Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

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How a Strategic Shift Preserved American Spaceflight

A strategic policy and programmatic pivot preserved American spaceflight, averting a looming capability gap and maintaining continuous U.S. launch activity. The change reshaped the balance between government and commercial roles, ensuring missions and access to space could continue without interruption.

2025-12-04T06:24:23.328980-08:00

Wall Street Journal

Sam Altman explored building or buying a rocket company to compete with SpaceX

2025-12-04T00:27:24.272969-08:00

NASA

OSIRIS‑REx Finds Sugars, Complex Organics and Presolar Stardust in Bennu Samples

2025-12-02T05:59:38.662478-08:00

Ars Technica

LandSpace's Zhuque‑3 reaches orbit; reusable first stage catches fire and recovery fails

2025-12-02T15:24:25.776154-08:00

Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News Timeline

Space.com

SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg on Falcon 9 — 156th Falcon 9 launch of 2025 SpaceX launched 28 Starlink internet satellites into low Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Dec. 4, using a Falcon 9. The flight marked the company's 156th Falcon 9 launch of the year and adds another batch to Starlink's growing LEO constellation.

2025-12-04T14:09:14.410630-08:00

SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg on Falcon 9 — 156th Falcon 9 launch of 2025

SpaceNews.com

Celestis taps Stoke Space’s Nova tug for 'Infinite Flight' deep‑space memorial mission Celestis has selected Stoke Space’s Nova in‑space tug to carry its 'Infinite Flight' deep‑space memorial mission, pairing Celestis’ commercial memorial payloads with Stoke’s orbital logistics capability. It underscores growing commercial demand for dedicated deep‑space transport services.

2025-12-04T08:11:25.566606-08:00

Celestis taps Stoke Space’s Nova tug for 'Infinite Flight' deep‑space memorial mission

European Spaceflight

Loiretech delivers rear heat‑shield mock‑up to ArianeGroup for ESA’s ExoMars TPS testing Loiretech has delivered a rear heat‑shield mock‑up for ESA’s ExoMars mission to ArianeGroup, where the component will be used in initial testing of the spacecraft’s thermal protection system. The mock‑up will support early verification activities at ArianeGroup ahead of subsequent TPS qualification tests and integration.

2025-12-04T07:04:43.451537-08:00

Loiretech delivers rear heat‑shield mock‑up to ArianeGroup for ESA’s ExoMars TPS testing

Spaceflight Now

Orion hatch 'blemish' forces delay of Artemis 2 launch‑day rehearsal NASA delayed the Artemis 2 Nov. 19 launch‑day dress rehearsal after teams discovered a "blemish" on the Orion spacecraft hatch that prevented the four scheduled astronauts from boarding for the practice, Spaceflight Now reports. Agency engineers are assessing the defect and will set a new rehearsal date.

2025-12-04T06:46:41.577716-08:00

Orion hatch 'blemish' forces delay of Artemis 2 launch‑day rehearsal

SpaceNews.com

❗️

How a Strategic Shift Preserved American Spaceflight A strategic policy and programmatic pivot preserved American spaceflight, averting a looming capability gap and maintaining continuous U.S. launch activity. The change reshaped the balance between government and commercial roles, ensuring missions and access to space could continue without interruption.

2025-12-04T06:24:23.328980-08:00

How a Strategic Shift Preserved American Spaceflight

Wall Street Journal

❗️

Sam Altman explored building or buying a rocket company to compete with SpaceX Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, explored assembling funds to either acquire or partner with an existing rocket company to build a launch business to compete with SpaceX, according to exclusive reporting — a potential new entrant that would alter competitive dynamics in commercial launch.

2025-12-04T00:27:24.272969-08:00

Sam Altman explored building or buying a rocket company to compete with SpaceX

The Guardian

French Guiana: a remote EU outpost hosting Europe’s only spaceport, vast rainforest and a testing-ground military mission Bordering Brazil, French Guiana is a remote EU outpost that hosts Europe’s only spaceport at Kourou, contains some of the world’s most biodiverse rainforest, and has become the focus of a French military mission whose scope is testing the limits of western power projection in the region.

2025-12-03T21:10:05.047598-08:00

French Guiana: a remote EU outpost hosting Europe’s only spaceport, vast rainforest and a testing-ground military mission

Space.com

Blue Origin's NS-37 to fly first wheelchair-using tourist; ex‑SpaceX engineer Hans Koenigsmann aboard Blue Origin's upcoming NS-37 suborbital tourist flight will include the first wheelchair user to fly as a tourist and former SpaceX rocket engineer Hans Koenigsmann among its manifest. The mission underscores accessibility advances in commercial suborbital operations and brings a high‑profile engineering figure into Blue Origin's crewed cadence.

2025-12-03T13:08:22.594869-08:00

Blue Origin's NS-37 to fly first wheelchair-using tourist; ex‑SpaceX engineer Hans Koenigsmann aboard

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