Launches
Rocket launch news and explainers: what flew, what it carried to orbit, and how this year's launch count compares with the record.
Top stories
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How many times can a Falcon 9 booster fly? The reuse record
Falcon 9 booster B1067 flew a record 37th time on August 25, 2026. SpaceX says its boosters are built for up to 40 flights.
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What is SpaceX Starship? Size, engines and flight record
SpaceX Starship is a two-stage rocket, 124.4 m tall, built to be fully reused. Its 14th flight reached orbit on September 28, 2026.
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What are China's Qianfan and Guowang constellations?
China's Qianfan and Guowang satellite constellations had 477 satellites on CelesTrak's active list on October 11, 2026, toward plans of about 15,000 and 13,000.
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How many rocket launches in 2026? The count so far
Rocket launches in 2026 reached about 240 orbital attempts by mid-October, one every 28.5 hours. How it compares with 2025's record and what the catalog shows.
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What is a sun-synchronous orbit? Polar orbits and dawn-dusk
A sun-synchronous orbit turns 0.9856° a day with the Sun, so Landsat 9 crosses the equator southbound near 10:12 a.m. One in five active satellites flies one.
Latest
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ISS crew swap: Crew-13 sets U.S. record, Crew-12 lands
Crew-13 reached the ISS 7 hours 55 minutes after launch on October 1, a U.S. record. Crew-12 splashed down October 8, and CRS-35 is due October 13.
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Starship Flight 14 reached orbit: tracking its 26 Starlinks
Starship reached orbit for the first time on September 28, 2026 and left 26 Starlink V3 satellites behind. Their NORAD IDs, and how high they've climbed.
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MMX, Japan's Phobos sample-return mission, launches Oct. 20
JAXA's MMX is set to launch at 4:41:03 a.m. Japan time on October 20, 2026 (19:41:03 UTC on October 19) for Phobos, with a sample due back in 2031.
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