Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

SpaceNews.com • Jeff Foust

BlackSky’s third Gen-3 satellite returns very-high‑resolution imagery within 24 hours of New Zealand Electron launch

BlackSky’s third Gen‑3 satellite produced its first very-high‑resolution images less than 24 hours after liftoff from New Zealand aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron on a confidential customer mission. The quick on-orbit commissioning delivered imagery to users within a day of deployment.

2025-11-25T05:50:32.599401-08:00

Ars Technica

Competitors Challenge SpaceX’s Starship Florida Plans — Who’s Interfering With Whom?

2025-11-24T15:04:56.907886-08:00

Reuters

NASA trims Boeing Starliner crew missions to four, converts next flight to cargo as ISS nears retirement

2025-11-24T10:27:44.947231-08:00

Space.com

China launches uncrewed Shenzhou-22 to Tiangong as contingency lifeboat for stranded crew

2025-11-24T09:15:05.915938-08:00

Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News Timeline

GeekWire

Portal Space Systems pushes to commercialize solar‑thermal propulsion Portal Space Systems, led by CEO Jeff Thornburg, is advancing a decades‑old spaceflight concept—solar thermal propulsion—into commercial development. The company says it aims to field affordable, in‑space propulsion solutions for satellites and on‑orbit platforms, reviving an approach long studied but not widely deployed.

2025-11-25T07:03:45.188690-08:00

Portal Space Systems pushes to commercialize solar‑thermal propulsion

SpaceNews.com

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BlackSky’s third Gen-3 satellite returns very-high‑resolution imagery within 24 hours of New Zealand Electron launch BlackSky’s third Gen‑3 satellite produced its first very-high‑resolution images less than 24 hours after liftoff from New Zealand aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron on a confidential customer mission. The quick on-orbit commissioning delivered imagery to users within a day of deployment.

2025-11-25T05:50:32.599401-08:00

BlackSky’s third Gen-3 satellite returns very-high‑resolution imagery within 24 hours of New Zealand Electron launch

SpaceNews.com

BlackSky announces latest Gen-3 satellite in orbit after confidential Electron launch

2025-11-25T05:50:32.599401-08:00

BlackSky announces latest Gen-

European Spaceflight

Polish consortium conducts successful test of three-stage suborbital rocket in EU-funded programme A Polish consortium conducted a successful flight test on 24 November of a three-stage suborbital rocket developed under an EU-funded programme, launching from the Central Air Forces Training Ground in Ustka. Participants included Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze nr 1 (lead), the Military Institute of Armament Technology and GAMRAT.

2025-11-25T05:11:14.060579-08:00

Polish consortium conducts successful test of three-stage suborbital rocket in EU-funded programme

Ars Technica

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Competitors Challenge SpaceX’s Starship Florida Plans — Who’s Interfering With Whom? Competitors and local stakeholders are contesting SpaceX's plans to base Starship operations in Florida, urging regulators to treat liquid‑oxygen/methane vehicles as carrying “100 percent TNT blast equivalency” — a designation that could force stricter safety regimes and slow launch activity.

2025-11-24T15:04:56.907886-08:00

Competitors Challenge SpaceX’s Starship Florida Plans — Who’s Interfering With Whom?

rocketlabcorp.com

Rocket Lab schedules 'Raise And Shine' — first of two dedicated Electron launches for JAXA Rocket Lab announced a launch window opening Dec. 5 UTC for Raise And Shine, the first of two dedicated Electron missions contracted by JAXA, to lift from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. The flight extends a busy year of Electron operations for the company.

2025-11-24T13:50:57.876998-08:00

Rocket Lab schedules 'Raise And Shine' — first of two dedicated Electron launches for JAXA

Reuters

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NASA trims Boeing Starliner crew missions to four, converts next flight to cargo as ISS nears retirement NASA has revised Boeing's Commercial Crew contract, cutting Starliner missions from six to four and reassigning the upcoming Starliner flight in April to an uncrewed cargo-only mission. The move follows last year’s crew‑stranding anomaly and coincides with agency planning as the International Space Station approaches retirement.

2025-11-24T10:27:44.947231-08:00

NASA trims Boeing Starliner crew missions to four, converts next flight to cargo as ISS nears retirement

Space.com

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China launches uncrewed Shenzhou-22 to Tiangong as contingency lifeboat for stranded crew China launched the uncrewed Shenzhou-22 spacecraft to the Tiangong space station on Nov. 24, flying an earlier-than-planned mission to deliver supplies and act as a contingency 'lifeboat' after a suspected orbital-debris strike damaged Shenzhou-20's return vehicle and left three astronauts temporarily unable to undock.

2025-11-24T09:15:05.915938-08:00

China launches uncrewed Shenzhou-22 to Tiangong as contingency lifeboat for stranded crew

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