Launches & Spacecraft

SpaceX launched 29 more of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit from Florida's Space Coast today (Aug. 11).

Operating a million or more data centers in space would mean a massive increase in air pollution from rocket launches and concentrations of toxic ash from reentering satellites.

Rocket Lab plans to start launching even more frequently and flexibly, thanks to a new portable spaceport system called "GHOST," which packages everything into standard shipping containers.

China's latest rocket launch ended in failure this morning (Aug. 10), lighting up the skies with some unwanted fireworks.

Japan's H3 rocket sent the Michibiki 7 navigation satellite aloft this afternoon (Aug. 10), on the ninth-ever mission for the launch vehicle.

SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit today (Aug. 8) from California's scenic central coast.

SpaceX is still towing Starship's upper stage toward shore two weeks after its latest test flight, but the unprecedented effort is unlikely to succeed, according to Elon Musk.

The private LINK spacecraft, which launched last month to save a NASA space telescope, now needs saving, too — and teams are making progress on that front.

The Chinese commercial launch company Landspace is set for its second attempt to catch an orbital rocket. Liftoff, and landing, are targeted for next Monday (Aug. 10).

Rocket Lab launched its eighth mission for the Japanese Earth-imaging company iQPS on Thursday morning (Aug. 6), five weeks later than originally planned.