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Payload • Payload Staff

Top 5 Launches of 2025 — The Year of the Super‑Heavy Launcher

A roundup of the five most significant launches of 2025 shows the year was dominated by the emergence and flight tests of super‑heavy launchers, marking a turning point in heavy‑lift capability and operational focus across commercial and national space programs.

2025-12-26T05:37:58.462054-08:00

Reuters

China creates STAR Market fast lane for reusable-rocket IPOs

2025-12-26T04:15:00.518590-08:00

spaceinafrica.com

Legal frameworks needed to realize Africa's spaceport ambitions

2025-12-25T09:08:57.055399-08:00

European Spaceflight

Avio to launch four FORMOSAT Earth‑observation satellites for Taiwan aboard Vega C

2025-12-24T21:03:36.644311-08:00

News Timeline

Payload

Top 5 Launches of 2025 — The Year of the Super‑Heavy Launcher A roundup of the five most significant launches of 2025 shows the year was dominated by the emergence and flight tests of super‑heavy launchers, marking a turning point in heavy‑lift capability and operational focus across commercial and national space programs.

2025-12-26T05:37:58.462054-08:00

Top 5 Launches of 2025 — The Year of the Super‑Heavy Launcher

Reuters

China creates STAR Market fast lane for reusable-rocket IPOs The Shanghai Stock Exchange will give Chinese companies developing reusable commercial rockets a STAR Market fast lane for initial public offerings, exempting them from certain financial requirements and shortening listing timetables. The change aims to ease access to public capital for commercial reusable-launch developers.

2025-12-26T04:15:00.518590-08:00

China creates STAR Market fast lane for reusable-rocket IPOs

spaceinafrica.com

Legal frameworks needed to realize Africa's spaceport ambitions Africa is emerging as a strategic node in the global launch ecosystem, and several governments and private actors are eyeing commercial spaceports. Without clear legal and regulatory frameworks, those ambitions risk stalling as policy gaps will shape investor confidence, operational timelines and access.

2025-12-25T09:08:57.055399-08:00

Legal frameworks needed to realize Africa's spaceport ambitions

European Spaceflight

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Avio to launch four FORMOSAT Earth‑observation satellites for Taiwan aboard Vega C Taiwan Space Agency has contracted Avio to launch four FORMOSAT Earth‑observation satellites aboard Vega C rockets. The order commits four dedicated remote‑sensing spacecraft to Vega C flights and advances Taiwan’s space‑based imaging capability through a multi‑satellite launch campaign.

2025-12-24T21:03:36.644311-08:00

Avio to launch four FORMOSAT Earth‑observation satellites for Taiwan aboard Vega C

Yomiuri Japan News

H3 rocket failure strands Michibiki No.5, disrupts Japanese QZSS timeline Japan's H3 rocket failed Monday while carrying Michibiki No.5, a Quasi-Zenith Satellite System navigation satellite, preventing orbital insertion and disrupting the schedule to complete a high-precision regional positioning network often dubbed 'Japanese GPS.' The loss is a setback for national navigation autonomy.

2025-12-24T20:23:22.480256-08:00

H3 rocket failure strands Michibiki No.5, disrupts Japanese QZSS timeline

Space.com

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China’s 2025 space push: record launches, reusable‑rocket tests, lunar hardware trials and a crewed‑flight rescue China’s 2025 space campaign combined a record launch cadence with reusable‑rocket flight tests and critical lunar hardware trials — and overcame a human‑spaceflight emergency with a successful crewed‑flight rescue. The sequence advances Beijing’s crewed‑lunar ambitions and validates higher‑frequency launch operations.

2025-12-24T09:10:37.842674-08:00

China’s 2025 space push: record launches, reusable‑rocket tests, lunar hardware trials and a crewed‑flight rescue

Space.com

Artemis II: First Crewed Lunar Flyby Since Apollo Targeted No Earlier Than Feb 2026 NASA's Artemis II — the first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo — is now targeted to launch no earlier than February 2026. The four-person crew will undertake a roughly 10-day lunar flyby aboard Orion to validate crew operations, imaging systems and an early docking practice.

2025-12-24T07:07:43.666333-08:00

Artemis II: First Crewed Lunar Flyby Since Apollo Targeted No Earlier Than Feb 2026

European Spaceflight

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Avio Vega C launch deals cast doubt on Vega E and Vega Next timeline Avio's recent Vega C launch agreements prompt fresh scrutiny of the firm's planned launch roadmap, calling into question the timeline, operational role and commercial value of the Vega E and the proposed Vega Next. The deals may reshape Avio's product strategy and investor roadmap for mid‑small payload markets.

2025-12-23T22:03:57.991566-08:00

Avio Vega C launch deals cast doubt on Vega E and Vega Next timeline

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Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

Top 5 Launches of 2025 — The Year of the Super‑Heavy Launcher

China creates STAR Market fast lane for reusable-rocket IPOs

Legal frameworks needed to realize Africa's spaceport ambitions

Avio to launch four FORMOSAT Earth‑observation satellites for Taiwan aboard Vega C

News Timeline