Infrastructure
Kratos taps Rocket Lab to deliver hypersonic test launches for U.S. military
Rocket Lab will launch more hypersonic test vehicles for the U.S. Military. The program aims to speed up hypersonic technology development by providing an affordable flight test bed to bridge ground tests and system-level trials.
Annual spacecraft deployments fall 3% to 2,802
Despite the large increase in launches in 2024, the number of satellites deployed actually fell in 2024. Still, these spacecraft brought a record mass to orbit.
New nations join space industry in orbit and on Earth
Over the past decade, the number of nations launching first satellites to orbit increased as SmallSats and international partnerships in the industry opened access to space.
Flock of launch vehicles set for first flight in 2025
With as many as 23 launch vehicles set to make their first flights in 2025, there’s also a renewed focus on sovereign launch capabilities
SNAPSHOT: Launch vehicles set for 2025 first flights
Twenty-four new launch vehicles, many delayed from 2024, are expected to take flight this year.
2024 set another launch record, 2025 poised to shatter it
With a launch attempt every 34 hours, 2024 set spaceflight records. More than half of 2024’s launches came atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 reusable rocket.
Launch log, 2025
Interested in this year’s global space activity? Keep track of orbital launch trends with our 2025 launch log. Launch data is updated every day during weekdays, excluding U.S. holidays.
International Space Station moved twice to dodge orbital debris
Crews have maneuvered International Space Station twice in one week to avoid orbital debris, using thrusters to move the research outpost to a higher orbit.
With commercial spacewalk, Polaris Dawn makes history
September’s five-day Polaris Dawn mission included an altitude record and the first spacewalk by private citizens, showing a vision for the future for commercial human spaceflight.
New missions, better warnings aim to mitigate solar storms
The strongest solar storm in two decades struck the planet in May, disrupting satellites and spreading a brilliant array of northern lights across the skies.