Stats: Delta 4 history and backlog (updated March 30)

NASA officials are waiting to see if Congress adds funding to the agency’s budget next year to kick-start development of a new four-engine upper stage for the Space Launch System, an upgrade that would allow the mega-rocket to loft heavier cargoes into deep space.

SpaceX founder and chief executive Elon Musk has shared images of the Falcon 9 booster’s crash landing on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean after the rocket’s successful Jan. 10 liftoff with supplies for the International Space Station.

Playalinda Beach is an ideal public viewing spot for Friday morning’s Atlas 5 rocket launch of the Navy’s MUOS 5 communications satellite. The location puts you less than five miles from the launch pad to feel the 2.5 million pounds of liftoff thrust!