Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News
December 17, 2025
ROCKET SCIENCE
China launches carrier rocket to deploy experimental cargo ship and satellite



Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 14, 2025
China launched a Kuaizhou 11 carrier rocket on Saturday morning to deploy a privately developed experimental cargo ship and a satellite into space. The rocket blasted off at 9:08 am at the Jiuquan Space Launch Center in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and soon placed the DEAR 5 ship and the Xiwang 5B satellite into their preset orbital position, according to China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, a State-owned space contractor that builds the Kuaizhou series rockets. Developed by Be ... read more

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ROCKET SCIENCE
Southern Launch to host INNOSPACE missions from South Australian spaceports
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 16, 2025
Southern Launch has signed a contract with South Korean launch service provider INNOSPACE to conduct space missions from the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex and the Koonibba Test Range in South A ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Rocket Lab completes first dedicated JAXA mission with Electron launch
Mahia, New Zealand (SPX) Dec 16, 2025
Rocket Lab Corporation has carried out its first dedicated launch for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), advancing the role of the Electron small launch vehicle in Japan's satellite tech ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Musk signals plan to launch IPO for SpaceX
New York (AFP) Dec 11, 2025
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DRAGON SPACE
Experts at Hainan symposium call for stronger global space partnership
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 11, 2025
The 2025 International Symposium on the Peaceful Use of Space Technology - Health (IPSPACE 2025) opened Tuesday in Boao, a coastal town in China's Hainan province, with a focus on expanding coopera ... more
DRAGON SPACE
Triple Long March launches mark record day for Chinese space program
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 11, 2025
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) has achieved three orbital launches with Long March rockets in a single day, setting a new mark for the country's spaceflight cadence. The fi ... more
DRAGON SPACE
China prepares Qingzhou cargo ship for low cost resupply flights
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 11, 2025
Qingzhou, or light vessel, China's new-generation cargo spacecraft, has achieved breakthroughs in multiple key technologies and is scheduled to make its maiden flight next year, according to its dev ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Neutron Hungry Hippo fairing completes qualification ahead of first launch
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 09, 2025
Rocket Lab Corporation has qualified the captive Hungry Hippo fairing for its Neutron launch vehicle and is sending the structure to Virginia for integration ahead of the rocket's debut mission. The ... more
DRAGON SPACE
Foreign satellites ride Kinetica 1 on new CAS Space mission
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 11, 2025
CAS Space has carried out the 11th launch of its Kinetica 1 solid-fuel carrier rocket, orbiting nine satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert of northwestern China. The ... more

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ROCKET SCIENCE
Space shuttle design study maps path to breakthrough inventions
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 11, 2025
Researchers examining NASA's space shuttle development argue that the agency's design approach offers a template for creating breakthrough products that combine many interdependent features, from la ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Sea based rocket net recovery platform enters service for Chinese reusable launchers
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 08, 2025
China has taken delivery of its first sea based platform designed to recover rockets using a net system, adding a key element to national plans for reusable launch vehicles. The vessel, named ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
EU dismisses 'completely crazy statements' after Musk attack
Brussels, Belgium (AFP) Dec 8, 2025
The European Union on Monday dismissed online attacks by tech tycoon Elon Musk after his social media platform X was fined 120 million euros ($140 million) by Brussels. ... more
DRAGON SPACE
Wenchang spaceport hits record cadence with double-digit launches in 2025
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 08, 2025
China's Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site has reached a new milestone in 2025, logging its 10th orbital mission of the year and achieving double-digit annual launches for the first time since operatio ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
EU hits Musk's X with 120-mn-euro fine, sparking US ire
Brussels, Belgium (AFP) Dec 5, 2025
The European Union hit Elon Musk's X with a 120-million-euro ($140-million) fine Friday for breaking its digital rules, sparking an angry reaction from Washington. ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
LandSpace reviews booster loss after Zhuque-3 reusable rocket test
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 04, 2025
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS


