Key facts
- Reflect Orbital selected India's Skyroot Aerospace for two future launches.
- LEAP plans to launch its Bighorn rocket in 2028 with a capacity of 320 pounds to LEO.
- Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket debut is now expected in 2027.
- Stoke Space's Nova rocket's reusable upper stage is undergoing testing.
- SpaceX launched SDA's Tranche 1 Transport Layer satellites on Saturday.
- SpaceX delivered 6,322 pounds of cargo to the ISS on Tuesday.
Reflect Orbital, a startup focused on in-space mirrors for power generation, has purchased two launches from Indian company Skyroot Aerospace for its Vikram-1 and Vikram-1U rockets. This move highlights concerns about future launch capacity in the United States as SpaceX transitions away from the Falcon 9. Meanwhile, LEAP, a Colorado-based startup, is targeting the small-satellite launch market with its Bighorn rocket, aiming for a 2028 debut. Rocket Lab has delayed its Neutron launch vehicle's first flight to 2027 due to manufacturing challenges with its carbon composite structures. Stoke Space has shipped its reusable upper stage for the Nova rocket for testing, a key step towards its planned 2027 launch. SpaceX successfully launched the Space Development Agency's Tranche 1 Transport Layer satellites and completed its 35th cargo mission to the International Space Station.