manchester Airport (MAN), with regional cities.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
Firefly Alpha Selected to Launch Earth Science SmallSat Mission for NASA
Space News reports, “NASA selected Firefly Aerospace to launch a trio of Earth science smallsats that will study the formation of storms. The agency said March 4 that it awarded a task order through its Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) contract to Firefly to launch the three-satellite Investigation of Convective Updrafts (INCUS) mission. NASA did not disclose the value of the task order, a practice it has followed on other VADR awards. The INCUS satellites will launch on a Firefly Alpha rocket from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.”
Full Story (Space News)