Launch
Stories about the companies building a ride to space.
NASA Watchdog: Launch Infrastructure Nearing Capacity
NASA’s launch facilities will likely reach capacity by the end of the decade as the number of commercial launches continues to skyrocket, according to a report from the space agency’s inspector general released Monday.
Dawn Aerospace Raises $25M Series B
The New Zealand-Dutch space transportation company will use the new funds to accelerate development of its Aurora spaceplane, and to conduct an in-space refueling demo.
JAXA Nails H3 Return to Flight
The rocket launched on its eighth mission—the first successful flight of the new three-engine variant—Friday morning from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center, delivering all six of its payloads to space.
Blue Origin Commits to Return to Flight This Year
After assessing the damage to the launch pad and the surrounding infrastructure, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp posted on X that Blue Origin “will fly again before the end of this year.”
SpaceX Launches Starship V3 for the First Time
SpaceX launched its Starship V3 launch vehicle for the first time on Friday, unveiling a full suite of upgrades during the rocket’s twelfth test flight.
SEOPS Will Start Waymaker LEO Rideshares In 2028
The rideshare is designed to launch time-sensitive or non-standard payloads that can’t be accommodated on existing rideshare options.
The US Needs a New Launch Site, Air Force Secretary Says
Traffic at US military launch sites is approaching max capacity.
CSF Forecasts Launch Supply Running Low
Depending on which scenario comes to fruition, the report predicts the space community will want to launch between 6,000 and 230,000 sats per year—requiring up to 7,000 launches annually, according to a release.
The State of Launch 2026
“You look at things like Golden Dome. There were a couple of capability gates there where you had to demonstrate capability by deadlines in order to be eligible to continue to compete,” Brian Rogers, Rocket Lab’s VP of launch, told Payload. “The constraints around launch can pick winners and losers there if you don’t have a way to get to space by a deadline.”
