Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

Space Policy Online • Marcia Smith

NASA mandates free‑flyer demo, delays Dream Chaser CRS debut to late 2026 and drops guaranteed ISS flights

NASA and Sierra Space have mutually agreed to modify their Commercial Resupply Services contract: NASA will require a free‑flying demonstration of Dream Chaser before any ISS visit and is no longer bound to the 2016 commitment to purchase seven cargo flights, pushing the vehicle’s CRS debut to late 2026.

2025-09-25T18:03:11.741271-07:00

skyandtelescope.org

SpaceX lofts IMAP plus two space‑weather probes on Falcon 9 to sharpen solar‑storm warnings

2025-09-24T10:52:35.758900-07:00

Breaking Defense

Space Force to Require On‑Orbit Refueling for RG‑XX Space Domain Awareness Constellation

2025-09-24T10:14:32.088966-07:00

NASA

NASA awards Katalyst contract to reboost Swift Observatory's orbit in 2026

2025-09-24T13:38:33.863388-07:00

Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News Timeline

Space.com

Blue Origin targets mid‑October New Glenn launch for NASA’s twin Mars probes; first‑stage hot‑fire expected next month Blue Origin is targeting a mid‑October launch of its New Glenn rocket to carry NASA’s twin Mars probes, and expects to conduct a static hot‑fire of the vehicle’s first stage early next month. The test is a key pre‑launch milestone ahead of the planned interplanetary mission.

2025-09-26T12:04:12.974090-07:00

Blue Origin targets mid‑October New Glenn launch for NASA’s twin Mars probes; first‑stage hot‑fire expected next month

Ars Technica

Amazon schedules back-to-back Project Kuiper launches as Blue Origin slips New Glenn's second flight Amazon plans two Project Kuiper broadband-satellite launches just days apart, compressing its deployment cadence and accelerating constellation buildout. The moves come as Blue Origin’s New Glenn second flight slips, a timing shift that could affect heavy‑lift availability and payload manifests for Kuiper and other customers.

2025-09-26T06:31:46.206369-07:00

Amazon schedules back-to-back Project Kuiper launches as Blue Origin slips New Glenn's second flight

Payload

European suborbital startups rack up bookings as they target the Kármán line A wave of European suborbital launch startups are selling seats and securing customer deposits as they push to cross the Kármán line—100 km altitude—on commercial flights. Firms report advance bookings and manifest interest ahead of planned test campaigns and inaugural crewed flights.

2025-09-25T23:10:22.691111-07:00

European suborbital startups rack up bookings as they target the Kármán line

Space Policy Online

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NASA mandates free‑flyer demo, delays Dream Chaser CRS debut to late 2026 and drops guaranteed ISS flights NASA and Sierra Space have mutually agreed to modify their Commercial Resupply Services contract: NASA will require a free‑flying demonstration of Dream Chaser before any ISS visit and is no longer bound to the 2016 commitment to purchase seven cargo flights, pushing the vehicle’s CRS debut to late 2026.

2025-09-25T18:03:11.741271-07:00

NASA mandates free‑flyer demo, delays Dream Chaser CRS debut to late 2026 and drops guaranteed ISS flights

NASA Spaceflight

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SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke and others advance upgrades at Cape Canaveral launch facilities SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke and other providers are progressing upgrades across the two Cape Canaveral–area spaceport facilities, including work at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and adjacent launch complexes. The activity covers pad and ground-support changes being advanced by commercial and government partners.

2025-09-25T13:10:34.953131-07:00

SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke and others advance upgrades at Cape Canaveral launch facilities

Associated Press

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NASA–ISRO NISAR Returns First Synthetic-Aperture Radar Images of Earth The NASA–ISRO NISAR Earth-observing radar satellite has returned its first synthetic-aperture radar images, showing high-detail views of the Maine coast and North Dakota farmland. The imagery validates instrument performance as the joint mission approaches full science operations later this year.

2025-09-25T09:40:16.982083-07:00

NASA–ISRO NISAR Returns First Synthetic-Aperture Radar Images of Earth

Space.com

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SpaceX launches 52 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral SpaceX launched 24 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg and 28 more from Cape Canaveral in separate Falcon 9 missions, bolstering its low‑Earth‑orbit broadband constellation. The dual‑coast operations underscore SpaceX’s high‑cadence deployment and continued reliance on Falcon 9 to scale network capacity.

2025-09-25T07:16:28.633689-07:00

SpaceX launches 52 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral

Associated Press

Satellite imagery suggests Iran conducted undeclared missile test at Imam Khomeini Spaceport; lawmaker claims ICBM Satellite photos analysed by the AP show scorch marks on a launch pad at Iran’s Imam Khomeini Spaceport in Semnan, indicating an undeclared missile test. An Iranian lawmaker said the launch was an intercontinental ballistic missile — a claim that remains unverified amid regional tensions and possible UN sanctions.

2025-09-25T06:22:09.348487-07:00

Satellite imagery suggests Iran conducted undeclared missile test at Imam Khomeini Spaceport; lawmaker claims ICBM

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