September 18, 2025
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Breaking News
  • [ September 17, 2025 ] SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Falcon 9
  • [ September 16, 2025 ] NASA, Northrop Grumman postpone Cygnus XL arrival to ISS following propulsion issue Mission Reports
  • [ September 16, 2025 ] SpaceX scrubs launch of 24 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg SFB for a second day Falcon 9
  • [ September 15, 2025 ] Northrop Grumman’s 1st Cygnus XL spacecraft launches on cargo run to the space station Falcon 9
  • [ September 14, 2025 ] Launch preview: SpaceX to launch new, improved Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL resupply ship to the space station Falcon 9

California

Mission Reports

Smallsat launch providers readying for first missions of 2021

January 10, 2021 Stephen Clark

Virgin Orbit and Rocket Lab teams are gearing up for their first missions of the year in the coming days, with Virgin’s air-launched rocket set for its second demonstration flight and Rocket Lab’s Electron booster poised to launch a small German-owned communications satellite.

Mission Reports

Virgin Orbit nears first test flights with air-launched rocket

August 31, 2018 Stephen Clark

The attachment of a mounting bracket for Virgin Orbit’s smallsat launcher under the wing of a modified passenger jetliner portends the start of a series of captive carry tests with a full-scale model of the rocket, culminating in a drop of the vehicle before the first orbital launch attempt.

Members

Q&A with Dan Hart, president and CEO of Virgin Orbit (members only)

August 31, 2018 Stephen Clark

Dan Hart leads a staff of hundreds of engineers and technicians developing LauncherOne, a commercial air-launched booster intended to hurl small satellites weighing up to 1,100 pounds (500 kilograms) into orbit.

Mission Reports

Virgin Galactic’s rocket plane climbs closer to space

July 27, 2018 Stephen Clark

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane, built to eventually carry commercial passengers to the edge of space, accomplished another powered test flight into the rarefied upper atmosphere Thursday with two pilots on-board.

Falcon 9

Video: Falcon 9 lifts off in a veil of fog

July 25, 2018 Stephen Clark

A thick marine layer blanketing Vandenberg Air Force Base in California restricted views of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifting off early Wednesday, but cameras fixed to the launcher provided spectacular imagery of the predawn departure with 10 Iridium satellites on-board.

Falcon 9

SpaceX’s second launch in three days lofts 10 more Iridium satellites

July 25, 2018 Stephen Clark

Firing through a veil of fog blanketing California’s Central Coast, a Falcon 9 launcher climbed into orbit Wednesday with 10 more satellites for Iridium’s voice and data relay constellation, pushing the upgraded network closer to completion as SpaceX accomplished another landing of the rocket’s first stage booster.

Falcon 9

Launch timeline for Iridium’s seventh launch with SpaceX

July 25, 2018 Stephen Clark

Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket’s ascent to orbit with the another set of 10 next-generation satellites for Iridium’s voice and data relay fleet.

Falcon 9

Photos: Falcon 9 ready for launch from California

July 25, 2018 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket loaded with 10 Iridium Next communications satellite is awaiting a predawn launch Wednesday from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

Falcon 9

Live coverage: Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from California

July 25, 2018 Stephen Clark

A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 4:39 a.m. PDT (7:39 a.m. EDT; 1139 GMT) Wednesday, and SpaceX successfully landed the rocket’s first stage on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean. The mission’s primary objective is the deployment of 10 Iridium Next communications satellites into low Earth orbit.

Falcon 9

SpaceX’s fairing-catching boat heads to sea, this time with a bigger net

July 24, 2018 Stephen Clark

After several near-misses in tries to catch payload shrouds jettisoned from Falcon 9 rockets climbing into space, a high-speed boat tasked with retrieving the fairings for SpaceX to reuse has been upgraded and dispatched into the Pacific Ocean ahead of a launch Wednesday from Vandenberg Air Force in California.

Posts pagination

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News Headlines

  • SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral
    September 17, 2025
  • NASA, Northrop Grumman postpone Cygnus XL arrival to ISS following propulsion issue
    September 16, 2025
  • SpaceX scrubs launch of 24 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg SFB for a second day
    September 16, 2025
  • Northrop Grumman’s 1st Cygnus XL spacecraft launches on cargo run to the space station
    September 15, 2025
  • Launch preview: SpaceX to launch new, improved Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL resupply ship to the space station
    September 14, 2025
  • SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg SFB
    September 13, 2025
  • Department of the Air Force, FAA clear SpaceX to launch up to 120 Falcon 9 rockets annually from Cape Canaveral
    September 12, 2025
  • New U.S. military satellite constellation takes shape with first launch from Vandenberg SFB
    September 12, 2025
  • SpaceX launches Indonesian communications satellite following three days of scrubs
    September 10, 2025
  • Launch preview: Space Development Agency, SpaceX to launch next-gen national security satellites
    September 10, 2025
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