Launch
Blue Origin launches Bezos on first crewed New Shepard flight
Blue Origin performed its first crewed New Shepard launch July 20, sending company founder Jeff Bezos and three other people on a suborbital flight.
Lynk books SpaceX flight for direct-to-cellphone satellites
Lynk aims to launch multiple operational satellites on a SpaceX ride-share mission in December, ahead of plans to provide connectivity services with the constellation directly to unmodified cellphones next year.
Rocket Lab identifies cause of Electron failure
Rocket Lab said July 19 that it has identified the cause of an Electron launch failure more than two months ago and that the vehicle is ready to return to flight.
Blue Origin ready for first crewed New Shepard launch
Blue Origin is on track to perform the first crewed launch of its New Shepard vehicle July 20, carrying company founder Jeff Bezos and three others on a suborbital spaceflight.
China launches secretive suborbital vehicle for reusable space transportation system
China conducted a clandestine first test flight of a reusable suborbital vehicle Friday as a part of development of a reusable space transportation system.
Chinese rocket companies are preparing for hop tests
A number of Chinese rocket firms are preparing to carry out first hop tests in a bid to develop reusable launch vehicles.
North Korea-linked hackers accessed South’s rocket developer: spy agency
Hackers linked to North Korea broke into the network of a South Korean aerospace company last month that holds confidential rocket propulsion technologies developed for the nation’s first indigenous space launch vehicle KSLV-Ⅱ, the state spy agency said July 8.
FAA begins use of system to reduce impact of launches on airspace
The FAA has started to use a new tool intended to better integrate commercial launches and reentries into the National Airspace System, reducing the disruptions those events have on aviation.
China conducts third orbital launch inside four days
China launched a Tianlian-1 data tracking and relay communications satellite Tuesday, marking the country’s third successful mission in four days.
OneWeb hits coverage goal with latest launch, sets sights on southern regions
OneWeb is shifting focus to the southern hemisphere after completing coverage north of 50 degrees latitude, following the launch of its latest batch of broadband satellites July 1.
SpaceX launches second dedicated rideshare mission
SpaceX launched 88 satellites on a Falcon 9 June 30 on the company’s second dedicated smallsat rideshare mission.
Space Development Agency celebrates launch of its first satellites
The Defense Department’s space agency on June 30 hailed the deployment of its first missions which flew to orbit on a SpaceX rideshare carrying 88 small satellites.
Virgin Orbit launches cubesats on second operational mission
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne successfully launched seven cubesats June 30 in the second operational mission of the air-launch system.
Virgin Orbit looks to increase launch rates in 2022
On the eve of its second revenue-generating launch, Virgin Orbit is looking to 2022 to ramp up its launch activity and operate from several airports in the United States and Great Britain.
South Korea’s top airline to develop propellant tank for smallsat launcher
Korean Air, South Korea's biggest airline, says it will develop common bulkhead propellant tanks for small satellite launch vehicles as part of the Ministry of Science and ICT’s “Space Pioneer” project.
China’s super heavy rocket to construct space-based solar power station
China plans to use a new super heavy-lift rocket currently under development to construct a massive space-based solar power station in geostationary orbit.
