Rocket Launch

India's first private orbital launch: Everything about Skyroot's Vikram-1

Vikram-1 launch: Mission Aagaman will test India's first privately developed orbital rocket and could open the door to a new era of commercial satellite launches by Indian private companies

China's private space firms eye IPOs to challenge SpaceX's launch dominance

A wave of Chinese rocket companies is queuing up for public listings in Shanghai and Hong Kong, betting on reusable-rocket breakthroughs to break SpaceX's grip on the global launch market

China successfully launches, retrieves reusable rocket booster at sea

The Long March 10B's first stage made a vertical landing on an offshore platform, making China the second country after the US to achieve the feat

Vikram-1 nears launch: Who's building India's next gen private rockets?

As Skyroot Aerospace prepares for Vikram-1, startups and defence giants alike are positioning themselves for India's growing commercial launch opportunity

Skyroot sets launch window for India's 1st private orbital rocket Vikram-1

Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace on Thursday announced that a launch window between July 12 and August 4 for the maiden test flight of its Vikram-1 launch vehicle -- the nation's first privately developed orbital-class rocket. The final date of the lift-off will be subject to the completion of assembly and testing operations at the launch site in the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, and weather, safety, and range clearance. "We want to understand how the vehicle performs from lift-off through every phase of ascent. This data cannot be fully replicated through ground testing," Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace, in a statement said. "It will help us validate our designs and inform subsequent vehicle development as we build a reliable, high-cadence commercial launch programme," he added. The mission, called "Agaman", will gather critical data across propulsion, stage separation, guidance, navigation, control and overall vehicle performance. Vikram

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket explodes on launch pad during firing test

A Blue Origin rocket exploded during a test at the launch pad on Thursday night, shaking nearby homes and briefly painting the sky orange. Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin said its New Glenn rocket exploded during an engine-firing test. All personnel have been accounted for, the company said via X. Emergency officials said there is no threat due to fumes or other potential hazards. The massive New Glenn was grounded in April after it left a satellite in the wrong orbit because of engine failure. It was only the third flight of the rocket that Blue Origin intends to use to launch landers to the moon for NASA. Homes shook in nearby Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach around 9 pm, with residents turning to social media to wonder what happened. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Launch Complex 36 is visible from the beach, and the internet quickly filled with photos of an orange fireball. "We experienced an anomaly during today's hotfire test," Blue Origin said in a brief statement. "We will prov

Skyroot's Vikram-1 rocket heads to Sriharikota for launch later this year

Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1, India's first privately built orbital rocket, flagged off from Hyderabad for Sriharikota, marking a milestone for the country's growing private space-tech sector

North Korean leader observes test of rocket launch systems with daughter

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by his teenage daughter, observed a live-fire test of multiple rocket launch systems, state media reported Sunday, a likely response to ongoing US-South Korean military training that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal. The official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim watched the strike drill involving twelve 600mm-calibre, ultraprecision rocket launchers off North Korea's east coast on Saturday. South Korea's military said Saturday it detected about 10 ballistic missiles fired from North Korea's capital region toward the eastern sea. South Korea's national security council called the launches a provocation that violated UN Security Council resolutions that bans any ballistic activities by North Korea. KCNA cited Kim as saying that the drill would expose enemies within the 420-kilometer (260-mile) striking range, to "uneasiness" and give them "a deep understanding of the destructive power of tactical nuclear weapon," KCNA

Nasa conducts second rocket fuelling test for Artemis moon mission

NASA took another crack at fuelling its giant moon rocket Thursday after leaks halted the initial dress rehearsal and delayed the first lunar trip by astronauts in more than half a century. For the second time this month, launch teams pumped more than 700,000 gallons (2.6 million liters) of supercold fuel into the rocket atop its launch pad. They counted all the way down to the half-minute mark as planned, then turned back the clocks to run through the final 10 minutes again. NASA completed the test late at night and said there was minimal hydrogen leakage, well within safety limits. It was the most critical and challenging part of the two-day practice countdown. Engineers were analysing the data, with the outcome determining whether a March launch is possible for the Artemis II moon mission with four astronauts. In a positive sign, the US-Canadian crew prepared to enter a two-week quarantine period Friday to provide what NASA called flexibility within the March launch window. Thre

