Tag: Launch Vehicles
-
China’s Private Rocket Sector Breaks Into the Satellite Internet Constellation Launch Market
At 2:26 p.m. on September 15, 2026, the ZhuQue-2E Y7 launch vehicle lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, successfully deploying 10 SpaceSail Polar Orbit Group 19 satellites operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies into their designated orbits. Unlike previous missions, this launch warrants particular attention for…
-
SpaceX Sets Sept. 22 for Starship’s First Orbital Flight and Starlink V3 Deployment
SpaceX is targeting Sept. 22, 2026, for the first orbital flight of its Starship launch system, a roughly 10-hour mission that will deploy 26 Starlink V3 satellites and send the spacecraft around Earth six times before a planned Pacific Ocean splashdown. Flight 14 is scheduled to lift off from Starbase in South Texas during a…
-
Zhuque-2E Y7 Launches 10 Qianfan Satellites in Single Mission (Video)
LandSpace successfully launched a Zhuque-2E Y7 carrier rocket at 2:26 p.m. on September 15 from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone, placing 10 satellites for Qianfan Polar Orbit Group 19 into their designated orbits. The successful one-rocket, 10-satellite mission advanced the deployment of the Qianfan constellation while reinforcing Zhuque-2E’s role in China’s expanding commercial…
-
How Do Rockets Find Their Way Home? Three Mainstream Recovery Methods Explained
On August 19, the Zhuque-3 Y2 launch vehicle lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone. Its first stage successfully landed as planned at the Zhuque-3 landing site in Minqin County, Gansu Province. The mission marked another major breakthrough for China in key reusable-rocket technologies, making Zhuque-3 the country’s first launch vehicle to…
-
SpaceX’s Nasdaq-100 Weighting Set to More Than Double in September Rebalance
SpaceX is expected to more than double its weighting in the Nasdaq-100 Index when the benchmark completes its quarterly rebalance later in September, potentially generating billions of dollars in mandatory purchases by index funds and exchange-traded funds. Preliminary Nasdaq data indicate the company’s weighting could rise from approximately 1.28% to 2.82%, with the final allocation…
-
DOT Forms SPACE Task Force, but Authority to Cut Launch Approval Times Remains Unclear
The US Department of Transportation established the Space Policy Administration, Coordination, and Execution Task Force on September 9 to accelerate commercial launch approvals, expand spaceport capacity and improve launch integration with the national airspace system. However, DOT did not announce approval-time targets, implementation deadlines or new licensing authority, leaving unresolved whether the group can remove…
-
Why Was the Rocket Unscathed After Being Struck by Lightning?
On July 24, China successfully launched the Tianlian II-06 satellite aboard a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. During its ascent, lightning flashed near the rocket, creating a spectacular scene. A rocket had barely lifted off when it was suddenly struck by lightning, sending electrical arcs scattering across its body in…
-
SpaceX Pairs Booster 22 and Ship 42 for Flight 15 Cryogenic Testing
SpaceX has moved Super Heavy Booster 22 from Mega Bay 1 to the Massey’s test site at Starbase, where Ship 42 has joined it for cryogenic proof testing ahead of their planned pairing on Starship Flight 15. The mission could launch roughly one month after Flight 14 if the preceding flight meets its objectives and…
-
NASA Adds Relativity Space’s Terran R to Launch Services Roster
NASA added Relativity Space’s Terran R rocket to its NASA Launch Services II contract on September 9, making the still-unflown vehicle eligible to compete for future agency launch orders. The award expands NASA’s pool of launch providers as Relativity prepares Terran R for its first flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in late 2026.…
-
ISRO Rejects Privatisation Concerns as India Expands Private-Sector Role in Space
The Indian Space Research Organisation said on September 6 that it will neither be privatised nor lose its central role in India’s space programme, clarifying that the government’s private-sector reforms are intended to shift mature, scalable activities to industry while allowing ISRO to concentrate on advanced research, strategic missions and exploration. The statement followed concerns…