Launches & Spacecraft
Latest about Launches & Spacecraft

China's private, reusable Pallas-1 rocket aces debut launch (video)
By Mike Wall Published
Galactic Energy's new Pallas-1 rocket aced its debut launch on Monday (Aug. 31), successfully reaching orbit. The vehicle's first stage did not attempt a landing, however.

2 spacecraft headed to Mercury are about to begin their long-awaited arrival for Europe and Japan — watch it live on Sept. 3
By Mike Wall Published
The European-Japanese BepiColombo mission will begin its drawn-out Mercury arrival phase on Sept. 3, and you can watch the action live.

Falcon Heavy brings the heat | Space photo of the day for Sept. 2, 2026
By Brett Tingley Published
An incredible launch photo captures fire spewing from a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket during the launch of NASA's Roman Space Telescope on Aug. 30, 2026.

Rocket Lab launches Japanese radar satellite to orbit on 'Owl Around the World' mission (video)
By Mike Wall Last updated
Rocket Lab launched a Japanese synthetic aperture radar satellite to orbit on Sept. 2 for Synspective, a Tokyo-based Earth-imaging company.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches Starlink satellites to orbit on its 35th flight
By Mike Wall Published
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 27 Starlink satellites from California early this morning (Sept. 2). It was the 35th flight for the rocket's first stage.

'No guts, no glory': How I captured NASA's Roman Space Telescope cross the sun on a picture-perfect SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch
By Josh Dinner Published
Space.com's Josh Dinner caught an amazing shot of NASA's Roman Space Telescope crossing the sun on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy. Here's how it happened in a Hobby Lobby parking lot.

What's next for Roman Space Telescope? Here's how NASA's flagship observatory will open up the universe
By Mike Wall Published
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has left Earth, but it'll be a while before it starts its highly anticipated science mission. Here are the next steps for the observatory.

SpaceX, NASA delay next astronaut launch to ISS due to leak on Dragon spacecraft
By Mike Wall Published
The launch of SpaceX's Crew-13 mission to the ISS, previously scheduled for Sept. 12, has been delayed due to an oxidizer leak on the Dragon spacecraft. A new target has not yet been announced.

Roman telescope leaves its rocket behind | Space photo of the day for Aug. 31, 2026
By Brett Tingley Published
NASA caught a breathtaking image of its next-generation Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope deploying into space shortly after launch.

Liftoff! NASA's Roman Space Telescope soars to the stars on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in spectacular launch (video)
By Josh Dinner Published
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launched into space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on Aug. 30, ushering in a new era for astronomy and our understanding of the cosmos.
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