Launch
Stories about the companies building a ride to space.
SEOPS Enters EU Market with Axient Systems Partnership
The partnership’s first launch will be an ISR satellite for the Dutch military, which is expected to lift off as early as 2027.
ABL Pivots To Missile Defense
“We see considerable opportunity to leverage RS1 … to enable a new type of research effort around missile defense technologies.”
Firefly Raises $175M Series D, Aims For 2025 Launch
The news comes as competing small satellite launchers Astra and Relativity are also seeking new funding for their launch vehicle development programs.
Rocket Lab Signs First Neutron Customer
The rocket is expected to complete a test launch in 2025, and fly three commercial launches in 2026.
Skyrora Completes Test of Telemetry Relay System
The solution—a telemetry relay system called InRange—uses Viasat’s geostationary satellites as the middleman to receive telemetry data from the rocket and beam it back to Earth.
Inside Astra’s Rocket Reinvention
Astra is raising a $50M capital round to support the development of its launch vehicle.
bluShift Aerospace Completes Full Throttle Engine Test
“We didn’t punch it as far as we could, but what we saw was a much more stable, cleaner burn,” CEO Sascha Deri told Payload.
True Anomaly Catches Firefly For Space Force RPO Launch
True Anomaly is building a spacecraft for VICTUS HAZE.
SpaceX Catches Starship Booster In Historic First
SpaceX nailed the first attempted catch of a Super Heavy booster on Sunday morning, making history and paving the way to Starship reusability.
PLD Space Reveals Heavy Lift Launch and Crewed Spacecraft Plans
Spanish rocket startup PLD Space’s 10-year roadmap includes big plans for large reusable rockets and crewed spacecraft.
ULA’s Second Vulcan Certification Flight is Ready for Liftoff
ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rocket is less than 24 hours away from trying to prove it’s got the right stuff to launch the nation’s big-ticket military payloads.
2024 Q3 Orbital Launch Attempts by Country
Global orbital launch attempts declined year over year in Q3 for the first time in years.
