News – Page 254 – Spaceflight Now

January 18, 2026

Breaking News

[ January 18, 2026 ] Live coverage: Space Falcon 9 rocket counting down to Starlink delivery mission Falcon 9
[ January 16, 2026 ] NRO, SpaceX launch reconnaissance satellites from Vandenberg Falcon 9
[ January 15, 2026 ] Crew 11 safely splashes down after shortened mission Mission Reports
[ January 14, 2026 ] NASA, SpaceX conduct ‘medical evacuation’ Crew-11 return to Earth Mission Reports
[ January 14, 2026 ] SpaceX breaks pad turnaround record at Cape Canaveral with midday Starlink launch Falcon 9

Chinese smallsat launcher fails

September 12, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Chinese small satellite launcher failed after liftoff Saturday, destroying a commercial Earth-imaging payload before it could enter orbit.

Astra launch falters during first stage burn

September 12, 2020 Stephen Clark

Astra’s privately-developed small satellite launcher crashed shortly after liftoff from Alaska Friday evening on the company’s first try at reaching orbit.

Stacking of next Atlas 5 rocket begins at Cape Canaveral

September 11, 2020 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance technicians positioned the first stage for the next Atlas 5 rocket on a mobile launch platform Friday at Cape Canaveral, a key step in preparations for an October mission that will debut a new solid-fueled booster design.

NASA challenges companies to mine lunar soil

September 11, 2020 Stephen Clark

NASA announced Thursday it plans to purchase lunar soil from a commercial company, an effort the agency’s top official said is intended to set a precedent for the transfer of ownership of extraterrestrial material and stimulate a market harvesting resources from bodies throughout the solar system.

After second hop, SpaceX preps for next phase of Starship testing

September 9, 2020 Stephen Clark

After another Starship hop test last week, SpaceX is set to build the first prototype for the next-gen rocket’s huge first stage booster. Meanwhile, testing will commence soon on the Raptor engine model needed for orbital Starship missions.

China launches another Gaofen Earth observation satellite

September 8, 2020 Stephen Clark

A new optical Earth observation satellite launched by China Monday joins the country’s remote sensing network for land surveys, urban planning, and agriculture monitoring.

China tests experimental reusable spacecraft shrouded in mystery

September 8, 2020 Stephen Clark

A mysterious space vehicle described by Chinese state media as an experimental reusable spacecraft completed a two-day flight in low Earth orbit Sunday.

Coronavirus delays push back launch of next Landsat to September 2021

September 7, 2020 Stephen Clark

The launch of the next Landsat land imaging mission — a joint project between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey — has been delayed until around September 2021 after the effects of the coronavirus pandemic slowed work on the spacecraft in Arizona, NASA officials said.

SpaceX launches more Starlink satellites, beta testing well underway

September 3, 2020 Stephen Clark

Sixty more satellites launched Thursday from the Kennedy Space Center to join SpaceX’s Starlink fleet, adding coverage to the broadband network as it is already “well into the first phase of testing.”

Vega rocket deploys 53 satellites on successful return to flight mission

September 3, 2020 Stephen Clark

Delayed a year by a launch failure, the coronavirus pandemic and a stretch of stiff upper level winds this summer, an Italian-made Vega rocket vaulted into orbit from French Guiana on Wednesday night and deployed 53 small satellites from 13 countries to punctuate a flawless return to flight mission.