Europe's most powerful rocket Ariane 64 scheduled to make maiden launch

In a tightly controlled manufacturing hangar west of Paris, workers put the finishing touches on an enormous silver-colored engine. In just a few days, a similar machine will help propel the most powerful version of Europe's Ariane 6 rocket yet, flying for the first time with four boosters. On Thursday, the Ariane 64 rocket - named after its four boosters - is scheduled to make its maiden launch from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, aiming to deploy 32 satellites for Amazon Leo's broadband constellation. The flagship of Europe's rocket industry is racing in a highly competitive environment against heavy weight players across the world, including the global market leader, Elon Musk's SpaceX. At ArianeGroup's plant in Vernon, engineers design, integrate and test engines for the European heavy-lift launcher. At another site west of Paris, in Les Mureaux, the rocket's main stage components are being carefully built and assembled. Associated Press journalists were provid

L&T bags order from Indian Army to upgrade Pinaka rocket launchers

The company said the partnership is meant to support frontline artillery systems that are already in service with the Army

Why LVM3-M6 BlueBird Block-2 mission is a milestone for Isro: Details

The LVM3-M6 BlueBird Block-2 is a commercial mission launched by Isro using its LVM3 rocket to place a heavy communication satellite into low Earth orbit

Blue Origin launches huge rocket carrying twin Nasa spacecraft to Mars

Blue Origin launched its huge New Glenn rocket Thursday with a pair of NASA spacecraft destined for Mars. It was only the second flight of the rocket that Jeff Bezos' company and NASA are counting on to get people and supplies to the moon. The 321-foot (98-meter) New Glenn blasted into the afternoon sky from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, sending NASA's twin Mars orbiters on a drawn-out journey to the red planet. Liftoff was stalled four days by lousy local weather as well as solar storms strong enough to paint the skies with auroras as far south as Florida. In a remarkable first, Blue Origin recovered the booster following its separation from the upper stage and the Mars orbiters, an essential step to recycle and slash costs similar to SpaceX. Company employees cheered wildly as the booster landed upright on a barge 375 miles (600 kilometers) offshore. An ecstatic Bezos watched the action from Launch Control. Next stop, moon! company employees chanted following the successful

Explainer: What is Isro's 'Bahubali' and what is it carrying to space?

Isro prepares for a landmark launch as its most powerful rocket gears up to lift the nation's heaviest communication satellite yet

China bets on reusable rockets as Tianlong-3 passes 1,000-tonne thrust test

China's private start-ups and state space contractor race to build reusable rockets to deploy massive satellite constellations amid a launch shortage

NASA+ lands on Netflix: Stream live rocket launches, spacewalks & more soon

Experience space like never before as Netflix teams up with NASA+ to stream live rocket launches, spacewalks, and more, right from your screen this summer

Test trials of rocket launch held in UP ahead of student competition

A successful model rocket launching test was conducted in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar district, marking the first time a payload was launched via a rocket from the state, officials said. The test conducted on Saturday by the Astronautical Society of India in association with the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) saw the model rocket ascend 1.12 km at 5:14:33 PM, a complete success. ISRO scientist Abhishek Singh, who was present at the test site, said, "The rocket was launched at 5:14 PM and 33 seconds, which went up to a height of 1.1 km. After this, a small satellite (payload) came out. As soon as it fell down to 5 metres, its parachute activated and the satellite landed within 400 metres on the ground." The 15 kg rocket also descended safely. This test was part of IN-SPACe Model Rocketry/CANSAT India Student Competition 2024-25 and a prelude to a larger event in October-November, where around 900 ...

US made a terrible mistake when it deported this Chinese rocket scientist

The implications of that single deportation are staggering: Dr Qian returned to China and immediately persuaded Mao Zedong to put him to work building a modern weapons program

No more rockets? Space elevator may soon carry astronauts to the Moon

A revolutionary study suggests a lunar space elevator built with current materials, potentially transforming the future of human space travel

Starship 8 test failure: SpaceX's boldest rocket faces uncertain future

Repeated failures have cast doubt on Starship's reliability, a key part of SpaceX's goals for Mars colonisation, prompting the company to investigate failures and enhance the spacecraft's performance