Tag: Reusable Rocket
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LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 Targets Reusable Rocket Milestone in Second Flight Attempt Next Week
The highly anticipated second flight mission of LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 reusable launch vehicle has entered its final countdown. According to launch preparations released by the company, the rocket is scheduled to lift off on August 11, 2026, from LandSpace’s dedicated Launch Pad No. 2 at the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone in Jiuquan, Gansu Province.…
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ArianeGroup Completes Wet Dress Rehearsal for Themis Reusable Booster
ArianeGroup has completed a wet dress rehearsal of its Themis reusable booster demonstrator at the Esrange Space Centre in Sweden, marking a key milestone in the vehicle’s ongoing test campaign. The rehearsal was carried out on July 23 by teams from ArianeGroup and SSC Space, the operator of Esrange Space Centre, with the company announcing…
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China’s Reusable Long March-12B Rocket Completes Static Firing Test
China’s reusable Long March-12B rocket has successfully completed a static firing test, marking a key milestone ahead of its planned flight missions, its developer said on Friday. The test was conducted at the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China and involved a full-duration engine firing while the rocket remained anchored to the…
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Firefly is building fast and breaking things on path to a reusable rocket
BRIGGS, Texas—The new medium-lift rocket under development by Firefly Aerospace and Northrop Grumman will eventually incorporate a recoverable booster that will return to its launch site in Virginia for reuse. Firefly has previously suggested rocket reuse is on the roadmap for the new rocket—known, for now, only as the Medium Launch Vehicle (MLV)—but officials revealed…
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SpaceX’s most-flown reusable rocket launches for the 20th time
For the first time, SpaceX launched one of its reusable Falcon 9 boosters for a 20th time Friday night on a flight to deliver 23 more Starlink Internet satellites to orbit. This milestone mission lifted off at 9:40 pm EDT Friday (01:40 UTC Saturday) from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force…
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A historic Falcon 9 made a little more history Friday night
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida—In three-and-a-half years of service, one of SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 boosters stands apart from the rest of the company’s rocket inventory. This booster, designated with the serial number B1058, has now flown 18 times. For its maiden launch on May 30, 2020, the rocket propelled NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken…
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Japan is studying a reusable rocket, but it won’t fly before 2030
Japan debuted the new flagship H3 rocket in March, capping a decade-long, nearly $1.5 billion development effort to replace a launch vehicle that has been in service for more than 20 years. The H3’s upper stage failed to ignite a few minutes after liftoff, causing the rocket and its Earth observation payload to crash into…
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Stoke Space hops its upper stage, leaping toward a fully reusable rocket
At an airfield in Eastern Washington on Sunday, the small launch company Stoke Space flew its upper stage for the first time. The flight was, admittedly, rather modest. The second-stage rocket only ascended to about 30 feet (9 meters) and traveled just several feet down range. The entire flight was over in 15 seconds. And…
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Rocket Report: DOJ sues SpaceX; a look inside doomed Spaceport Camden
Welcome to Edition 6.08 of the Rocket Report! The US Department of Justice is taking SpaceX to court over allegations of hiring discrimination, but the government is relying more than ever on SpaceX’s technical prowess. Once again, Elon Musk’s social media posts are part of the story. This week, we also cover the successes and…
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Rocket Report: DOJ sues SpaceX; a look inside doomed Spaceport Camden
Welcome to Edition 6.08 of the Rocket Report! The US Department of Justice is taking SpaceX to court over allegations of hiring discrimination, but the government is relying more than ever on SpaceX’s technical prowess. Once again, Elon Musk’s social media posts are part of the story. This week, we also cover the successes and…