Many people have asked what pollutants are added to the atmosphere by a rocket launch. I did some research and made a table estimating the effluence of a launch.
How Much Pollution Does A Rocket Launch Create?
Blue Origin, New Glenn NG-3, April 19, 2026
Today’s launch was the first commercial payload for New Glenn, the first time it has reused a booster, and the second time it has successfully landed a booster aboard Blue Origin’s drone ship, Jacklyn. Unfortunately, later in the mission, New Glenn’s second stage failed to deliver the payload into its intended orbit.
While the initial ascent was picture perfect, the end result was not. At roughly T+2h 15m into the mission, Blue Origin reported that the satellite was delivered into an off-nominal orbit.
Blue Origin Pauses New Shepard Flights For Two Years
Blue Origin announced late this afternoon that the company “will pause its New Shepard flights and shift resources to further accelerate development of the company’s human lunar capabilities.” Blue also stated that the program would be shuttered for at least two years.
They added that the “decision reflects Blue Origin’s commitment to the nation’s goal of returning to the Moon and establishing a permanent, sustained lunar presence.”
Specifics of the “resource shift” have not been released publicly at this time. Blue Origin’s lunar efforts are primarily located on Merritt Island and in Kent, Washington, while the bulk of the New Shepard effort is in Van Horn, Texas.
There will be much more to come from this story, stay tuned.
How To Take A Launch Streak Photograph
If you are visiting Florida and want to create a great launch photograph but the launch is at night, take a look at this relatively simple technique that will yield some awesome results: a launch streak shot.
Launch streaks are not difficult for nearly any photographer to create, and it doesn’t take any specialized equipment other than a wide-angle lens and a relatively inexpensive shutter release cable used to keep the shutter of your camera open for several minutes during the flight of the rocket. You’ll also need a tripod that can support the camera as well.
Below is a basic procedure and you too can create a memorable photo that will be one that you keep for years.
Here’s what you need:
| Equipment Checklist | |
|---|---|
| Camera | DSLR, mirrorless, or film camera |
| Battery | Fully charged — a dead battery mid-exposure is no fun at all |
| Lens | Wide-angle, preferably 24mm or less. A 35mm may work if you’re farther from the pad, but 24mm is best within 20 miles of the launch site. |
| Tripod | Sturdy tripod |
| Remote | Locking shutter release cable |
| Mindset | Patience |
That’s it. The release cable can be purchased on Amazon for less than $50 for most major brands, and for some cameras, the price is a lot less than that: I’ve used a $15 Nikon cable for years with different cameras.
Where To Go?
That’s up to you, and I have seen great launch streak shots taken from Orlando, Daytona Beach, even West Palm Beach and Tampa.
Click here for an Interactive Map of SLC-40 Viewing Locations
If you are visiting the theme parks in Orlando, I’d recommend making a short trip east and going to one of the local parks on US-1 north in Titusville, or perhaps on the beaches on Cape Canaveral or Cocoa Beach. There are other sites, such as KARS Park (limited hours, small admission fee) or the Banana River Bridge on FL-528W, but for the purposes of this article, let’s assume that you’re going to Titusville. It’s easy to get to, easy to get in and out of, is safe and has plenty of police nearby to guide traffic and ensure public safety.
You’ll need a clear view of the horizon and sky to to the general direction of the launch itself. For example, most SpaceX Falcon 9 launches carrying Starlink satellites are to the southeast, while every launch towards the International Space Station are in the opposite direction — to the northeast. If the launch is carrying satellites to geo-stationary orbit, it’s a safe bet that the rocket will fly close to due east from the launch pad.
One direction that rockets will never fly in Florida is to the west, over land. Unless something goes very, very wrong.
When To Go?
First things first: check the weather. Check the launch status. See below for more information on how to do that. Rockets don’t launch in thunderstorms or steady rain, and winds cancel launches almost as often as rain. Thunderstorm clouds (anvil clouds) near the launch pad? Scrub. Know before you go is the key phrase to remember here. And don’t forget: things change fast with Florida weather.
National Weather Service Radar
Assuming everything is still a “go” my personal recommendation is to arrive at your selected viewing location at least an hour in advance – and it is better to get there before that if you can swing it. You’ll want plenty of time to park, orient yourself to the launch pad, and set up your gear and check it twice. I also like to take a quick test shot before liftoff to ensure I’m ready to go and to check my composition.
