Space.com
• Monisha Ravisetti
NASA has secured the fuel supply for its next-generation Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, positioning the observatory for an August launch. The fueling milestone advances Roman’s final countdown work, building on its recent arrival at Kennedy Space Center for prelaunch servicing.
Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation
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NASA has secured the fuel supply for its next-generation Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, positioning the observatory for an August launch. The fueling milestone advances Roman’s final countdown work, building on its recent arrival at Kennedy Space Center for prelaunch servicing.
The U.S. Transportation Department and FAA have proposed sweeping rules that would grant environmental review waivers for commercial rocket launches and spaceport operations. The proposal would reduce or bypass compliance with provisions of 13 environmental and other laws, aiming to accelerate approvals for missions such as SpaceX launches.
Impulse Space has detailed its first electric propulsion system, Electra, designed to support long-duration operations in space. The company positioned the system as a stepping stone for extended mission lifetimes, aligning propulsion capability with next-phase spacecraft operations.
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Starship Flight 13 demonstrated that Ship 40 can complete its mission and return intact, surviving water impact without destruction. SpaceX said the booster is still a work in progress, as it continues refining the clean-sheet Block 3 design for subsequent flights.
China is pursuing sea-based satellite launches, aiming to narrow the US orbital gap and broaden commercial launch options, according to a July 28, 2026 roundup. The competitive push lands as SpaceX executed a Starship flight test and continues deploying Starlink via Falcon 9—most recently lifting 24 satellites from Vandenberg on July 25.
Germany is considering establishing a dedicated launch facility for its armed forces to ensure reliable access to space for future national security missions. The proposal is aimed at reducing dependence on external launch capacity as Germany plans for next-generation defense space requirements.
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SpaceX’s shares fell again as investors priced in a major supply event: an Aug. 6 lock-up expiration releasing up to 911.5 million shares, far larger than the current public float. The selloff has wiped more than $1 trillion in market value and deepened Elon Musk’s wealth decline amid Tesla/SpaceX financial turbulence.
China plans to launch Africa’s first space exploration mission using a trio of spherical probes carried on the Chang’e 8 lander. The mission is scheduled for 2029 and aims to conduct lunar-south-pole science as part of Chang’e 8 operations.
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