Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

European Spaceflight • Andrew Parsonson

CNES Taps AndroMach to Hot-Fire LOX/Propane Engine for ENVOL Spaceplane

AndroMach has secured a CNES contract under the Space Transportation Directorate to conduct first hot-fire tests of its LOX/propane rocket engine prototype, set to power the company’s ENVOL suborbital spaceplane. The contract marks a key milestone in validating the engine ahead of further development.

2025-05-19T07:37:56.415153-07:00

NASA Spaceflight

NASA Advances Artemis II SLS Rocket Stacking Amid Budget Cuts

2025-05-15T14:04:10.909829-07:00

Ars Technica

If Congress Axes SLS, NASA Must Rethink Deep-Space Exploration Architecture

2025-05-13T12:51:45.411482-07:00

Florida Today

SpaceX Launches 28 More Starlink Satellites from Cape Canaveral

2025-05-14T10:26:08.492392-07:00

Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News Timeline

MSN

ISRO Chief Reaffirms 2027 Gaganyaan Crew Flight Schedule After PSLV-C61 Setback The Indian Space Research Organisation’s chief said his agency still aims to launch its first human mission by 2027 after a propulsion anomaly delayed the PSLV-C61 satellite launch. He signaled an intensified push on human-rating processes, crew module validations and ground rescue systems to keep the Gaganyaan programme on schedule.

2025-05-22T05:51:00.328689-07:00

ISRO Chief Reaffirms 2027 Gaganyaan Crew Flight Schedule After PSLV-C61 Setback

1news.co.nz

Blue Origin Reveals Crew for 12th New Shepard NS-32 Flight, Including First Kiwi Blue Origin has named its passengers for the upcoming NS-32 suborbital flight aboard New Shepard, featuring Christchurch aerospace entrepreneur Mark Rocket as the first New Zealander in space. The mission, set to exceed the 100km Kármán line, has yet to receive a launch date.

2025-05-22T05:39:33.244104-07:00

Blue Origin Reveals Crew for 12th New Shepard NS-32 Flight, Including First Kiwi

Florida Today

SpaceX Schedules Memorial Day Weekend Starlink Launch from Cape Canaveral A recent FAA operations plan advisory indicates SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying additional Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, extending its rapid global broadband constellation deployments.

2025-05-22T05:26:08.961804-07:00

SpaceX Schedules Memorial Day Weekend Starlink Launch from Cape Canaveral

Times of India

Study Proposes Lunar Space Elevator Feasible with Current Materials Researchers demonstrate that a space elevator anchored on the Moon could be constructed using materials available today, enabling routine cargo and crew transfers between the lunar surface and cislunar space within decades. This concept promises to slash launch costs and transform lunar logistics and infrastructure development.

2025-05-22T05:15:51.570277-07:00

Study Proposes Lunar Space Elevator Feasible with Current Materials

Space.com

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NASA, SpaceX Delay Dragon CRS-32 Undocking to May 23 Amid Off-Coast Weather NASA and SpaceX postponed the undocking of the Dragon spacecraft from the ISS initially set for May 22, citing unfavorable splashdown weather off California’s coast. Teams now target 12:05 p.m. EDT on May 23, while station crew shifts focus to ongoing science and cargo-loading tasks.

2025-05-22T05:03:59.300986-07:00

NASA, SpaceX Delay Dragon CRS-32 Undocking to May 23 Amid Off-Coast Weather

Aviation Week

Blue Origin to Demo Uncrewed HLS Landing at Moon’s South Pole This Year Blue Origin will attempt to land an uncrewed prototype of its Human Landing System at the Moon’s south pole later this year, validating key technologies for NASA’s Artemis program. The demo marks a milestone in the race for commercial lunar transportation.

2025-05-20T15:26:52.046204-07:00

Blue Origin to Demo Uncrewed HLS Landing at Moon’s South Pole This Year

The Space Review

1976 Vandenberg launch of Satellite Data System laid groundwork for real-time reconnaissance In November 1976, the US Air Force lifted off the first Satellite Data System (SDS) relay satellite from Vandenberg AFB, marking the start of a hidden network to transmit imagery and missile warning data in near real-time. Managed through an uncommon NRO-DoD arrangement, SDS satellites formed the backbone of later KH-11 operations.

2025-05-19T18:50:35.666011-07:00

1976 Vandenberg launch of Satellite Data System laid groundwork for real-time reconnaissance

Ars Technica

US Space Force Sees Commercial Satellites Slashing Mission Time by a Third and Costs by Half A senior US Space Force official says commercial satellites now exceed expectations, promising to cut mission timelines by roughly a third and reduce expenses by over 50%. The remarks underscore a strategic shift towards leveraging private-sector satcom capabilities for defense applications once limited to government platforms.

2025-05-19T14:57:42.722037-07:00

US Space Force Sees Commercial Satellites Slashing Mission Time by a Third and Costs by Half

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