Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity space plane soared into sub-orbit on Thursday (November 2), marking the fifth commercial flight for the company and the sixth such flight for the reusable craft in the past half-year.

China successfully launched its Shenzhou-17 mission on Thursday morning (October 26). The mission was intended to both resupply China’s Tiangong space station and swap out its 3-person crew from the previous Shenzhou-16 mission for a new crew. 

NASA’s plan to award a single contract to produce an upgraded version of the Space Launch System (SLS) is unlikely to radically reduce the cost of producing the astronomically expensive Moon rocket, according to a new report from the space agency’s Office of Inspector General, which also recommended NASA examine using commercial alternatives.

Welcome to the Launch Roundup! In this edition, SpaceX sent a NASA spacecraft on a journey to an asteroid and continued to deploy its Starlink broadband constellation. China might be preparing to launch a new crew to the Tiangong space station later this month.

Welcome to Biz Briefs! In this edition, SpaceX filed to launch nearly 30,000 additional communications satellites, and received an investment from Italy’s largest bank, Intelsat signed a multi-launch deal with Relativity Space, Axiom and the European Space Agency (ESA) deepened their partnership, Arnhem Space Centre got a new general manager, and much more.

Welcome to the Launch Roundup! In this edition, one of Jeff Bezos’ companies sent something into orbit, the Spanish company PLD Space made history, Europe is down to a single operational booster, and SpaceX is preparing to launch NASA’s latest asteroid mission.

Welcome to the Launch Roundup! In this edition, we explore why Europe’s Vega-C rocket won’t fly for another year, preview SpaceX’s launch of NASA’s next asteroid mission, and take a look at the busy launch week ahead.

Virgin Galactic began crewed commercial suborbital flights after nearly two decades of development, Rocket Lab launched a suborbital version of its Electron rocket, and several other suborbital boosters made their maiden flights during the first nine months of 2023.

Welcome to the Launch Roundup! Last week was a bad one for small satellite launchers with multiple failures, NASA is gearing up to launch another asteroid mission, and Virgin Galactic is preparing to send three more people on a suborbital joy ride.

Welcome to the Launch Roundup! The failure of a Rocket Lab Electron rocket temporarily sent the company’s stock plunging, Firefly Aerospace launched a satellite on 24-hours’ notice, a new crew arrived at the International Space Station (ISS), and Stoke Space conducted its first hop.

Welcome to the Launch Roundup! This week, Russia will send a new crew to the International Space Station (ISS), and a NASA astronaut prepares to return home after setting a new American endurance record he never intended to set. Axiom Space named the crew for the company’s next private mission to the station. And Japan launched a spacecraft to land on the Moon last week.