DRAGON SPACE
China consolidates new commercial space regulator and industry roadmap
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 03, 2025
The China National Space Administration has set up a Commercial Space Department to serve as a dedicated regulator for the country's expanding private space sector. The new office is responsible for ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
LandSpace ZQ 3 Y1 rocket reaches orbit on first reusable flight attempt
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 03, 2025
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ROCKET SCIENCE
European rocket puts S.Korean satellite in orbit
Kourou (AFP) Dec 1, 2025
The European Vega C rocket blasted off into space on Monday, successfully putting a South Korean Kompsat-7 satellite into the Earth's orbit. ... more
DRAGON SPACE
Beijing space lab targets orbital data centers for AI era
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Nov 28, 2025
An institute in Beijing plans to launch its first high-computing-power experimental satellites by late 2025 or early 2026 as part of a wider effort to move intensive data processing into orbit while ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
South Korea advances Nuri rocket program with fourth orbital launch
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Nov 28, 2025
South Korea has completed the fourth mission of its domestically built Nuri launch vehicle, placing a primary satellite and a group of smaller payloads into orbit from the coastal village of Goheung ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
SyLEx test rocket gives France new suborbital launch option
Paris, France (SPX) Nov 28, 2025
ArianeGroup has completed the first flight of its new SyLEx sounding rocket system, providing France with an in-country suborbital launch capability for experiments and technology tests operated by ... more
DRAGON SPACE
China supports private space firms to expand global reach
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Nov 27, 2025
China's space agency has issued an action plan that encourages commercial space companies to increase international partnerships and participate in global projects over the next two years. The ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
AtSpace A01 reaches record suborbital altitude from Koonibba Test Range
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Nov 27, 2025
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DRAGON SPACE
China launches Shenzhou-22 early for stranded space station crew
Beijing (AFP) Nov 25, 2025
China conducted an urgent unmanned spacecraft launch on Tuesday, after damage to a previous mission's return capsule left the crew on its space station without a means of getting back to Earth. ... more
DRAGON SPACE
Successful launch preparations underway for Shenzhou XXII resupply mission
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Nov 25, 2025
China is preparing to launch the unmanned Shenzhou XXII spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia, the China Manned Space Agency has announced. The agency confirmed ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
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Paris, France (SPX) Nov 21, 2025
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ROCKET SCIENCE
Argonaut lunar landers to deliver cargo on Ariane 6 missions
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Nov 21, 2025
The European Space Agency (ESA) has broadened its Argonaut lunar lander initiative with the formal addition of several European industrial partners. The signing event at ESA's European Astronaut Cen ... more
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ROCKET SCIENCE
Successful cryogenic engine start enables enhanced mission flexibility for ISRO
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Nov 21, 2025
ISRO has qualified the CE20 cryogenic engine for thrust levels between 19 and 22 tonnes for single-start flight operations, supporting demanding launch requirements for the LVM3 upper stage. The eng ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Galileo satellites to launch on Ariane 6 to enhance navigation system
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Nov 21, 2025
On December 17, 2025, two Galileo First Generation satellites, SAT 33 and SAT 34, will be placed in orbit by Ariane 6, launching from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. This mission, the fourteent ... more
DRAGON SPACE
China returns research samples from space station to Earth for study
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Nov 18, 2025
China's space station has delivered 46.67 kilograms of scientific samples from 26 experiments for analysis on Earth, according to the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization (CSU) un ... more
DRAGON SPACE
Resupply spacecraft prepared for Tiangong station after safe crew return
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Nov 18, 2025
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ROCKET SCIENCE
Blue Origin's New Glenn Nails First Ocean Booster Landing
Maxwell AFB AL (SPX) Nov 18, 2025
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket successfully made its way to orbit for the second time on Nov. 13, 2025. Although the second launch is never as flashy as the first, this mission is still significant ... more
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