Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News
May 08, 2025
ROCKET SCIENCE
Rocket Lab sets May launch for latest iQPS satellite mission



Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 06, 2025
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. has announced a mid-May launch window for its upcoming mission supporting multi-launch client Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS). The mission, titled "The Sea God Sees," is set to lift off from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand starting May 17, 2025. It will carry a single synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite, QPS-SAR-10, also known as "WADATSUMI-I," into a 575-kilometer circular Earth orbit. Once in orbit, the satellite will join the growing iQPS constellati ... read more

ROCKET SCIENCE
Defense contractor successfully tests hypersonic flight vehicle
Washington DC (UPI) May 5, 2025
Stratolaunch successfully tested for the second time a fully recoverable uncrewed hypersonic vehicle for the Department of Defense in March, the private contractor and federal agency said Monday. ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
NASA Progresses Toward Crewed Moon Mission with Spacecraft, Rocket Milestones
Washington DC (SPX) May 07, 2025
Engineers, technicians, mission planners, and the four astronauts set to fly around the Moon next year on Artemis II, NASA's first crewed Artemis mission, are rapidly progressing toward launch. ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
SpaceX gets US approval to launch more Starship flights from Texas
Washington (AFP) May 6, 2025
Elon Musk's SpaceX on Tuesday received approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to increase the number of annual Starship rocket launches from five to 25 at its Texas base, marking a major boost for the company's ambitions. ... more
DRAGON SPACE
China Establishes UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office at Wuhan University
Sydney, Australia (SPX) May 07, 2025
On April 22, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Director Aarti Holla-Maini led a delegation to Wuhan University, where a cooperation memorandum was signed with university preside ... more
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Tiangong returns largest sample set yet for biological and materials science research
Sydney, Australia (SPX) May 02, 2025
The latest batch of experimental samples from China's Tiangong space station has safely returned to Earth, totaling approximately 37.25 kilograms and spanning 25 scientific investigations. Delivered ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Slingshot launches turnkey system to enable space domain awareness for all nations
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 30, 2025
Slingshot Aerospace has introduced a globally available solution to help nations rapidly establish autonomous space domain awareness (SDA) capabilities. Called Sovereign Space Object Tracking, the n ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Firefly Aerospace's first stage explodes before satellite's deployment
Washington DC (UPI) Apr 30, 2025
A Firefly Aerospace rocket launched from California crashed into the Pacific Ocean north of Antarctica, failing to place into low-Earth orbit a satellite for Lockheed Martin. ... more
DRAGON SPACE
Space is a place to found a community not a colony
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 30, 2025
China's Shenzhou XIX crew has officially handed over control of the Tiangong space station to the incoming Shenzhou XX crew, marking another milestone in the nation's growing space ambitions. Follow ... more

