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Starship Flight 9 Reaches SECO, but Falls Short on Key Milestones
On May 27, 2025, SpaceX launched its ninth Starship flight test from Starbase, Texas, marking the first reuse of a Super Heavy booster. Booster 14-2, fresh off its inaugural flight in January, powered the 403-foot stack aloft at 6:37 p.m. CDT. The mission aimed to break a two-flight streak of upper-stage failures by carrying Starship Ship 35 to second stage engine cutoff (SECO), deploying eight Starlink mass simulators, relighting a Raptor in orbit, and gathering critical reentry data for futur
FAA Investigation Concludes as SpaceX Prepares for Starship’s Ambitious Ninth Flight
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has officially closed its investigation into SpaceX’s eighth Starship test flight, clearing the path for the vehicle’s next major step. With regulatory approval in hand, SpaceX is targeting May 27 for the ninth integrated flight test of its fully reusable Starship system—a mission packed with firsts, experiments, and critical data collection aimed at maturing the launch architecture.Flight 8 Recap and Investigation FindingsOn March 6, 2025, Starship’s ei
Stratolaunch Achieves Reusable Hypersonic Milestone with Successful Talon-A2 Flight
Vandenberg SFB, CA – May 5, 2025Stratolaunch has marked a major milestone in hypersonic flight today with the successful powered flight and recovery of its Talon-A2 test vehicle, becoming the first U.S. company since the X-15 program in the 1960s to repeatedly fly and recover a reusable hypersonic platform.The flight was conducted off the coast of California, where Stratolaunch’s massive Roc carrier aircraft—boasting the world’s largest wingspan—released the TA-2 vehicle at altitude. Upon separa
Starbase, Texas: SpaceX's Company Town Becomes an Official City
May 3, 2025 – Boca Chica, TX — In a historic vote this week, residents of the small South Texas community once known as Boca Chica approved a measure to officially incorporate as the City of Starbase. The ballot passed overwhelmingly, with 173 votes in favor and only 4 opposed, marking a new chapter for SpaceX’s rapidly growing launch site and proving ground.What Starbase Becoming a City MeansWith city status, Starbase now gains the authority to manage its own utilities, roads, emergency service
NASA Budget for 2026 Phases Out SLS and Orion, Slashes Earth Science Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration has released its proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget for NASA, requesting $18.8 billion — a cut of over $6 billion from last year’s funding of $24.9 billion. This proposed 24% reduction signals a fundamental shift in NASA’s priorities, scaling back traditional government-led programs in favor of a new emphasis on commercial space partnerships and future Mars exploration.The proposed budget, while not final, outlines several structural changes to the agenc
Orion Ready for Flight: Lockheed Martin Hands Over Capsule for Artemis II
With Artemis II on the horizon, Lockheed Martin delivers the spacecraft that will take humans farther than they’ve gone in half a century.For the first time in over fifty years, NASA is preparing to launch astronauts into deep space — and now, the spacecraft that will take them there is ready. Today, May 1st, Lockheed Martin formally completed and transferred the Orion crew capsule to NASA, signaling that the vehicle for Artemis II is flight-ready and entering final launch preparations.It’s a mi
Stoke Space and the Race to Full Reusability
Stoke Space isn’t just building a rocket—it’s rewriting the playbook on how rockets return to Earth. While major players like SpaceX and Blue Origin dominate headlines, this Washington-based startup is quietly pushing the boundaries of what reusable launch vehicles can look like. And if they succeed, the next generation of spaceflight may owe as much to the quiet hum of their test stand in Moses Lake as it does to the roar of Falcon 9.The Core Mission: 100% Reusability, Zero RefurbishmentFounded