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Space.com • Mike Wall

Atlas V LA-05 to lift program's heaviest-ever payload at 1:45 a.m. ET on April 4

Liftoff of United Launch Alliance's Atlas V LA‑05 is scheduled for 1:45 a.m. ET on Saturday, April 4. The flight will carry the heaviest payload ever launched on an Atlas V, demonstrating the vehicle's performance near its upper mission capability and adding to a busy launch week.

2026-04-03T09:10:45.297317-07:00

Space.com

Artemis II crew run in‑flight CPR drills as transit tempo eases on Flight Day 3

2026-04-03T04:18:42.562483-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Space Pioneer’s 71‑m Tianlong‑3 reusable rocket fails during maiden flight

2026-04-03T03:17:09.038900-07:00

Space.com

Passengers, photographers and a viral fan capture NASA's Artemis II launch

2026-04-02T15:06:28.993455-07:00

News Timeline

Space.com

Atlas V LA-05 to lift program's heaviest-ever payload at 1:45 a.m. ET on April 4 Liftoff of United Launch Alliance's Atlas V LA‑05 is scheduled for 1:45 a.m. ET on Saturday, April 4. The flight will carry the heaviest payload ever launched on an Atlas V, demonstrating the vehicle's performance near its upper mission capability and adding to a busy launch week.

2026-04-03T09:10:45.297317-07:00

Atlas V LA-05 to lift program's heaviest-ever payload at 1:45 a.m. ET on April 4

Via Satellite

SpaceWERX awards STRATFI to Gravitics to accelerate Orbital Carrier development Gravitics has been awarded a Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) contract by SpaceWERX, the U.S. Space Force's innovation arm, to accelerate development and demonstration of its Orbital Carrier architecture. The financing aims to speed maturation of Gravitics' in-space logistics and hosting capabilities for military and commercial payloads.

2026-04-03T08:55:33.661332-07:00

SpaceWERX awards STRATFI to Gravitics to accelerate Orbital Carrier development

Space.com

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Artemis II crew run in‑flight CPR drills as transit tempo eases on Flight Day 3 On Flight Day 3 of Artemis II's lunar transit—after two action‑packed days—the four astronauts carried out CPR and medical drills as the mission pace relaxed. The exercises serve as in‑flight medical preparedness and operational checks aboard Orion during the crewed lunar flyby.

2026-04-03T04:18:42.562483-07:00

Artemis II crew run in‑flight CPR drills as transit tempo eases on Flight Day 3

SpaceNews.com

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Space Pioneer’s 71‑m Tianlong‑3 reusable rocket fails during maiden flight Space Pioneer said the 71‑meter Tianlong‑3 failed on its maiden launch from Jiuquan on Friday after an anomaly in the first minutes of ascent prevented orbital insertion, highlighting technical hurdles for China’s commercial reusable‑rocket developers as they scale toward operational flight rates.

2026-04-03T03:17:09.038900-07:00

Space Pioneer’s 71‑m Tianlong‑3 reusable rocket fails during maiden flight

Payload

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CLPS firms eye major opportunity as NASA plans monthly uncrewed lunar landings NASA outlined a Moon-base strategy relying on monthly uncrewed landings to build and resupply a phased surface base, with launches starting as soon as next year. Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) vendors see a sustained market for landers, logistics and payload deliveries if cadence is realized.

2026-04-02T15:20:06.504426-07:00

CLPS firms eye major opportunity as NASA plans monthly uncrewed lunar landings

Space.com

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Passengers, photographers and a viral fan capture NASA's Artemis II launch NASA's Artemis II launch produced dramatic public moments — airline passengers aboard a Spirit Airlines flight filmed the SLS/Orion ascent, photographers worldwide paired the Pink Moon with the mission, and a young space fan went viral, underscoring intense public visibility for the agency's crewed lunar flyby.

2026-04-02T15:06:28.993455-07:00

Passengers, photographers and a viral fan capture NASA's Artemis II launch

CNBC

Amazon weighs deal to accelerate Project Kuiper satellite‑internet ambitions Amazon is evaluating a potential deal to accelerate Project Kuiper, its low‑Earth‑orbit satellite broadband initiative. The move would aim to hasten in‑orbit capacity and commercial service roll‑out, and shorten the timeline to customer availability in the rapidly evolving LEO broadband market.

2026-04-02T10:01:15.691182-07:00

Amazon weighs deal to accelerate Project Kuiper satellite‑internet ambitions

Ars Technica

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Artemis II heads to the Moon after successful translunar injection burn After one day in Earth orbit verifying Orion systems, NASA's Artemis II completed a successful translunar injection burn at 7:49 p.m. EDT on April 2, placing the four‑person crew on a free‑return trajectory for a roughly ten‑day lunar flyby that returns them on April 10.

2026-04-02T10:01:14.506330-07:00

Artemis II heads to the Moon after successful translunar injection burn

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Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

Atlas V LA-05 to lift program's heaviest-ever payload at 1:45 a.m. ET on April 4

Artemis II crew run in‑flight CPR drills as transit tempo eases on Flight Day 3

Space Pioneer’s 71‑m Tianlong‑3 reusable rocket fails during maiden flight

Passengers, photographers and a viral fan capture NASA's Artemis II launch

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