The one-hour time buffer will work for a regular launch like a SpaceX Starlink mission. If it is a major launch like Artemis II, you’ll want to be in place at least 2-4 hours in advance. Tune in to local news for up-to-the-minute information.
A Word About Scrubs and Delays
I’ve been to launches that were scrubbed with a minute or less to go and a couple after ignition of the engines. Delays of an hour or more are also possible, especially when the weather is so-so. Be aware of that, and be ready for it to happen and hope it doesn’t.
Rocket launches are peculiar beasts, and they can be delayed or postponed at any time for any reason.
On the other hand, I have waited for launches that I was 100% certain would be called off thanks to weather. Then at the last minute, things were perfect and the rocket flew off the pad at the time that was planned days in advance. You just never know.
How Do I Get Updates While I Wait?
As long as you have a good signal on your cell phone (another reason I recommend Titusville), you should be able to keep up with the launch status relatively easily. That’s important to do, because as I mention above, rocket launches are quite often delayed or scrubbed (canceled for the day) if everything is not right.
The weather has to be within acceptable limits, the rocket itself has to be in fully working order, and, on top of that, the areas at sea and in the air along the rocket’s flight path have to be clear. In short, thousands of different things have to go right for a rocket to launch, but only one thing has to not be right for the launch to be scrubbed or delayed.
No one will remember a scrub or a delay, but no one will ever forget a launch failure.
Websites
It’s free to use, is accurate, and has really nice features like a countdown clock that comes in handy while I’m waiting to see watch liftoff. They have apps for both Android and Apple, as well as a website online that has the same information. They don’t charge for access, though the site and apps are ad-supported.
If you are a Facebook user, Space Launch Schedule also has an active user group that’s a good source of information and inspiration. Later on, you can share your photo(s) there as well.
This site is part of the NASA Spaceflight but it is largely fed by the same information service as Space Launch Schedule. The real difference is that Next Spaceflight can be quicker to update in terms of changing times or even scrubs — that’s because they have the Spaceflight Now team providing information. That’s not to say Space Launch Schedule is not timely, it is, but I think Next Spaceflight is a little quicker.
Spaceflight Now is a space news website and news service that also provides launch coverage on YouTube. They start about an hour before liftoff, and are an excellent source for up-to-the-minute status updates. SFN offers a countdown clock, views of the rocket, and informative commentary from some of the best in launch coverage.
NOTE: Because it literally takes time for a live signal to travel from the Cape to YouTube’s servers and then back down to your phone, SFN’s video feed can be delayed anywhere from six to thirty seconds when you see it. That’s not any editorial decision by them, it’s simply a matter of physics. Refer to the Space Launch Schedule countdown clock for the most accurate time to liftoff.
There are other great sources of information, but for simplicity’s sake, I will only mention the few websites above. Between them, you’ll know what you need to know when you need to know it, and that’s what counts the most. I recommend you explore both Spaceflight Now and the scheduling sites before heading to the launch site.
Setting Up For The Photograph
Once you arrive at the launch viewing site choose where you will place your camera. I recommend being close to the water’s edge if you are on the banks of the Indian or Banana River, and adding some foreground interest to give your photograph a sense of place. There are a lot of piers on the Indian River, for example. If you can’t find an object to put in the foreground, no worries, you’ll still get a great shot. One thing you’ll want to make sure of: make sure your tripod is stable and hard to bump accidentally.
IMPORTANT NOTE: be aware of wildlife in or near the water. If you see or hear an alligator, find another spot. Don’t approach it and don’t disturb it.
Find the launch pad, if you can see it. (Some great streak shots don’t show the launch pad.) This can be tricky, and if you’re not sure and someone is nearby, ask them. Worst case, use Google Maps to orient yourself so that you’re aiming in the right direction.
This is where knowing the trajectory is critical: if the launch is to the south, you’ll want the launch pad on the left side of the frame of your planned photo. The rocket will travel left to right if you’re looking to the east.
On the other hand, if the mission is towards the International Space Station, the rocket will be traveling right to left, so orient the launch pad to the right of your frame. If you’re at an equatorial launch (one to the due east from the pad) you’ll want to center the pad in your frame.
I tend to leave as much sky in the composition as I can, that keeps me from missing the top of the arc. This is a risk with longer length lenses.
The Space Launch Schedule website has a link to a flight trajectory plot on Flightclub.io, another launch info site. Here’s one for Starlink showing it will travel to the southeast. If you are facing east, put the launch pad region on the left side of your composition.
