Recent articles
February 23, 2026
Pentagon buyer: We're happy with our launch industry, but payloads are lagging
"The point is to get missions out the door as fast as possible. Two to three years is too slow."
arstechnica.com
February 21, 2026
NASA says it needs to haul the Artemis II rocket back to the hangar for repairs
"Accessing and remediating any of these issues can only be performed in the VAB."
arstechnica.com
February 20, 2026
NASA reports no significant leaks in Artemis II fueling test, eyes March 6 launch
“We’re now targeting March 6 as our earliest launch attempt ... there is still pending work."
arstechnica.com
February 20, 2026
Rocket Report: Chinese launch firm raises big money; Falcon 9 back to the Bahamas
The company that attempted China's first orbital-class rocket landing says it will soon try again.
arstechnica.com
February 17, 2026
There's a lot of big talk about sovereign launch—who is doing something about it?
As alliances fray, these are the nations investing in sovereign access to space.
arstechnica.com
February 14, 2026
NASA has a new problem to fix before the next Artemis II countdown test
"We observed materially lower leak rates compared to prior observations during WDR-1."
arstechnica.com
February 13, 2026
When Amazon badly needed a ride, Europe's Ariane 6 rocket delivered
This was the first launch of the Ariane 64, the most powerful rocket in European space history.
arstechnica.com
February 12, 2026
ULA's Vulcan rocket suffers another booster problem on the way to orbit
Vulcan's Blue Origin-made BE-4 engines appear to have saved the rocket from failure.
arstechnica.com
February 12, 2026
SpaceX takes down Dragon crew arm, giving Starship a leg up in Florida
SpaceX's crew missions will now launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
arstechnica.com
February 11, 2026
China showcases new Moon ship and reusable rocket in one extraordinary test
The test marks a significant step in China's push to land humans on the Moon by 2030.
arstechnica.com
February 10, 2026
SpaceX's next-gen Super Heavy booster aces four days of "cryoproof" testing
The next Starship flight is a key precursor for more ambitious missions.
arstechnica.com
February 6, 2026
Lawmakers ask what it would take to "store" the International Space Station
NASA shall evaluate the "viability of transferring the ISS to a safe orbital harbor" after retirement.
arstechnica.com
February 6, 2026
Rocket Report: SpaceX probes upper stage malfunction; Starship testing resumes
Amazon has booked 10 more launches with SpaceX, citing a "near-term shortage in launch capacity."
arstechnica.com
February 3, 2026
Unable to tame hydrogen leaks, NASA delays launch of Artemis II until March
NASA spent most of Monday trying to overcome hydrogen leaks on the Artemis II rocket.
arstechnica.com
January 28, 2026
Japan lost a 5-ton navigation satellite when it fell off a rocket during launch
Imagine: You lost your car's cargo rack, but didn't notice until you reached your destination.
arstechnica.com
January 27, 2026
Trade wars muzzle allied talks on Trump's Golden Dome missile shield
“International partners, I have not been allowed to talk to yet because of the trade wars."
arstechnica.com
January 26, 2026
Former astronaut on lunar spacesuits: "I don't think they're great right now"
"These are just the difficulties of designing a spacesuit for the lunar environment."
arstechnica.com
January 23, 2026
Rocket Report: Chinese rockets fail twice in 12 hours; Rocket Lab reports setback
Another partially reusable Chinese rocket, the Long March 12B, is nearing its first test flight.
arstechnica.com
January 19, 2026
NASA’s Artemis II rocket rolls to launch pad, but key test looms ahead
After a remarkably smooth launch campaign, Artemis II reached its last stop before the Moon.
arstechnica.com
January 17, 2026
Managers on alert for “launch fever” as pressure builds for NASA’s Moon mission
"I’ve got one job, and it’s the safe return of Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy."
arstechnica.com
January 15, 2026
NASA’s first-ever medical evacuation from space ends with on-target splashdown
This is the first time NASA has called an early end to a space mission for medical reasons.
arstechnica.com
January 12, 2026
NASA launches new mission to get the most out of the James Webb Space Telescope
"It was not recognized how serious a problem that is until... about 2017 or 2018."
arstechnica.com
January 10, 2026
ESA considers righting the wrongs of Ariane 6 by turning it into a Franken-rocket
ArianeGroup is still trying to catch up to where the bleeding edge of the launch industry was 15 years ago.
arstechnica.com
January 9, 2026
Rocket Report: SpaceX and China led the way in 2025; Vandenberg has room to grow
SpaceX opened its 2026 launch campaign with a mission for the Italian government.
arstechnica.com
January 9, 2026
NASA orders “controlled medical evacuation” from the International Space Station
"The crew is highly trained, and they came to the aid of their colleague right away."
arstechnica.com
January 8, 2026
A crew member’s “medical concern” foils a planned spacewalk outside the ISS
"The situation is stable," NASA said in a statement Wednesday.
arstechnica.com
January 7, 2026
Here are the launches and landings we’re most excited about in 2026
A lot could happen in space next year, but let's get real about what actually will.
arstechnica.com
January 6, 2026
Private equity deal shows just how far America’s legacy rocket industry has fallen
After peaking in the Cold War, the relic of Rocketdyne has changed ownership four times in 20 years.
arstechnica.com
January 2, 2026
SpaceX begins “significant reconfiguration” of Starlink satellite constellation
"Biggest advantage of lower altitude is that beam diameter is smaller for a given antenna size."
arstechnica.com
December 23, 2025
China just carried out its second reusable launch attempt in three weeks
The launch laid "an important foundation for subsequent launches and reliable recovery."
arstechnica.com