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Aviation Week • Robert Wall

Avio to build $500M solid rocket motor plant in Hurt, Virginia

Italian rocket-maker Avio will build a $500 million solid rocket motor manufacturing facility in Hurt, Virginia, creating domestic SRM production capacity and expanding the company's U.S. industrial footprint. The plant signals increased onshore manufacturing for launch and defense propulsion hardware.

2026-02-24T03:26:42.761244-08:00

NASA Spaceflight

Weekly launch preview: Falcon 9 set for five Starlink launches; Firefly targets Alpha mission

2026-02-23T15:33:36.116708-08:00

Space.com

China’s Shenlong spaceplane completes fourth flight — what the mission reveals about Beijing’s spaceplane capabilities

2026-02-23T11:10:58.212828-08:00

SpaceNews.com

Momentus to carry 10 demonstration payloads on Vigoride‑7 mission

2026-02-23T05:02:21.360017-08:00

News Timeline

Aviation Week

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Avio to build $500M solid rocket motor plant in Hurt, Virginia Italian rocket-maker Avio will build a $500 million solid rocket motor manufacturing facility in Hurt, Virginia, creating domestic SRM production capacity and expanding the company's U.S. industrial footprint. The plant signals increased onshore manufacturing for launch and defense propulsion hardware.

2026-02-24T03:26:42.761244-08:00

Avio to build $500M solid rocket motor plant in Hurt, Virginia

NASA Spaceflight

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Weekly launch preview: Falcon 9 set for five Starlink launches; Firefly targets Alpha mission Seven missions are scheduled this week, with SpaceX set to fly five Falcon 9 Starlink launches that dominate the manifest. Firefly also targets an Alpha mission, underscoring continued activity from small-launch providers alongside high-volume constellation deployments and a busy global launch cadence.

2026-02-23T15:33:36.116708-08:00

Weekly launch preview: Falcon 9 set for five Starlink launches; Firefly targets Alpha mission

Space.com

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China’s Shenlong spaceplane completes fourth flight — what the mission reveals about Beijing’s spaceplane capabilities China’s Shenlong experimental spaceplane completed a fourth flight, offering new—but inconclusive—clues about Beijing’s reusable, hypersonic and orbital test capabilities. Analysts say the mission’s trajectory, duration and recovered hardware suggest maturation of spaceplane technology and potential dual-use applications, though definitive roles remain unconfirmed.

2026-02-23T11:10:58.212828-08:00

China’s Shenlong spaceplane completes fourth flight — what the mission reveals about Beijing’s spaceplane capabilities

SpaceNews.com

Europe advances reusable-launcher development with upcoming flight test Europe's effort to secure sovereign access to space has moved forward with a scheduled flight test of a reusable launcher, marking a practical step toward validating booster recovery and rapid-turnaround operations. The demonstration injects momentum into Europe's launch industrial base and operational know‑how for future reusable systems.

2026-02-23T07:22:22.136711-08:00

Europe advances reusable-launcher development with upcoming flight test

SpaceNews.com

Momentus to carry 10 demonstration payloads on Vigoride‑7 mission Momentus will carry ten demonstration payloads on its Vigoride‑7 mission, advancing validation of the company's in‑orbit hosting and servicing capabilities. The flight will exercise payload integration, deployment procedures and operational readiness for Vigoride‑class vehicles as Momentus prepares for broader commercial rideshare and orbital services.

2026-02-23T05:02:21.360017-08:00

Momentus to carry 10 demonstration payloads on Vigoride‑7 mission

The Hill

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How commercial launch providers could free NASA from the Space Launch System Two major commercial launch providers are accelerating development of heavy‑lift and crewed launch capabilities that could offer NASA operational alternatives to the Space Launch System. Successful commercial options would ease schedule and cost pressure on Artemis‑class missions and force changes to agency procurement and mission architectures.

2026-02-22T17:30:49.269332-08:00

How commercial launch providers could free NASA from the Space Launch System

Space.com

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SpaceX reuses Falcon 9 booster B1067 for record 33rd flight in double Starlink launch from Cape Canaveral On Feb. 21 SpaceX launched 38 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral as the second of two Starlink missions that day, flying booster B1067 on its record 33rd flight. The rapid, same‑day operations underline SpaceX's push for high launch cadence and routine booster reuse.

2026-02-21T20:10:21.227749-08:00

SpaceX reuses Falcon 9 booster B1067 for record 33rd flight in double Starlink launch from Cape Canaveral

Reuters

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NASA orders Artemis II SLS rollback to VAB for repairs, March 6 launch at risk; April slip likely NASA will roll the Artemis II Space Launch System back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs that can only be completed in the Florida hangar, imperiling a planned March 6 launch opportunity. The agency now signals a likely schedule slip into April while crews complete corrective work.

2026-02-21T08:56:15.957193-08:00

NASA orders Artemis II SLS rollback to VAB for repairs, March 6 launch at risk; April slip likely

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Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

Avio to build $500M solid rocket motor plant in Hurt, Virginia

Weekly launch preview: Falcon 9 set for five Starlink launches; Firefly targets Alpha mission

China’s Shenlong spaceplane completes fourth flight — what the mission reveals about Beijing’s spaceplane capabilities

Momentus to carry 10 demonstration payloads on Vigoride‑7 mission

News Timeline