Q&A with Guglielmo Aglietti, RemoveDebris principal investigator (members only)

SpaceX has delayed liftoff of its next cargo ship bound for the International Space Station until Friday, setting up a one-shot attempt to launch the commercial supply carrier from Cape Canaveral before a potential slip to late December due to high solar angles in orbit.

A Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle lifted off Friday with 31 satellites on the first flight for India’s workhorse rocket since an August mishap that left an Indian navigation satellite unusable after reaching orbit.

Two communications satellites owned by Saudi Arabian and Indian operators rocketed into orbit Tuesday on top of a European Ariane 5 rocket, the first of up to 13 launches planned from French Guiana this year.