SpaceX

SpaceX launches their Falcon 9 rocket on April 21st, 2025 with a cargo resupply mission towards the ISS from SLC-39A in Cape Canaveral, FL. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now SpaceX launched an uncrewed Cargo Dragon to the International Space Station early Monday on a resupply mission with increased importance after a transportation mishap derailed a flight by another U.S. cargo ship. Liftoff from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center happened on Monday, April 21, at 4:15 a.m. EDT (0815 UTC). The Cargo Dragon mission, dubbed Commercial Resupply Services 32 (CRS-32), carries 6,700 pounds (3,000 kg) of science and supplies to the station. About 9.5 minutes after launch, Dragon separated from the upper stage of the Falcon 9 rocket. Docking with the ISS forward port of the Harmony module is exp...

File: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands in the launch position during sunset at Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Image: SpaceX The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is preparing to launch its ninth mission supporting its so-called proliferated architecture satellite constellation using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission, dubbed NROL-192, also marks a big milestone for SpaceX. It will be the 400th launch of a previously flown Falcon booster. It is the third such launch so far in 2025. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base is targeting Saturday, April 12, at 5:25 a.m. PDT (8:25 a.m. EDT, 1225 UTC). Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning about 30 minutes prior to liftoff. The Falcon 9 first sta...

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket sits on Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral at sunset. The Atlas V will launch the Kuiper 1 mission for Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband satellite constellation. Image: United Launch Alliance A band of off-shore thunderstorms forced United Launch Alliance to scrub a launch attempt of the first of dozens of missions on behalf of its largest commercial customer, Amazon. Its Atlas 5 551 rocket will carry 27 Project Kuiper satellites onboard. The mission, referred to as Kuiper 1 by ULA and Kuiper Atlas 1 (KA-01) by Amazon, will send the first batch of its full production satellites into low Earth orbit. Amazon’s satellite internet constellation, called Project Kuiper, is designed to rival others, like SpaceX’s Starlink and Eutelsa...

Seen here prior to being sealed in its shipping container at Lockheed Martin’s Littleton, Colorado facility, SV08 will join the U.S. Space Force’s operational GPS constellation in orbit. Image: Lockheed Martin. Following the successful accelerated launch of a Global Positioning System on a Falcon 9 rocket in mid-December, the U.S. Space Force, Lockheed Martin and SpaceX are preparing to launch another GPS 3 satellite on a fast tracked basis. The satellite, dubbed GPS 3 Space Vehicle 08 (SV-08), is targeted for launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station no earlier than late May. “This mission represents an outstanding collaboration across multiple teams and agencies,” said U.S. Space Force Col. Andrew Menschner, MD 31 commander, in a statement. “It hi...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and ULA’s Vulcan rockets launch from their respective pads. Image: Blue Origin, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance A long-awaited launch contract for national security missions was announced by the U.S. Space Force after close of business Friday evening. The mission spreads nearly $14 billion worth of missions between Blue Origin, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA). The contract is known as Lane 2 of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3. These are firm fixed-price, indefinite-delivery contracts that will be issued in batches of missions to the launch providers over a five-year period beginning in FY25. “Today’s award culminates nearly three years of government and industry partnership to increase launch resiliency and capacity,” expl...