Launch
China launches new group of classified Yaogan-30 satellites
China launched a group of classified Yaogan-30 satellites and one commercial satellite on a Long March 2C rocket early Friday.
Falcon 9 launches GPS satellite in first national security mission with reused booster
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a U.S. Space Force GPS 3 satellite June 17. The rocket lifted off at 12:09 p.m. Eastern from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
Shenzhou-12 docks with Tianhe space station module
The Shenzhou-12 spacecraft docked with China’s space station module hours after launch from Jiuquan late Wednesday, marking the first crewed visit to the facility.
Upcoming SpaceX mission a reusability milestone for national security launch
The scheduled June 17 SpaceX launch of a GPS 3 satellite will be the first national security space mission to use a refurbished Falcon 9 booster.
Northrop Grumman’s Minotaur 1 rocket launches three classified NRO payloads
A Northrop Grumman Minotaur 1 launched three National Reconnaissance Office payloads on June 15 at 9:35 a.m. Eastern from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus rocket launches U.S. Space Force mission
A Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket launched the U.S. Space Force Tactically Responsive Launch-2 (TacRL-2) mission June 13 at 1:11 a.m. Pacific from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
New Virginia spaceport head seeks to increase launch activity
The new head of Virginia’s commercial spaceport on Wallops Island says he wants to increase launch activity at the site, while acknowledging that there are limits as to how big it can grow.
U.S. Space Force to launch ‘space domain awareness’ satellite on Pegasus rocket
A U.S. Space Force mission scheduled to launch June 13 on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket is a monitoring satellite intended to provide “space domain awareness."
Relativity raises $650 million round, announces Terran R rocket
Relativity Space announced June 8 it has raised $650 million in a new funding round to support development of a fully reusable launch vehicle far larger than its original Terran 1 rocket.
SpaceX launches SiriusXM satellite
SpaceX successfully placed into orbit a Maxar-built satellite for SiriusXM Satellite Radio June 6, six months after the launch of a similar satellite that later malfunctioned in orbit.
Air Force: Using commercial rockets to deliver supplies not as far-fetched as it sounds
U.S. Air Force officials on June 4 expressed enthusiasm about the possibility that commercial space vehicles one day could be used to ship supplies around the world.
Falcon 9 launches cargo Dragon mission to ISS
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a cargo Dragon spacecraft June 3, carrying experiments and a new set of solar panels for the International Space Station.
Launcher raises $11.7 million Series A round
Small launch vehicle developer Launcher has raised $11.7 million in a Series A funding round, which the company says puts it on a path to reaching orbit with a fraction of the total investment of other launch startups.
China launches Fengyun-4B meteorological satellite
China successfully sent the Fengyun-4B weather satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit Wednesday with the country's 16th orbital launch of 2021.
Launch executives see booming demand despite gloomy forecasts
Launch executives said June 2 that demand for satellite launches likely will surge despite assertions to the contrary.
Air Force to further study use of commercial rockets to deliver cargo around the world
The U.S. Air Force in its budget proposal for fiscal year 2022 is seeking $47.9 million to study the potential use of commercial rockets to transport cargo around the world.
