Space.com
• Elizabeth Howell, Tariq Malik
On Nov. 9, 1967, NASA launched a Saturn V rocket for the first time, sending the uncrewed Apollo 4 mission into space. The flight marked the debut of the launch vehicle that would carry astronauts on later Apollo missions.
Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation
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On Nov. 9, 1967, NASA launched a Saturn V rocket for the first time, sending the uncrewed Apollo 4 mission into space. The flight marked the debut of the launch vehicle that would carry astronauts on later Apollo missions.
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Blue Origin has shifted New Glenn’s planned return to flight from December 2026 to January 2027 while rebuilding Launch Complex 36 after a ground-testing accident. Separately, Boeing has moved NASA’s Artemis III core stage into Kennedy Space Center’s High Bay 3 for final stacking, integration and testing ahead of the mission’s planned 2027 launch.
Rocket propulsion designers have long faced a trade-off between solid and liquid fuels. The reported use of a common food emulsifier could offer a way to address that challenge, although the available article summary does not specify the fuel formulation, performance gains or development stage.
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The UK Government has completed a £30 million investment in SaxaVord Spaceport, securing an ownership stake of more than 25%. The transaction gives the government a significant equity position in a UK spaceport, though the announcement provides no further details on governance or how the funds will be used.
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Planet will fly imaging satellites on multiple Stoke Space Nova missions under an agreement that gives it flexibility to select launch dates and orbits. Planet says the partnership supports faster, more responsive access to space; separately, Stoke received permission to conduct engineering and environmental studies on land north of its existing Cape Canaveral complex.
Canada will upgrade its rockets under the Launch the North initiative, which aims to support sovereign launch vehicles operating from at least two new spaceports. The budget confirmation sets out a national effort spanning launch-vehicle development and the infrastructure needed to reach orbit from Canadian sites.
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