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Payload • Douglas Gorman

Global launches hit record in 2025 — 329 attempts, 321 reach orbit or near‑orbit

2025 set a new global launch record with 329 attempted rockets, 321 of which reached orbit or near‑orbit, according to data compiled by astronomer Jonathan McDowell. The tally marks an unprecedented year of launch activity across commercial, national and small‑launcher fleets worldwide.

2026-01-06T06:02:40.849661-08:00

Payload

Space Forge ignites plasma aboard ForgeStar‑1 in LEO, furnace tops 1,000°C

2026-01-05T04:50:47.717963-08:00

SpaceNews.com

Space Forge generates plasma aboard first satellite to enable LEO semiconductor production

2025-12-30T22:10:07.628082-08:00

swarajyamag.com

ISRO’s LVM3 launches AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird Block‑2 — heaviest commercial payload yet on an Indian rocket

2025-12-23T21:25:45.187790-08:00

News Timeline

New Scientist

Commercial Space Stations to Begin Orbiting in 2026 — A New Era for the LEO Economy Commercial space stations are slated to begin orbiting in 2026, ending the International Space Station's near-30-year monopoly on crewed low Earth orbit access and opening new platforms for microgravity research, manufacturing and commercial services as agencies and industry prepare for the ISS's 2030 retirement.

2026-01-06T09:42:51.328585-08:00

Commercial Space Stations to Begin Orbiting in 2026 — A New Era for the LEO Economy

Payload

Global launches hit record in 2025 — 329 attempts, 321 reach orbit or near‑orbit 2025 set a new global launch record with 329 attempted rockets, 321 of which reached orbit or near‑orbit, according to data compiled by astronomer Jonathan McDowell. The tally marks an unprecedented year of launch activity across commercial, national and small‑launcher fleets worldwide.

2026-01-06T06:02:40.849661-08:00

Global launches hit record in 2025 — 329 attempts, 321 reach orbit or near‑orbit

Payload

Space Forge ignites plasma aboard ForgeStar‑1 in LEO, furnace tops 1,000°C Space Forge said on Dec. 31 it generated plasma aboard its ForgeStar‑1 in low Earth orbit, heating its on‑board furnace above 1,000°C — a key condition the company says is required to produce semiconductor‑grade materials in orbit as it pursues on‑orbit chip manufacturing.

2026-01-05T04:50:47.717963-08:00

Space Forge ignites plasma aboard ForgeStar‑1 in LEO, furnace tops 1,000°C

SpaceNews.com

Space Forge generates plasma aboard first satellite to enable LEO semiconductor production On Dec. 31 Space Forge reported it generated plasma aboard its first satellite, a milestone the British startup says demonstrates it can create and maintain the conditions needed to produce valuable semiconductor materials in low Earth orbit. The run marks an initial step toward on‑orbit materials manufacturing.

2025-12-30T22:10:07.628082-08:00

Space Forge generates plasma aboard first satellite to enable LEO semiconductor production

Stars and Stripes

Russia launches three Iranian satellites; Iran confirms first signals from Zafar‑2, Paya and Kowsar Iran confirmed receipt of first signals from three domestically developed satellites — Zafar‑2, Paya and Kowsar — after a Russian Soyuz rocket placed them into orbit. Tehran said the signal receptions mark the satellites' transition to operational status; the launch is the second Russia-assisted Iranian flight since July.

2025-12-28T13:44:36.022305-08:00

Russia launches three Iranian satellites; Iran confirms first signals from Zafar‑2, Paya and Kowsar

swarajyamag.com

❗️

ISRO’s LVM3 launches AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird Block‑2 — heaviest commercial payload yet on an Indian rocket On 24 December ISRO's LVM3 'Baahubali' successfully placed AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird Block‑2 into orbit, a roughly 6.1–6.5 tonne next‑generation direct‑to‑device communications satellite. ISRO said it was the heaviest payload ever on an Indian rocket and marks the opening deployment of a large‑antenna LEO constellation.

2025-12-23T21:25:45.187790-08:00

ISRO’s LVM3 launches AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird Block‑2 — heaviest commercial payload yet on an Indian rocket

Space.com

Russia patents rotating space station to generate artificial gravity Russia has patented a space-station concept in which habitable modules rotate around a central axis to generate artificial gravity via centrifugal force. The design relies on outward-pushing acceleration from the rotating modules to simulate gravity for crew during long-duration missions.

2025-12-23T14:07:19.657739-08:00

Russia patents rotating space station to generate artificial gravity

Space.com

Qingzhou — China’s Next‑Generation Cargo Ship for the Tiangong Space Station Qingzhou is a lighter, potentially lower‑cost cargo spacecraft China is developing as an alternative to the Tianzhou freighter to support logistics to the Tiangong space station. Its reduced mass and simplified design are intended to lower launch and operational costs while expanding Beijing’s in‑house LEO resupply capability.

2025-12-22T11:04:06.080017-08:00

Qingzhou — China’s Next‑Generation Cargo Ship for the Tiangong Space Station

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LEO News

Global launches hit record in 2025 — 329 attempts, 321 reach orbit or near‑orbit

Space Forge ignites plasma aboard ForgeStar‑1 in LEO, furnace tops 1,000°C

Space Forge generates plasma aboard first satellite to enable LEO semiconductor production

ISRO’s LVM3 launches AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird Block‑2 — heaviest commercial payload yet on an Indian rocket

News Timeline