Spaceflight Now

SpaceX launched the fourteenth test flight of its Starship rocket, streaming the mission live as the spacecraft lifted off and the Super Heavy booster returned for a splashdown. Viewers watched the launch and booster descent in real time, with the flight drawing large audiences following the rocket's latest development milestones.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission can unilaterally approve large-scale spaceflight projects that could permanently alter the appearance of the night sky worldwide. Space law experts note that despite public outcry over projects like large satellite constellations, there are very few other regulatory avenues to challenge such launches, raising concerns about a single agency holding sweeping authority over orbital projects affecting everyone.

SpaceX is launching its Starship rocket on its 14th test flight, with the vehicle heading toward orbit. Live coverage of the launch is being followed widely, as the flight marks another step in testing the massive rocket intended for deep space missions. Spaceflight watchers are tracking how the vehicle performs through ascent and the rest of its planned flight profile.

STS-51-F, a Space Shuttle mission launched by NASA on 29 July 1985, suffered the failure of one of its three main engines during ascent but completed an abort-to-orbit, reaching a lower-than-planned orbit and carrying out most of its science work. The story is recirculating as a notable example of in-flight contingency procedures, years before the Challenger disaster.

NASA announced that astronaut Christina Koch will travel to Philadelphia to take part in an event with NFL fans. Koch, who holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, is expected to meet supporters as part of the agency's public outreach. Details of the exact date and program were not provided in the announcement.

NASA and SpaceX's Crew-13 mission has arrived at the International Space Station, taking over from the outgoing Crew-12 astronauts. With the crew swap complete aboard the orbital outpost, Crew-12 is in line to undock and return to Earth as early as Monday. The handover continues SpaceX's routine rotation of astronaut transport flights to the station for NASA.

The International Space Station's crew has temporarily expanded ahead of the scheduled departure of NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 mission. The incoming members arrived and are undergoing handover procedures with the departing astronauts before Crew-12 returns to Earth aboard its SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. NASA says the rotation follows standard crew exchange operations, with science and maintenance work continuing aboard the orbiting laboratory during the transition.

A history podcast episode examines how NASA shifted from a purely government-run space agency to one that increasingly relies on private companies, from contractor partnerships to the rise of commercial launch providers. The discussion traces the decades-long process that turned spaceflight into a business, and how that relationship shapes current missions and policy debates.

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station has shared shirtless photographs of himself, explaining they were taken as part of medical research. Studies on the ISS routinely monitor astronauts' bodies to track muscle and bone loss in microgravity. The images have drawn attention for offering a rare, candid look at the physical toll of long-duration spaceflight.

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket has carried out its first launch in support of the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, delivering a classified spy satellite payload to orbit. The flight marks a milestone for the heavy-lift rocket, which until now had flown commercial and NASA missions. Spaceflight outlets are highlighting the vehicle's growing role in national security spaceflight and the NRO's expanding use of commercial launch providers.

A SpaceX Dragon crew capsule has docked with the International Space Station, delivering the Crew-13 astronauts to orbit. The arrival marks another routine crew rotation flight for SpaceX under NASA's commercial crew programme, with the new crew joining the station's existing occupants for a handover period before returning earlier crew members to Earth.