News – Spaceflight Now

December 18, 2025

Breaking News

[ December 18, 2025 ] Senate confirms Jared Isaacman as 15th NASA Administrator News
[ December 17, 2025 ] SpaceX flies Starlink mission using Falcon 9 booster flying for a 30th time Falcon 9
[ December 16, 2025 ] SpaceX launches Wednesday morning Starlink mission from Kennedy Space Center Falcon 9
[ December 15, 2025 ] Rocket Lab Electron rocket aborts liftoff at engine ignition Electron
[ December 15, 2025 ] ULA Atlas 5 launch puts Amazon’s 180th broadband satellite in low Earth orbit Atlas 5

Senate confirms Jared Isaacman as 15th NASA Administrator

December 18, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The vote on Dec. 17 closes out a year-long nomination process featuring the removal and renomination of the commercial astronaut.

SpaceX flies Starlink mission using Falcon 9 booster flying for a 30th time

December 17, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The Falcon 9 rocket launching the Starlink 15-13 mission will fly on a south-easterly trajectory upon leaving pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Liftoff is for 7:27 a.m. PST (10:27 a.m. EST / 1527 UTC).

SpaceX launches Wednesday morning Starlink mission from Kennedy Space Center

December 16, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The Starlink 6-99 mission represents SpaceX’s 125th launch to date from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Liftoff is scheduled for 8:42 a.m. EST (1342 UTC).

Rocket Lab Electron rocket aborts liftoff at engine ignition

December 15, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The ‘Bridging the Swarm’ mission comes two days after the company launched its ‘RAISE and Shine’ flight for JAXA. Liftoff is scheduled for 1:55 p.m. NZDT / 0055 UTC on Dec. 16 (7:45 p.m. EST on Dec. 15).

ULA Atlas 5 launch puts Amazon’s 180th broadband satellite in low Earth orbit

December 15, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station occurred at 3:28 a.m. EST (0828 UTC), as the RD-180 engine on the booster roared to lift alongside five solid rocket boosters.

Falcon 9 launch of 29 Starlink satellites from the Kennedy Space Center delayed to Wednesday

December 14, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

SpaceX put on hold its plan to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and rescheduled it for no earlier than Wednesday. Liftoff is scheduled for 7:19 a.m. EST (1219 UTC) at the earliest.

SpaceX launches 100th Falcon 9 rocket from Florida in 2025

December 14, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The Starlink 6-82 represents SpaceX’s 580th launch of a Falcon 9 rocket to date. Liftoff from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station happened Monday, Dec. 15, at 12:25 a.m. EST (0525 UTC).

SpaceX completes 550th booster landing amid Saturday night Falcon 9 flight

December 13, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The Starlink 15-12 mission added another 27 broadband internet satellites to SpaceX’s megaconstellation in low Earth orbit. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base happened Dec. 13, at 9:49 p.m. PST (12:49 a.m. EST / 0549 UTC on Sunday, Dec. 14)

Blue Origin halfway through 4-flight certification to allow launch of national security missions

December 13, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The launch company owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos launched two successful missions in 2025, including landing its first booster on its landing barge.

Study: Current, future megaconstellations risk space-based astronomy

December 12, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

Researchers from NASA’s Ames Research Center sound alarm about current and projected impacts to observatories, like the Hubble Space Telescope and others.