Commercial Space News

NASA Spaceflight • Chris Bergin, Martijn Luinstra

Relativity Space, Rocket Lab and PLD Space advance next-gen orbital rocket testing ahead of 2026 debuts

Relativity Space, Rocket Lab and PLD Space each announced key testing milestones for their new orbital launch vehicles—Terran R, Neutron and Miura 5. The companies say the progress is aimed at supporting first debut flights later in 2026, underscoring the push to mature new rocket programs through near-term test campaigns.

3 Sources

2026-07-20T12:23:11.172032-07:00

Via Satellite

Spire Global appoints Eric “Mell” Mellinger as Chief Commercial Officer; takes over COO role to drive go-to-market

2 Sources

2026-07-20T13:09:28.288324-07:00

Space.com

SpaceX schedules Starship Flight 13 retry (July 20–23) after T-0 abort; Falcon 9 Starlink and additional launches set

7 Sources

2026-07-20T09:22:15.943442-07:00

Space.com

Study finds space launch costs down 96% since 1960; projects another steep drop by 2040

1 Source

2026-07-20T06:07:25.812781-07:00

Commercial Space Industry (New Space) News Timeline

Via Satellite

2 sources

Spire Global appoints Eric “Mell” Mellinger as Chief Commercial Officer; takes over COO role to drive go-to-market Spire Global has appointed Eric (“Mell”) Mellinger as Chief Commercial Officer, effective Aug. 3, 2026. Mellinger, formerly with Mantech International Corporation, will lead business development and go-to-market strategy as the company continues scaling its space-based data, analytics and services business.

2026-07-20T13:09:28.288324-07:00

Spire Global appoints Eric “Mell” Mellinger as Chief Commercial Officer; takes over COO role to drive go-to-market

NASA Spaceflight

3 sources

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Relativity Space, Rocket Lab and PLD Space advance next-gen orbital rocket testing ahead of 2026 debuts Relativity Space, Rocket Lab and PLD Space each announced key testing milestones for their new orbital launch vehicles—Terran R, Neutron and Miura 5. The companies say the progress is aimed at supporting first debut flights later in 2026, underscoring the push to mature new rocket programs through near-term test campaigns.

2026-07-20T12:23:11.172032-07:00

Relativity Space, Rocket Lab and PLD Space advance next-gen orbital rocket testing ahead of 2026 debuts

Space.com

7 sources

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SpaceX schedules Starship Flight 13 retry (July 20–23) after T-0 abort; Falcon 9 Starlink and additional launches set SpaceX is targeting a new attempt for Starship Flight 13 from Starbase, Texas, after the July 16 launch attempt was scrubbed at T-0 when four Raptor engines failed to ignite. Alongside Starship’s retry, SpaceX plans multiple launches, including a rare expendable Falcon 9 and Starlink missions from California.

2026-07-20T09:22:15.943442-07:00

SpaceX schedules Starship Flight 13 retry (July 20–23) after T-0 abort; Falcon 9 Starlink and additional launches set

Space.com

1 source

Study finds space launch costs down 96% since 1960; projects another steep drop by 2040 A new study says rocket launch costs have fallen 96% over the past six decades and could drop by nearly as much by 2040. The findings highlight how continued progress in launch technology, operations, and market structure may further compress unit economics for accessing space.

2026-07-20T06:07:25.812781-07:00

Study finds space launch costs down 96% since 1960; projects another steep drop by 2040

SpaceNews.com

3 sources

LegendSpace raises $29.5M angel round to use AI to compress rocket engine development cycles Chinese startup LegendSpace, founded to apply artificial intelligence to shorten rocket engine development timelines, has raised $29.5 million in angel funding. The six-month-old company’s financing underscores continued investment in AI-assisted aerospace engineering workflows.

2026-07-20T04:38:37.045019-07:00

LegendSpace raises $29.5M angel round to use AI to compress rocket engine development cycles

SpaceWatch Global

3 sources

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Skyroot Aerospace reaches orbit on maiden Vikram-1 flight, making India the third nation to field private orbital launch capabil Skyroot Aerospace said its Vikram-1 rocket achieved a 453 km orbit on its first flight, marking India’s third private-orbital-launch capability milestone. The successful test follows preparations for a maiden attempt after multiple delays.

2026-07-20T01:09:53.926616-07:00

Skyroot Aerospace reaches orbit on maiden Vikram-1 flight, making India the third nation to field private orbital launch capabil

Reuters

9 sources

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SpaceX targets July 23–25 for Starship test flight attempts, following last week’s hold after an engine-start issue SpaceX says it is targeting a Starship launch attempt on Thursday, July 23, after pausing the previous effort to investigate an issue detected during the Raptor engine ignition sequence. The company is also pointing to a near-term window for a 13th test flight, with an updated booster re-light approach and a first deployment of V3 Starlink satellites.

2026-07-19T15:38:22.954885-07:00

SpaceX targets July 23–25 for Starship test flight attempts, following last week’s hold after an engine-start issue

Reuters

None source

SpaceX shifts Starship launch attempt to Thursday as it readies 13th test flight of Starship and Super Heavy v3 SpaceX has moved its Starship launch attempt to Thursday, with employees gathering to watch Booster 20 roll out of the production facility to the launch pad at Starbase, Texas. The effort is aimed at the 13th test flight of the Starship spacecraft and the Super Heavy v3 booster.

2026-07-19T15:38:22.954885-07:00

SpaceX shifts Starship launch attempt to Thursday as it readies 13th test flight of Starship and Super Heavy v3

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