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DRAGON SPACE
China's Shenzhou-19 astronauts return to Earth
Beijing (AFP) April 30, 2025
Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on Wednesday after six months on the country's space station, state media footage showed, as Beijing advances towards its aim to become a major celestial power. ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Sierra Space advances habitat shielding technology with hypervelocity trials at NASA White Sands
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 28, 2025
Sierra Space has completed a major step toward enhancing the resilience of its expandable space station habitat, LIFE, through a series of hypervelocity impact tests carried out at NASA's White Sand ... more
DRAGON SPACE
10 Intertnational lunar projects picked for Chang'e 8 mission
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 28, 2025
China has selected 10 international projects to join its upcoming Chang'e 8 lunar mission, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced Thursday. The chosen initiatives, representi ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Space Systems Command bolsters satellite processing for future launches
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 28, 2025
The United States Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC) has awarded a National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Space Vehicle Processing Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) contract to Astrotech Spac ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Firefly to Develop Lighter Rocket Nozzle Extension Under AFRL Contract
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 28, 2025
Firefly Aerospace has secured a new contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Edwards Air Force Base, California, to create a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) nozzle extension for use ... more
DRAGON SPACE
New Shenzhou Crew Begins Handover Operations Aboard Tiangong
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 28, 2025
The crew of Shenzhou XX has officially commenced handover operations aboard the Tiangong space station, working alongside their Shenzhou XIX predecessors. Led by mission commander Senior Colon ... more
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ROCKET SCIENCE
China showcases Qingzhou spacecraft for future cargo missions
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 28, 2025
China has introduced its next-generation cargo spacecraft, Qingzhou, at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center, unveiling a full-size model during the Space Day of China celebratio ... more
DRAGON SPACE
Commercial space sector drives China's high-tech ambitions
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 28, 2025
China's decision in 2016 to designate April 24 as Space Day underscores the nation's growing commitment to space exploration. This momentum has intensified with the launch of the Long March 12 rocke ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Rocket Lab to Conduct Hypersonic Test Flight Under MACH-TB 2.0 Program
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 24, 2025
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB), a key provider of launch services and space systems, has secured a new contract to launch a full-scale hypersonic test flight on behalf of the U.S. Department of ... more
DRAGON SPACE
China unveils new round of space station life science experiments
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 24, 2025
The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) has announced a new series of life science investigations to be conducted aboard the Tiangong space station during the Shenzhou XX crewed mission. The program in ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Army names new hypersonic weapon 'Dark Eagle'
Washington DC (UPI) Apr 25, 2025
The United States Army announced Thursday that it will call its new long-range hypersonic weapon "Dark Eagle." ... more
DRAGON SPACE
SAR astronauts prepare for landmark 2026 space mission
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 24, 2025
Chinese astronauts representing the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions are on track to make their inaugural spaceflight as early as 2026, according to an announcement from the China ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Students test compact reentry glider to advance hypersonic research
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
A team of fourth-year mechanical and aerospace engineering students at the University of Virginia aims to pioneer a new low-cost method for gathering hypersonic flight data. Their innovative glider, ... more
DRAGON SPACE
Veteran Chinese astronaut to lead fresh crew to space station
Jiuquan, China (AFP) April 23, 2025
China announced on Wednesday that a veteran astronaut will lead two crew members on their first flight to the Tiangong space station, the latest milestone in its race to send a manned mission to the Moon by 2030. ... more
DRAGON SPACE
China to launch new crewed mission into space this week
Beijing (AFP) April 22, 2025
China is expected to launch a new crewed mission into space this week, as Beijing takes steady steps towards its goal of putting astronauts on the Moon. ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Putin praises Musk, compares him to Soviet space hero
Moscow (AFP) April 16, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Elon Musk on Wednesday, telling university students he was a pioneer comparable to legendary Soviet rocket engineer Sergei Korolev. ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Rocket Lab tapped for major defense contracts to advance hypersonic testing
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 15, 2025
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB), a prominent player in global launch services and space systems, has been selected to participate in expansive defense initiatives by both the United States and U ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Outpost awarded contract to develop reentry shield tech for space-based cargo delivery
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 15, 2025
Outpost Technologies Corporation (Outpost Space), a leader in reusable space logistics platforms, has secured a $1.8 million contract from the U.S. Space Force under the SPACEWERX Small Business Inn ... more
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ROCKET SCIENCE
NASA adds critical stage adapter to Artemis II Moon rocket
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 15, 2025
NASA's Artemis II rocket has taken another step toward launch readiness with the installation of a major structural component. On April 12, technicians at the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Heat Shields Emerging as Crucial Enabler of Reusable Spacecraft
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 14, 2025
Surviving re-entry into Earth's atmosphere is among the most technically demanding tasks in spaceflight. During low-Earth orbit returns, spacecraft experience searing temperatures up to 1,600oC. Thi ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
SpaceX doubleheader: Spy satellites launched in California, then Starlink ones in Florida
Washington DC (UPI) Apr 12, 2025
SpaceX on Saturday launched Starshield satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office from California then 12 hours later 21 Starlink satellites from Florida. ... more
DRAGON SPACE
Microbial profile mapped aboard China space station
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 10, 2025
Efforts to understand how microgravity shapes microbial life have long been hampered by limited data from the International Space Station (ISS), primarily due to the technical challenges of sustaine ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Amazon satellite launch scrubbed due to weather
Washington (AFP) April 10, 2025
Weather prevented a rocket carrying the first batch of Amazon satellites designed to compete with Elon Musk's Starlink from lifting off Wednesday, in a setback for the planned Project Kuiper network. ... more
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