Tag: Vandenberg
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Launch Preview: Pegasus XL to launch amongst Falcon 9 and Chinese missions
This week’s launch manifest includes six orbital launches worldwide, including the first Pegasus XL launch since 2021. SpaceX dominates the schedule with three Starlink missions, the Starfall demonstration mission, and the SXM-11 mission — all of which are to fly on Falcon 9. Internationally, a Chang Zheng 7A launched an unspecified payload on Tuesday. Chang…
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Launch Preview: SpaceX and Chinese rockets to launch internet satellites to LEO
SpaceX and Chinese launches dominate this week’s launch manifest, which features six missions from five launch sites worldwide. Falcon 9 is scheduled to launch three Starlink missions from SpaceX’s California and Florida launch facilities. In China, a Chang Zheng 12B flew on its debut mission on Monday, with a Chang Zheng 8 and Chang Zheng…
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Launch Preview: Starlink and Amazon Leo missions fill manifest
Six orbital launches are expected worldwide this week, headlined by four Falcon 9 Starlink missions from SpaceX’s launch facilities along the Florida and California coasts. Alongside Falcon 9, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V is set to deploy 29 Amazon Leo satellites into low-Earth orbit, and a Chang Zheng 7A from China will deliver an…
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Launch Preview: three launches — a calm before the storm?
Two Falcon 9 launches and a Chang Zheng 7 make up the launch roster for the week commencing Monday, May 4, 2026. SpaceX will use its launches to place a further 48 Starlink satellites into Group 17 of the huge constellation of over 7,000 satellites. China’s single flight is a cargo supply mission to the…
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Blue Origin Advances New Glenn West Coast Launch Approval
What regulatory hurdles remain for Blue Origin’s West Coast operations? Blue Origin has advanced another step toward launching its New Glenn heavy-lift rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, marking a critical milestone in the company’s strategy to capture polar and sun-synchronous orbit missions from the West Coast. The Federal Aviation Administration has progressed Blue Origin’s…
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Blue Origin Gets Final Lease Step for New Glenn at Vandenberg
Will Blue Origin Launch New Glenn from California’s Vandenberg Base? The U.S. Space Force has approved final lease negotiations with Blue Origin for Space Launch Complex (SLC)-14 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, marking a critical step toward establishing West Coast heavy-lift launch capability for the New Glenn rocket. The decision positions Blue Origin to compete…
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Launch Preview: Falcon 9 to launch Starlink satellites, New Glenn to launch with flown booster
Six launches are scheduled worldwide this week, with the third launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn, featuring a previously-flown booster, highlighting the week. SpaceX is expected to launch three Starlink missions this week: two from California and one from Florida. Internationally, two Chinese rockets, a Lilian-1 and Chang Zheng 2D, are scheduled to launch unknown…
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Launch Preview: Falcon 9 to loft Cygnus to ISS, Minotaur IV to launch from California
As NASA’s Artemis II mission reaches its halfway point, the launch manifest on Earth continues to stay busy, with eight launches scheduled for the week of April 6th. SpaceX is expected to launch four Falcon 9s this week, including three Starlink missions and the NG-24 mission to the International Space Station. A Northrop Grumman Minotaur…
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Firefly Alpha FLTA007 “Stairway to Seven” launches successfully
Firefly Aerospace returned its Alpha launch vehicle to flight after a nearly 10-month stand down following the failed FLTA006 “Message In A Booster” mission in April 2025. FLTA007 “Stairway to Seven” launched from the California coast at 5:50 PM PDT on Wednesday, March 11 (00:50 UTC on March 12) after being delayed again on Monday,…
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Phantom Space Acquires Vector Launch Assets to Support Daytona Rocket Development
U.S. launch startup Phantom Space has acquired assets and intellectual property from the bankrupt rocket company Vector Launch, in a move aimed at accelerating development of Phantom’s Daytona launch vehicle. The Arizona-based company did not disclose the value of the transaction, but chief executive Jim Cantrell said the acquisition was funded through a previously unannounced…