Spaceflight Now

SpaceX is preparing for the first orbital flight test of its Starship rocket, the most powerful launch vehicle ever built and central to the company's plans for Moon and Mars missions. The attempt marks a major milestone for the program, which has so far only flown high-altitude suborbital hops, and is drawing wide attention across the spaceflight community.

SpaceX is preparing Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, for its first orbital test launch, a flight the company has described as critical to its future plans for deep space missions. A successful test would mark a major step toward reusable heavy-lift spaceflight, though first launches of new rockets often end in failure or are cut short.

SpaceX is aiming to launch its Starship spacecraft into orbit for the first time, a milestone for the company's next-generation rocket designed for deep space missions. The attempt is being closely watched as Starship is central to SpaceX's plans for lunar and Mars travel, and success would mark a major step in commercial spaceflight.

SpaceX's Starship is set to attempt a roughly 10-hour spaceflight, an unusually long duration for the vehicle, with live coverage available for viewers. The mission, if successful, would mark a significant step in testing the spacecraft's endurance and capabilities. Attention is focused on whether Starship can sustain such an extended flight as SpaceX continues developing the system for future deep-space missions.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission can single-handedly approve massive spaceflight projects, such as large satellite constellations, that could permanently alter the appearance of the night sky for everyone on Earth. Space law experts note that despite growing outcry from astronomers and environmentalists, there is very little other regulatory oversight, leaving the agency with near-total authority over these ventures.

SpaceX is preparing its Starship for a flight that would attempt to reach orbit for the first time and deploy 26 Starlink satellites. The mission would mark a major milestone for the rocket program and the first orbital payload deployment, drawing attention from space enthusiasts and industry watchers worldwide.

SpaceX has carried out the 14th flight test of its Starship rocket, the largest and most powerful launch vehicle ever built. The test from Starbase, Texas is part of the company's iterative campaign to prove out the vehicle for future lunar and Mars missions, and it is drawing wide attention from space watchers and news outlets.

SpaceX is conducting another crewed launch, with multiple news outlets reporting on the mission under the headline 'SpaceX Crew Launch'. The reports confirm a crew mission is taking place but provided snippets contain no further details on the crew, destination, or launch date. Readers are following the story as part of ongoing interest in the company's regular human spaceflight operations for NASA.

SpaceX has revealed details of a major new mission for its Starship rocket, the huge reusable spacecraft the company is developing in Texas. Space commentators say the announcement points to a bigger role for Starship in upcoming launch plans, and the news is drawing large attention from spaceflight fans speculating about what the mission involves.

Jared Isaacman, the billionaire astronaut and commercial spaceflight figure, discusses what he calls NASA's new era, outlining his views on the agency's direction and the growing role of private industry in space exploration. The remarks are drawing attention from space policy watchers and the broader public as debate continues over NASA's future priorities, budgets and partnerships with commercial providers like SpaceX.

SpaceX is preparing for the 14th test flight of its Starship rocket, which the company describes as a milestone mission. In parallel, NASA has updated the timing of its mission to the International Space Station, a programme closely tied to SpaceX hardware. The developments point to a busy stretch for commercial spaceflight, with Starship's progress relevant to both future lunar missions and NASA's station logistics plans.

SpaceX has rolled Starship Ship 41 to the launch site and stacked it ahead of the program's fourteenth flight test at Starbase, Texas. Coverage from spaceflight outlets shows the booster and ship being prepared for integration, with watchers tracking progress toward the next launch campaign and what Flight 14 will test.

The four astronauts assigned to NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission have arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of their launch to the International Space Station. Arrival at KSC roughly one to two weeks before liftoff is standard procedure, allowing the crew to complete final training, quarantine and preflight checks as SpaceX readies the Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket.

SpaceX launched a secretive mission for the US Space Force from California. Details about the payload and purpose have not been disclosed, consistent with classified military spaceflight. Photos released from the launch show the rocket lifting off from the West Coast, and the mission is drawing attention for the lack of public information about what was carried into orbit.

The next crew bound for the International Space Station has arrived in Florida, ahead of their launch to orbit. The arrival at Kennedy Space Center is a routine but important step in pre-launch preparations, allowing astronauts to complete final training and quarantine before lifting off to join the station's expedition crew.

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from the West Coast carrying a classified payload for the U.S. Space Force. The mission's contents were not disclosed, consistent with standard practice for national security spaceflights. The launch adds to SpaceX's growing cadence of government and military missions and drew attention from spaceflight watchers tracking the company's military work.

The International Space Station is preparing for an upcoming SpaceX crew swap while ongoing health research continues aboard the orbital outpost. NASA says the incoming and outgoing crews will overlap for a handover period, allowing experiments into how long-duration spaceflight affects the human body to carry on without interruption during the transition.

The next crew scheduled to fly to the International Space Station has arrived in Florida, ahead of their upcoming launch. The arrival marks a routine pre-launch milestone as the astronauts complete final training and preparations. Spaceflight coverage of crew rotations continues to draw steady interest from space enthusiasts tracking who is heading to the orbital outpost next.

The first commercial nuclear-powered satellite has been launched aboard a SpaceX mission, according to the American Nuclear Society's Nuclear Newswire. The milestone marks the first time a nuclear-powered spacecraft has flown on a commercial basis, combining private spaceflight with nuclear energy technology in orbit. Details about the satellite's operator, reactor design and mission goals remain limited in the available reporting.