
SpaceX prepares for Starship's 13th test flight, India's Vikram-1 achieves first private orbital launch, and the US considers offshore oil platforms as launch pads.
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The global space industry is experiencing rapid growth with private companies leading innovation.
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SpaceX will successfully launch Starship orbitally by Q4 2023
Likely · Short term

SpaceX has scheduled the 14th Starship test flight for September 22, aiming to achieve Earth orbit for the first time. The mission will carry 26 third-generation Starlink satellites, marking the first revenue-generating flight for the Starship program.

President Trump called into a NASA post-launch news conference for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope via Administrator Jared Isaacman's phone to congratulate the team, highlighting his shifting stance on NASA after previously seeking to cut its budget and cancel the mission, while Isaacman leverages the moment to advocate for future science funding amid Artemis II success and lunar race with China.

During a NASA news conference for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launch, Administrator Jared Isaacman briefly left to take a call from President Trump, who praised the mission and NASA staff via phone. The event highlights Trump’s renewed interest in NASA despite past budget proposals to cut science funding, raising questions about future support for missions like Dragonfly and Artemis.

LandSpace's Zhuque-3 rocket achieved China's first successful land-based recovery of an orbital-class booster in northwestern China, following a previous sea-based recovery by CASC last month.

China is set to launch the Chang’e 7 mission to the Moon's South Pole, a strategic region rich in water ice. The mission, targeting the Shackleton Crater, marks a significant milestone in the ongoing space race between China and the United States.

New public policy research reveals how SpaceX's Falcon 9, rocket reuse, and high flight frequency have dramatically increased U.S. payload share to orbit and widened launch cost disparities globally.