Private spaceflight
Spaceflight technology development not paid for by a government agency
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We include updates on SpaceX, Boeing, Blue Origin, Reaction Engines, Virgin Galactic, Dream Chaser, Rocket Lab, Kuiper Systems, United Launch Alliance, New Shepard, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Maxar Technologies, Firefly Aerospace, Relativity Space, SpaceShipOne, Skyroot Aerospace ... and more.
| April 14 2025 |
New Shepard
Blue Origin completed a successful sub-orbital crewed mission (NS-31) with 6 women: Gayle King, Katy Perry, Amanda Nguyen, Aisha Bowe, Lauren Sanchez, and Kerianne Flynn. The flight reached a peak altitude of 106 km and lasted 10 minutes and 21 seconds.
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| April 2025 | Adjusted launch window following delays from Tropical Cyclone Alfred, with continued preparations for the first Australian orbital rocket launch. |
| 2025 | Planned ground testing of a new RFA One launch vehicle and anticipated initial orbital launch attempt following the August 2024 test anomaly. |
| 2025 | Updated planned timeframe for the first orbital launch and recovery of the Nebula-1 rocket, now set for mid-2025. |
| 2025 | Deep Blue Aerospace plans to launch the Nebula-2 rocket, a medium to heavy-lift liquid-fuelled rocket capable of lifting 20,000 kg of payload into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The rocket uses liquid oxygen and kerosene as propellants. |
| March 2025 |
Commercial Crew Program
The Starliner crew returned to Earth with SpaceX Crew-9, having not completed their original mission due to technical issues.
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| 2025 | ProPublica reported that Chinese investors had found a backdoor into SpaceX through investment vehicles in third countries, raising national security concerns. |
| 2025 |
Space industry of India
Projected growth of the Indian space economy to $13 billion, accounting for 2% to 3% of the worldwide space economy at a 6% compound annual growth rate.
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| March 2025 | Boeing was awarded a contract to build the U.S. Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance fighter, worth more than $20 billion. |
| 2025 |
Private spaceflight companies
Sierra Space's Dream Chaser Cargo System is planned to become operational, with anticipated launches using Atlas V or Vulcan launch systems.
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| 2025 | Planned first flight of Pallas-1 rocket to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with payload details to be announced (TBA). |
| 2025 |
Commercial Resupply Services
Sierra Space Corporation (SSC) planned Demo-1 flight for the Dream Chaser spacecraft during Q3 2025, marking a significant milestone in Commercial Resupply Services phase 2.
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| 2025 |
Commercial Resupply Services
Planned Commercial Resupply Services mission NG-23 using new Antares 330 rockets and enlarged 'Mission B' Cygnus spacecraft variant
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| March 15 2025 | Planned maiden flight of Eris Block 1, which will be Australia's first sovereign orbital rocket, to be launched from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in Abbot Point, Bowen. The rocket was unveiled by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. |
| 2025 |
Commercial Lunar Payload Services
Astrobotic Technology's Griffin Mission 1 planned, targeting Nobile Crater and carrying FLIP rover from Venturi Astrolab.
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| 2025 |
Orbital propellant depot
An intervehicular propellant transfer demonstration mission is planned, which is critical for landing a crew on the Moon with the Starship HLS vehicle.
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| March 12 2025 |
Commercial Crew Program
Tenth planned Commercial Crew Program mission, Crew Dragon spacecraft 'Endurance' (C210.4) to be transported to the International Space Station using Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket.
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| 2025 | Independence-X Aerospace plans to make their Dedicated Nano Launch Vehicle (DNLV) commercially ready, targeting frequent launches from a near equatorial launch site with at least 24 launches planned for the first year. |
| 2025 |
Commercial Lunar Payload Services
NASA extended the CLPS program to support large payload missions, expanding the program's capabilities and scope for lunar exploration.
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| March 2025 | Maxar Technologies decided to limit Ukraine's access to its satellite imagery. |
| March 7 2025 | SpaceX launched another Starship rocket from Texas, with contact lost minutes into the test flight. Preliminary investigation revealed an oxygen leak, sustained fires in the aft section, causing engine shutdown and self-destruction. |
| 2025 | The first flight of Skyrora XL is expected to take place no earlier than 2025-2026. |
| March 2 2025 |
Commercial Lunar Payload Services
Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander successfully touches down on the Moon around 3:30 a.m. Eastern Time, carrying ten NASA instruments focusing on lunar dust and its challenges.
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| March 2 2025 |
Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost
The Blue Ghost lunar lander successfully landed on the Moon's surface, completing its first mission and demonstrating Firefly Aerospace's lunar landing capabilities.
