Q&A with Opher Doron, general manager of IAI’s space division (members only)

A Chinese Long March 2D booster climbed into orbit from the Jiuquan space base in the northwest of the country Saturday, delivering seven small satellites to space on communications and weather research missions with the help of a new upper stage capable of firing more than 20 times over two days.

Using new drilling techniques after a stalled electrical motor halted sampling operations on Mars, the Curiosity rover has delivered rock powder to one of its onboard lab instruments for analysis for the first time since 2016, officials said Monday.

The Starlink 6-83 mission will also mark SpaceX’s 100th Falcon 9 launch from Launch Complex 39A. Liftoff is targeted for Tuesday, May 13, at 1:02 a.m. EDT (0502 UTC).