Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

Spaceflight Now • Will Robinson-Smith

Orion arrives at KSC VAB ahead of SLS stacking for Artemis II

NASA’s Orion spacecraft completed its penultimate terrestrial roadtrip into the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center late Thursday, positioning the capsule for stacking atop the Space Launch System. The move precedes final prelaunch processing and integration ahead of the Artemis II crewed lunar flyby.

2025-10-16T21:56:28.502332-07:00

Associated Press

SpaceX completes final Version 2 Starship test — 11th flight deploys test satellites and returns largely intact

2025-10-13T17:07:45.617123-07:00

Ars Technica

NASA and Lockheed weigh launching Orion on commercial rockets, marking a major Artemis strategy shift

2025-10-15T13:32:47.629701-07:00

NASA Spaceflight

Impulse Space to adapt Helios kick stage into lunar lander, targets regular cargo deliveries by 2028

2025-10-14T06:05:27.584407-07:00

Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News Timeline

Spaceflight Now

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Orion arrives at KSC VAB ahead of SLS stacking for Artemis II NASA’s Orion spacecraft completed its penultimate terrestrial roadtrip into the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center late Thursday, positioning the capsule for stacking atop the Space Launch System. The move precedes final prelaunch processing and integration ahead of the Artemis II crewed lunar flyby.

2025-10-16T21:56:28.502332-07:00

Orion arrives at KSC VAB ahead of SLS stacking for Artemis II

Payload

UK small‑launcher Astron Systems books flights through 2030 Astron Systems, a UK startup developing low‑cost, reusable small‑lift rockets, has booked launch flights through 2030, locking in customer missions across the remainder of the decade. The commitments signal continued commercial demand for dedicated small‑sat access and predictable ride availability.

2025-10-16T21:49:18.423609-07:00

UK small‑launcher Astron Systems books flights through 2030

European Spaceflight

HyImpulse raises €45M to accelerate SL‑1 hybrid orbital launcher, targets 2027 maiden flight German startup HyImpulse has secured €45 million to develop its hybrid‑powered SL‑1 small orbital launcher (around 600 kg payload) and accelerate a targeted maiden flight in 2027. The financing round brings new strategic investors, including a high‑profile backer from the Schwarz Group.

2025-10-16T09:02:44.524015-07:00

HyImpulse raises €45M to accelerate SL‑1 hybrid orbital launcher, targets 2027 maiden flight

Space.com

Vast targets 2026 launch for Haven‑1, aiming to field the first standalone commercial LEO station Vast plans to launch Haven‑1 in 2026, positioning it as the first standalone commercial low‑Earth‑orbit platform and an "amazing inflection point for human spaceflight." The company says Haven‑1 will be a crew‑tended commercial LEO station if it sticks to its schedule.

2025-10-16T09:02:43.824791-07:00

Vast targets 2026 launch for Haven‑1, aiming to field the first standalone commercial LEO station

SpaceNews.com

iRocket Leverages IRX‑100 Missile Flight to Back Fully Reusable Shockwave Launcher iRocket said its first flight test of the short‑range IRX‑100 missile provides near‑term revenue and technical data to accelerate development of Shockwave, a fully reusable orbital satellite launcher. The missile program aims to finance operations and de‑risk hardware while the company advances its reusable‑launcher roadmap.

2025-10-16T08:27:43.660298-07:00

iRocket Leverages IRX‑100 Missile Flight to Back Fully Reusable Shockwave Launcher

SpaceNews.com

China's year-end space sprint signals higher launch cadence and geopolitical implications A late‑year surge in Chinese orbital launches underscores a sustained step‑up in Beijing's launch cadence, accelerating satellite deployment and increasing pressure on orbital traffic management. Several flights carried profiles analysts say are consistent with intelligence and ISR roles, raising strategic and sustainability questions for LEO operations.

2025-10-16T06:32:00.574064-07:00

China's year-end space sprint signals higher launch cadence and geopolitical implications

Payload

Oman CAA approves fast‑track licensing for Etlaq Spaceport orbital launches Oman's Civil Aviation Authority has approved a fast‑track licensing procedure for launches from the new Etlaq Spaceport, marking a regulatory milestone that authorises orbital spadelaunch operations and removes a key administrative barrier ahead of the site's operational start. The move is billed as pioneering in the Middle East.

2025-10-16T04:07:30.340957-07:00

Oman CAA approves fast‑track licensing for Etlaq Spaceport orbital launches

Bloomberg

Japan’s HTV‑X Targets Reliable ISS Resupply After Boeing Starliner Setback Following Boeing Starliner’s failed crewed flight, Japan is intensifying efforts to position its new HTV‑X cargo vehicle as a dependable resupply option for the International Space Station. JAXA is prioritizing HTV‑X design, testing and operational readiness to ensure uninterrupted ISS logistics support.

2025-10-16T03:27:02.097136-07:00

Japan’s HTV‑X Targets Reliable ISS Resupply After Boeing Starliner Setback

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