spaceflight

SpaceX carried out the fourteenth test flight of its Starship system, launching the rocket and recovering the Super Heavy booster with a splashdown. The flight was followed live by a large audience, with coverage from spaceflight outlets tracking the launch and booster descent in real time. Viewers are discussing how the vehicle performed and what the result means for SpaceX's progress toward future Starship missions.

SpaceX is flying its Starship rocket on a 14th test flight, heading toward orbit, with live coverage provided by Spaceflight Now. The launch is part of SpaceX's ongoing campaign to develop the massive rocket for future deep space missions. Viewers around the world are following the launch live and discussing the progress of the Starship program.

NASA and Boeing are set to announce the future of the Starliner spacecraft program. The announcement follows a period of uncertainty for the capsule after technical problems, and space observers are awaiting details on whether the vehicle will continue crewed missions or be scaled back.

On October 3, 1942, Nazi Germany successfully launched the V-2, the world's first long-range guided ballistic missile, from Peenemünde. Developed under Wernher von Braun, it became the first human-made object to reach the edge of space, and was later used against Allied cities in the final years of World War II.

SpaceX launched its Starship, the world's most powerful rocket, on a flight that successfully reached orbit before the vehicle was destroyed on reentry, exploding over the ocean. The test flight is being widely covered as a milestone for the programme despite the loss of the spacecraft, with attention on what the data means for future missions.

NASA is reportedly stuck in a dilemma over its reliance on SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, with an Ars Technica analysis arguing that no good solutions exist. The piece examines the agency's limited options for human spaceflight, likely tied to Boeing's Starliner troubles and Dragon serving as the only US crew vehicle. Commenters are debating the agency's strategic position.

NASA and SpaceX have set no earlier than October 7 as the departure date for the Crew-12 mission, which will return astronauts from the International Space Station. The date remains subject to change depending on weather and operational conditions at the station and the landing site. Further details on crew activities and return coverage are expected from NASA as the date approaches.

SpaceX is conducting a launch carrying 21 data transport satellites built for the US Space Development Agency, part of a planned constellation designed to relay data among military spacecraft in orbit. Spaceflight Now is providing live coverage of the mission. The launch adds to SpaceX's growing manifest of national security space missions for the Pentagon.

SpaceX is drawing widespread attention in global news coverage, ranking among the most-discussed topics worldwide. Elon Musk's space company remains a focal point of public interest, with audiences following its launch activity, Starship development and broader ambitions in commercial spaceflight. Specific details driving the latest wave of coverage were not immediately available.

Elon Musk said SpaceX would change its name to 'SpaceXSI', according to Investing.com. The announcement was reported without additional detail on timing, rationale, or whether the rebrand affects operations, launches, or the company's legal structure. The claim has drawn attention given SpaceX's prominence in commercial spaceflight and Musk's history of surprise announcements on social media.

NASA's Artemis II crew will return to Earth via a high-speed lunar reentry, described as riding a fireball through the atmosphere. The spacecraft will hit the atmosphere at roughly 25,000 mph, with its heat shield absorbing extreme temperatures as it decelerates for splashdown. Coverage highlights the engineering risks involved in this first crewed lunar mission of the Artemis program.

Milt Windler, the NASA flight director who helped bring the stricken Apollo 13 spacecraft safely back to Earth in 1970, has died at the age of 94. Windler led one of the flight control teams during the emergency rescue, an effort remembered as one of NASA's finest hours. He later reflected on the mission, saying the team knew 'we were making history.' Tributes are highlighting his role in the mission's survival.

Milt Windler, the NASA flight director best known for his role in bringing the crew of Apollo 13 safely home after the 1970 in-flight explosion, has died at the age of 94. Windler was one of four flight directors who led Mission Control's response to the crisis. Readers are remembering him as a key figure in NASA's golden era of human spaceflight.

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket has carried out its first mission for the US National Reconnaissance Office, according to a report dated 3 October 2026. The launch marks a milestone in the rocket's role supporting national security space missions. Details about the payload and mission objectives have not been made public, consistent with the classified nature of NRO work.