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NASA • Mark A. Garcia

Roscosmos Progress 95 to launch April 25 from Baikonur with ~3 tons of cargo for the ISS

Roscosmos’ Progress 95 cargo spacecraft is scheduled to lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 6:21 p.m. and rendezvous with the International Space Station. The mission is timed as the crew completes another week aboard the orbiting laboratory, with the flight delivering roughly three tons of supplies and cargo.

2026-04-24T16:45:28.928476-07:00

DefenseNews.com

Air Force: “Disappointed” SpaceX not certified for military launches by end-2014, but confident it will meet USSF requirements

2026-04-25T00:50:54.605642-07:00

Payload

Astra aims to cut small-rocket costs via “clay-pigeon” target practice tied to Pentagon Golden Dome

2026-04-24T08:10:03.259417-07:00

NASA Spaceflight

SpaceX advances Starship Block 3 countdown with continued Cape infrastructure build-out and hopes to launch this year

2026-04-23T10:50:14.064020-07:00

News Timeline

SpaceNews.com

Space Force demand surge pressures heavy-lift launch market as certified providers remain limited The U.S. Space Force is sharply increasing its demand for the most capable rocket launches, intensifying pressure on a heavy-lift market that currently has just two certified providers. The shift raises the stakes for launch capacity, assured access, and schedule certainty across defense-relevant payloads.

2026-04-25T09:24:28.047738-07:00

Space Force demand surge pressures heavy-lift launch market as certified providers remain limited

DefenseNews.com

Air Force: “Disappointed” SpaceX not certified for military launches by end-2014, but confident it will meet USSF requirements The secretary of the U.S. Air Force said he is “disappointed” SpaceX was not certified for military space launch by the end of 2014, but remains confident the company can meet service-set requirements. The statement underscores how certification timing shapes Pentagon launch assurance and program risk.

2026-04-25T00:50:54.605642-07:00

Air Force: “Disappointed” SpaceX not certified for military launches by end-2014, but confident it will meet USSF requirements

Bloomberg

SpaceX tapped to help build software “operating system” for Trump’s Golden Dome SpaceX has been pulled into an industry group developing the software “operating system” underpinning President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome air-and-missile-defense initiative, according to people familiar with the matter. The reporting underscores how tightly Elon Musk’s space and satellite business is being linked to government defense needs.

2026-04-24T22:35:31.621249-07:00

SpaceX tapped to help build software “operating system” for Trump’s Golden Dome

NASA

Roscosmos Progress 95 to launch April 25 from Baikonur with ~3 tons of cargo for the ISS Roscosmos’ Progress 95 cargo spacecraft is scheduled to lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 6:21 p.m. and rendezvous with the International Space Station. The mission is timed as the crew completes another week aboard the orbiting laboratory, with the flight delivering roughly three tons of supplies and cargo.

2026-04-24T16:45:28.928476-07:00

Roscosmos Progress 95 to launch April 25 from Baikonur with ~3 tons of cargo for the ISS

Payload

Astra aims to cut small-rocket costs via “clay-pigeon” target practice tied to Pentagon Golden Dome Astra’s CEO Chris Kemp says the company will use “clay-pigeon” rocket target launches to drive scale and lower unit costs for both commercial and government customers. The approach aligns with the Pentagon’s Golden Dome space-based air and missile-defense concept, where realistic target practice is critical for validating intercept and tracking architectures.

2026-04-24T08:10:03.259417-07:00

Astra aims to cut small-rocket costs via “clay-pigeon” target practice tied to Pentagon Golden Dome

NASA Spaceflight

SpaceX advances Starship Block 3 countdown with continued Cape infrastructure build-out and hopes to launch this year As Starship Block 3 nears its first flight, SpaceX is progressing with work at Gigabay at Roberts Road and at the launch pads at LC-39A and SLC-37, including preparations tied to the early launch campaign. SpaceX is targeting a Starship launch from LC-39A sometime this year.

2026-04-23T10:50:14.064020-07:00

SpaceX advances Starship Block 3 countdown with continued Cape infrastructure build-out and hopes to launch this year

Space.com

Japan’s MMX mission to Mars’ moon Phobos reaches launch pad ahead of 2031 sample return JAXA’s Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) has arrived at the launch pad for its Phobos sample-return mission. The complex endeavor targets return of Phobos material to Earth in 2031, aiming to clarify the origins of Mars’ two small moons, Phobos and Deimos.

2026-04-23T06:06:00.960977-07:00

Japan’s MMX mission to Mars’ moon Phobos reaches launch pad ahead of 2031 sample return

Payload

Astrobotic conducts NASA Marshall hot-fire tests of Chakram engine prototype for lunar lander power Astrobotic tested one of its two Chakram engine prototypes with a continuous 300-second hot-fire at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The run is part of a broader prototype test campaign intended to validate power-plant performance for future Moon missions.

2026-04-23T05:20:30.703779-07:00

Astrobotic conducts NASA Marshall hot-fire tests of Chakram engine prototype for lunar lander power

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Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

Roscosmos Progress 95 to launch April 25 from Baikonur with ~3 tons of cargo for the ISS

Air Force: “Disappointed” SpaceX not certified for military launches by end-2014, but confident it will meet USSF requirements

Astra aims to cut small-rocket costs via “clay-pigeon” target practice tied to Pentagon Golden Dome

SpaceX advances Starship Block 3 countdown with continued Cape infrastructure build-out and hopes to launch this year

News Timeline