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| February 2025 | Estimated ticket price for a seat reached approximately $600,000. |
| February 2025 | The Department of Justice filed a motion to dismiss the discrimination lawsuit against SpaceX with prejudice. |
| February 25 2025 |
New Shepard
Tenth crewed flight (NS-30) successfully launched.
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| February 25 2025 |
New Shepard
Tenth crewed New Shepard flight with six crew members: Lane Bess, Jesús Calleja, Tushar Shah, Richard Scott, Elaine Chia Hyde, and Russell Wilson (Launch No. 30).
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| February 25 2025 | Blue Origin launched its 10th space tourism mission with New Shepard, sending six paying passengers to suborbital space. |
| 2025 | Virgin Galactic plans to begin testing its third generation Delta-class spaceship, designed for higher production volumes and functionally similar to the SpaceShip III class. |
| February 24 2025 | Received regulatory approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). |
| 2025 | Planned first launch under a 38-launch block buy using a Vulcan VC6L rocket, deploying Kuiper satellites to Low Earth Orbit at 630 km altitude from SLC-41. |
| 2025 | Planned first launch of production satellites (Kuiper-1 KA-01) using an Atlas V 551 rocket, targeting Low Earth Orbit at 630 km altitude from SLC-41. |
| 2025 | Planned first launch under a 12-launch block buy using a New Glenn rocket, deploying Project Kuiper satellites to Low Earth Orbit at 630 km altitude from LC-36. |
| February 4 2025 |
New Shepard
An uncrewed New Shepard rocket (NS-29 mission) was launched, intending to carry approximately 30 moon-related technologies.
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| February 4 2025 |
New Shepard
Uncrewed NASA research mission simulating lunar gravity by spinning the capsule at 11 rpm, carrying 30 payloads (29 internal, one external) (Launch No. 29).
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| January 2025 | Expected operational start of a satellite processing and integration facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for spacecraft integration with Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance rockets. |
| January 16 2025 | SpaceX launched Starship's seventh flight test with the first Block 2 Ship (Ship 33), carrying a Starlink V3 simulator. The test resulted in a second catch of the Super Heavy booster, but contact was lost with the ship, which exploded over the Atlantic Ocean near the Turks and Caicos Islands. |
| January 16 2025 | Blue Origin reached orbit with the first launch of the New Glenn vehicle. |
| January 15 2025 |
Commercial Lunar Payload Services
Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1 launched, carrying 10 CLPS payloads. This mission achieved the first fully successful landing in the CLPS program at Mare Crisium.
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| January 15 2025 |
Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost
Firefly Aerospace launched its first Blue Ghost lunar lander mission at 1:11 a.m. EST (06:11 UTC), marking the inaugural flight of this lunar payload delivery spacecraft.
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| January 2025 | The Recruit Rocket, a single-stage 5-meter rocket weighing approximately 165 kg, is scheduled for static testing, representing a key milestone in the development of the rocket by new team members. |
| January 7 2025 |
Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost
Firefly Aerospace announced the mission was set to launch at 1:11 a.m. EST (06:11 UTC) on January 15, 2025.
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| 2024 | Originally planned first orbital launch and recovery of the Nebula-1 rocket. |
| 2024 | The acquired Boeing 747 'Spirit of Mojave' is expected to become operational by mid-year. |
| 2024 | Planned maiden launch of Eris-1 was pushed back due to delays in launch permit issuance. |
| 2024 |
Orbital propellant depot
During Starship's third integrated flight, intravehicular propellant transfer in orbit was successfully demonstrated.
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| 2024 |
Commercial Lunar Payload Services
Planned delivery of Farside Seismic Suite (FSS) with two seismometers to Schrödinger Basin by Jet Propulsion Laboratory to measure seismic activity on the far side of the Moon.
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| 2024 |
Commercial Lunar Payload Services
Planned delivery of Lunar Interior Temperature and Materials Suite (LITMS) to Schrödinger Basin by Southwest Research Institute, featuring a thermal exploration drill and Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder to complement FSS data.
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| 2024 | Announced plans to reuse a previously recovered Electron booster, signaling progress in rocket reusability. |
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This contents of the box above is based on material from the Wikipedia articles Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost, Commercial Lunar Payload Services, Kuiper Systems, Maxar Technologies, Stratolaunch Systems, Orbital propellant depot, List of private spaceflight companies, Commercial Crew Program, Commercial Resupply Services, Blue Origin, Gilmour Space Technologies, SpaceX, Boeing, Independence-X Aerospace, Deep Blue Aerospace, Galactic Energy, Copenhagen Suborbitals, New Shepard, Rocket Lab, Space industry of India, Skyrora, Rocket Factory Augsburg & Virgin Galactic, which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.