Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

Space.com • Mike Wall

Launch preview: SpaceX Transporter-17 rideshare plus debut Long March 10B and Vikram-I missions

SpaceX is set to launch the Transporter-17 Falcon 9 from California with 81 payloads, including four Canadian Earth-observation satellites, shortly after midnight Tuesday. The same week also includes debut orbital attempts from China’s Long March 10B (Chang Zhang 10B) and Skyroot’s Vikram-I, alongside additional Falcon 9 flights, including Starlink deliveries.

5 Sources

2026-07-06T14:19:46.203510-07:00

Space.com

Superconducting-magnet space thruster completes first orbital tests, enabling possible “solar-powered” propulsion

1 Source

2026-07-06T09:04:46.392562-07:00

Reuters

NASA launches (and briefly holds) orbital-rescue mission to raise the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory’s orbit before reentry

35 Sources

2026-07-03T02:00:40.584972-07:00

NASA Spaceflight

SpaceX and contractors accelerate Starship pad work in Florida—LC-39A upgrades and SLC-37A progress point to a launch push this

1 Source

2026-07-03T14:29:49.420261-07:00

Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News Timeline

Space.com

5 sources

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Launch preview: SpaceX Transporter-17 rideshare plus debut Long March 10B and Vikram-I missions SpaceX is set to launch the Transporter-17 Falcon 9 from California with 81 payloads, including four Canadian Earth-observation satellites, shortly after midnight Tuesday. The same week also includes debut orbital attempts from China’s Long March 10B (Chang Zhang 10B) and Skyroot’s Vikram-I, alongside additional Falcon 9 flights, including Starlink deliveries.

2026-07-06T14:19:46.203510-07:00

Launch preview: SpaceX Transporter-17 rideshare plus debut Long March 10B and Vikram-I missions

SpaceNews.com

2 sources

Blue Origin presses on with Blue Moon lunar lander development amid ongoing New Glenn recovery after pad explosion Blue Origin says it is continuing development of its Blue Moon lunar landers while recovering from a New Glenn pad explosion that occurred more than a month earlier. The update frames near-term momentum on lunar hardware as the company works through the aftermath of the launch-site incident.

2026-07-06T13:28:52.400783-07:00

Blue Origin presses on with Blue Moon lunar lander development amid ongoing New Glenn recovery after pad explosion

Space.com

1 source

Superconducting-magnet space thruster completes first orbital tests, enabling possible “solar-powered” propulsion A superconducting-magnet thruster has completed its first orbital test campaign, demonstrating acceleration without conventional onboard propellant. The approach aims to tap environmental forces and, in the future, use solar power to propel spacecraft, reducing or rethinking traditional fuel needs for on-orbit maneuvering.

2026-07-06T09:04:46.392562-07:00

Superconducting-magnet space thruster completes first orbital tests, enabling possible “solar-powered” propulsion

SpaceNews.com

1 source

GAO flags cost overruns and launch-risk management gaps across U.S. Space Force satellite and launch procurements A new U.S. government watchdog report warns that Space Force space procurements still face longstanding defense-acquisition challenges, despite the service’s reputation for speed. The findings cite satellite cost concerns and insufficient handling of launch-related risks across parts of the portfolio.

2026-07-04T03:24:42.072203-07:00

GAO flags cost overruns and launch-risk management gaps across U.S. Space Force satellite and launch procurements

NASA Spaceflight

1 source

SpaceX and contractors accelerate Starship pad work in Florida—LC-39A upgrades and SLC-37A progress point to a launch push this Starship operations are drawing closer to a 2025-style launch cadence as SpaceX and contractors continue outfitting Florida infrastructure, including further work at LC-39A at Cape Canaveral and the Gigabay facility at Roberts Road. Progress is also underway at SLC-37A, the fourth Starship launch pad being built.

2026-07-03T14:29:49.420261-07:00

SpaceX and contractors accelerate Starship pad work in Florida—LC-39A upgrades and SLC-37A progress point to a launch push this

CNBC

4 sources

SpaceX’s record IPO (~$86B) and new lock-up structure reshape markets, ETFs, and capital strategies SpaceX has completed the largest initial public offering in history, raising roughly $86 billion. The company also implemented an unprecedented lock-up structure, which is already generating a new ETF “playbook.” Separately, first-known stock purchases by federal contracting-linked investors underscore how SpaceX’s government role remains politically intertwined.

2026-07-03T11:28:58.587799-07:00

SpaceX’s record IPO (~$86B) and new lock-up structure reshape markets, ETFs, and capital strategies

Ars Technica

3 sources

NASA awards Rocket Lab three dedicated Electron-launch deals NASA has awarded Rocket Lab contracts for three dedicated launches using the company’s Electron rocket, underscoring continued demand for responsive, small-satellite launch capacity in government missions. The same Rocket Report notes an Indian startup nearing its first launch, while highlighting progress across the launch-services market.

2026-07-03T07:00:06.603059-07:00

NASA awards Rocket Lab three dedicated Electron-launch deals

SpaceNews.com

3 sources

Hongqing Technology, Landspace affiliate, raises $191M to scale Chinese commercial satellite manufacturing Hongqing Technology, the satellite-manufacturing affiliate of China’s Landspace, has secured a $191 million funding round—one of the largest single raises for a Chinese commercial satellite maker. The investment is positioned to accelerate satellite production capacity and support broader program execution.

2026-07-03T06:24:44.703520-07:00

Hongqing Technology, Landspace affiliate, raises $191M to scale Chinese commercial satellite manufacturing

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