VA261 – Spaceflight Now

July 26, 2025

Breaking News

[ July 25, 2025 ] Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Falcon 9
[ July 24, 2025 ] Amazon says $139.5 million investment in Florida is key to ramping up launch cadence with Project Kuiper Mission Reports
[ July 23, 2025 ] NASA probes to study how the solar wind triggers potentially dangerous ‘space weather’ Falcon 9
[ July 22, 2025 ] FAA: ‘Regional power outage’ causes last-minute scrub of NASA’s TRACERS mission Falcon 9
[ July 21, 2025 ] SpaceX launches 15th mission for SES following one-day scrub Falcon 9

Ending an era, Europe launches its final Ariane 5 rocket

July 6, 2023 William Harwood

Europe’s venerable Ariane 5 rocket blasted off on its 117th and final flight Wednesday, successfully boosting two communications satellites into orbit but leaving the European space program without a large satellite launcher of its own until a delayed successor comes on line.

Final Ariane 5 launch scheduled for July 4 after fixes to booster separation system

June 26, 2023 Spaceflight Now

Europe’s last Ariane 5 rocket is now scheduled to lift off July 4 after being grounded for more than two weeks due to a problem with the pyrotechnic systems required to jettison the launcher’s strap-on solid rocket boosters. Europe’s workhorse rocket is being retired after 27 years of service.