Launches & Spacecraft

Latest about Launches & Spacecraft

a rocket launching into an early morning sky.

Atlas V rocket launches its final national security mission for US military (video)

By Mike Wall last updated

United Launch Alliance's venerable Atlas V rocket flew its final national security mission early Tuesday (July 30).

Launches & Spacecraft
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 23 Starlink satellites from Florida on July 28, 2024.

SpaceX rockets successfully launch back-to-back Starlink missions hours apart in return to flight (photos, videos)

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX launched two Starlink satellite missions less than five hours apart in the early hours of Sunday morning (July 28).

Launches & Spacecraft
a black-and-white spacex falcon 9 rocket launches into a night sky.

SpaceX bounces back from Falcon 9 failure with successful Starlink launch (video)

By Mike Wall last updated

SpaceX launched 23 of its Starlink broadband satellites early Saturday morning (July 27), on the company's first mission since a July 11 failure.

Launches & Spacecraft
white frost-like material builds up around a cone-shaped rocket nozzle as it glows orange

SpaceX finds cause of Falcon 9 failure, eyes return to flight as soon as July 27

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX has fixed the problem that caused its Falcon 9 rocket to fail during a July 11 launch, according to the company, which is eyeing a July 27 return to flight.

Launches & Spacecraft
China test-fires a YF-75E engine for its planned Long March 10 crewed moon rocket.

Watch China test-fire engine for new crewed moon rocket (video)

By Andrew Jones published

China has test-fired a new engine for its planned Long March 10 rocket, which is designed to take astronauts to the moon.

Launches & Spacecraft
white frost-like material builds up around a cone-shaped rocket nozzle as it glows orange

SpaceX rocket failure highlights need for multiple launch options: 'Falcon 9 is not invulnerable'

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 is one of the most reliable and prolific rockets ever flown. But it's not invulnerable, as we saw earlier this month.

Launches & Spacecraft
long-distance shot of a rocket launching into a cloudy daytime sky

ABL Space System's 2nd RS1 rocket destroyed during preflight testing

By Mike Wall published

A fire at the launch pad shortly after an engine test "caused irrecoverable damage" to ABL Space Systems' second RS1 rocket, the company announced on Monday (July 22).

Launches & Spacecraft
A chalkboard background shows a drawing of a teal rocket with a window near the top and to fins on the sides at the bottom.. In the to top right, a space.com 25 year anniversary logo.

All about rockets

By Elizabeth Fernandez published

Learn more about rockets while having a blast with these fun NASA experiments.

Launches & Spacecraft
illustration of a mars base, with a handful of people inside a domed habitat and a large rocket launching in the background

Where will we be in space in 2049? A look at spaceflight over the next 25 years

By Mike Wall published

The next quarter-century in space exploration could be historic, the era in which humanity finally establishes a foothold on the moon and Mars.

Launches & Spacecraft
three panel image showing a space shuttle launch on the left, in the middle a long exposure photograph of a spacex falcon 9 rocket launch shows a stream of light across the sky and the right image shows a rocket lifting off from a launch pad.

SpaceX, the rise of China and more: How spaceflight has changed since 1999

By Andrew Jones published

Space travel has changed from government-driven missions to a dynamic, commercially driven frontier over the past 25 years, driven by advancements in technology and the rise of private companies.

Launches & Spacecraft
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