Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

Reuters • Joey Roulette

FAA Approves Boost of Starship Launches to 25 per Year at Texas Starbase

The FAA will allow SpaceX to conduct up to 25 Starship launches annually from its Starbase complex in Texas, a fivefold rise from the previous five-launch cap. Environmental assessment clearance signals regulator confidence as SpaceX tackles Starship reliability and operational impacts.

2025-05-06T11:00:51.522446-07:00

Payload

Trump’s 2026 “Skinny Budget” Proposes 24% NASA Cut, Axes SLS, Orion, Gateway and Mars Sample Return

2025-05-02T08:40:43.602197-07:00

New York Times

Starbase, Texas Officially Incorporates as SpaceX Municipality

2025-05-03T17:59:40.979073-07:00

European Spaceflight

ESA's Biomass Satellite Debuts Enhanced Forest Monitoring

2025-04-29T07:39:17.586024-07:00

Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News Timeline

Bloomberg

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Blue Origin wins US contracts as Musk ally Isaacman’s NASA role raises stakes Blue Origin has started to secure key US government space contracts, bolstering Jeff Bezos’s bid to rival SpaceX. Yet the nomination of Jared Isaacman, a close Musk associate, to NASA’s top post underscores SpaceX’s growing sway over policy that could undercut Bezos’s ambitions.

2025-05-08T08:04:01.016399-07:00

Blue Origin wins US contracts as Musk ally Isaacman’s NASA role raises stakes

theferret.scot

Scotland's Space Sector Employs 8,000, Nets £298m as It Courts Satellite Launch Hub Status Scotland's space industry comprises 228 organisations employing over 8,000 people and generating £298 million in income in 2021/22. Backed by billionaire investments and plans for Shetland launches, the region is vying to become a global hub for satellite launches and space technology.

2025-05-08T07:53:58.703570-07:00

Scotland's Space Sector Employs 8,000, Nets £298m as It Courts Satellite Launch Hub Status

Space Policy Online

NASA Cancels VIPER Commercial Partnership Bids, Seeks New Delivery Paths NASA has halted its solicitation for commercial partners to deliver the VIPER lunar rover after deeming none of the 11 proposals acceptable. With $450 million invested, the agency will now pursue alternative approaches to ensure the Volatiles Investigating Polar Explorer reaches the Moon.

2025-05-07T20:57:41.971471-07:00

NASA Cancels VIPER Commercial Partnership Bids, Seeks New Delivery Paths

Via Satellite

Infostellar, Astro Gate ink MoU to co-develop spaceport infrastructure and ground station network Infostellar and Astro Gate have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on spaceport development and ground station deployment. The pact will combine both firms’ expertise to plan, build and operate launch facilities and satellite ground nodes, aiming to boost capacity for commercial space missions.

2025-05-07T12:25:35.517792-07:00

Infostellar, Astro Gate ink MoU to co-develop spaceport infrastructure and ground station network

European Spaceflight

The Exploration Company Ships Mission Possible Capsule for Falcon 9 Rideshare Launch Germany-based Exploration Company has shipped its Mission Possible test capsule to Vandenberg Space Force Base ahead of its scheduled launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission, advancing its efforts in commercial lunar lander development.

2025-05-07T11:40:43.453413-07:00

The Exploration Company Ships Mission Possible Capsule for Falcon 9 Rideshare Launch

chron.com

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FAA Clears $22M Starbase Expansion to Support 25 Starship Launches a Year The FAA has signed off on SpaceX’s $22 million expansion of its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, clearing the way for up to 25 annual Starship launches under a new environmental assessment. The approval marks a fivefold increase from the current cap, balancing local ecological safeguards with growth in launch cadence.

2025-05-07T05:10:16.339628-07:00

FAA Clears $22M Starbase Expansion to Support 25 Starship Launches a Year

Space.com

SpaceX Launches 28 Starlink Group 6-92 Smallsats on Falcon 9 with Droneship Recovery On May 6, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 lifted off from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 9:17 p.m. ET, deploying 28 Starlink Group 6-92 smallsats into low-Earth orbit. The reusable first stage touched down on the Just Read the Instructions droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

2025-05-06T20:31:43.576558-07:00

SpaceX Launches 28 Starlink Group 6-92 Smallsats on Falcon 9 with Droneship Recovery

Breaking Defense

Space Force Eyes International Launch Sites to Boost Resilience Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen said the U.S. Space Force is exploring the use of international launch sites to diversify launch avenues and bolster assured access to space. The initiative, outlined in initial talks with allies, aims to enhance resilience against supply chain and geopolitical disruptions.

2025-05-06T13:23:58.241074-07:00

Space Force Eyes International Launch Sites to Boost Resilience

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