Next, shift the camera so the sky is at least 75% of your composition. If you’re close to the launch pad – again, using the example of US1 in Titusville, I recommend making it 85% sky, just to be sure. You can always zoom in and crop later if you like, but you can’t compensate for missing part of the flight path if you’re aimed too low.
Safer is better than sorry, especially if you’ve traveled a very long way to take the photograph.
Camera Settings
Here are the settings I’ve used successfully for a few dozen “streak shots”:
| Camera Settings | |
|---|---|
| Mode | MANUAL |
| ISO | 100 |
| Aperture | f/14 – f/22 |
| Shutter | Bulb |
| Autofocus | OFF — Manually focus to infinity. To confirm focus, shine a light on an object 20–30 yards away and focus on it. Use gaffer’s tape (not duct tape) to lock the focus ring in place. |
Artemis II will be one of the brightest rockets you’ll see. Consider decreasing the aperture by another stop or so (f16 or even f18).
Turn off noise reduction or any other in-camera post-processing. I have found with long exposures like a streak shot, my camera can take 4-5 minutes to complete post-processing and that in turn is a chance for a mistake. That being said, I turn it all off in the camera, and if I need to reduce noise, I’ll do it in my photo editor. Also, turn off any VR (vibration reduction) since the camera will be on a tripod.
Consult your camera manual for directions if you’re not sure how to put it in those settings. If you don’t have your camera manual handy, ask ChatGPT.
Focusing may be a bit of a challenge, but I’ve found that I can focus my lens fairly easily by first centering on a bright light off on the horizon and then focusing on it, or using the old trick of illuminating something 30-35 yards away with a flashlight and focusing on that. Either method should set your focus to infinity. Lock it down with gaffer’s tape so you don’t defocus accidentally.
Finally. I’ll carefully adjust my composition to what I am looking for, and finally lock the tripod down so it won’t move at all while the photo is being made.
When To Take The Picture
Take a test picture once you have everything set – probably 4-5 minutes of exposure, at least. This will give you the confidence that you’ve set up everything correctly, and if not, you’ll have a chance to fix it before the launch itself. Given that it’s pretty dark, I often will tilt or level the camera a little bit after my first test shot.
For the launch itself, I will often start the photo a couple of minutes before liftoff. This accomplishes a couple purposes: if anything has gone awry, I have a last chance to fix it. Secondly, and most importantly, I like my streak shots to have a bit of color in the sky. The longer the exposure time, the bluer the sky. If there are stars out, they’ll have longer streaks. If there are clouds up in the sky, they will streak a bit too.
It’s really an artist’s choice, however, if you want a darker sky, wait closer to the liftoff to start your exposure. If you want a brighter sky start earlier. Test shots are informative here, and I can’t recommend creating them enough.
Whenever you decide to start, lock the shutter of your camera open, and don’t disturb it at all. It’s time to watch a rocket launch!
The Launch Itself
Launches are brightest in the first few seconds of flight, because that’s the closest the rocket will be to you and your camera. It’s one of the reasons I recommend a really high aperture like f20 – you’ll have a much better chance for the first part of the streak not to be “blown out” with a huge blob of light. It’s not aesthetically pleasing to me, so I account for it with the narrow aperture.
The closer you are to the launch pad, the higher your aperture needs to be. If you are 10-12 miles, f14 is fine for Falcon 9.
If you are closer, you might want to be at f18 or f22. If you are farther — for example, in Port St. Lucie, f14 is likely your best bet. Use your judgment, and remember that you can fix things up in your photo editor later if it is a little too dark to suit your tastes.
IMPORTANT: If the rocket used for the mission has solid rocket boosters — Artemis II or Vulcan, for example — you may want to decrease the aperture another stop or so (f16 or even f18).
After the launch, the rocket will appear to rise vertically for at least fifteen and perhaps even thirty seconds, depending on your location and the mission profile. Then it will begin to arc over towards the horizon. At some point, perhaps 45 seconds or so, it will reach its apparent apex and then look like it is descending. Don’t worry, it isn’t dropping, you are just seeing an optical illusion because of the Earth’s curve.
If this is your first launch, you might be surprised at how long it take the sound to arrive to you. You’re close to sea level and that means it takes five seconds for sound to travel a mile. It might be 40-50 seconds before you hear any rumble.
For a SpaceX Falcon 9, the first stage of flight is roughly two and a half minutes. The plume of the rocket will start changing colors a little after two minutes has gone by, and it will be noticeably dimmer than even just a half minute before. It’s truly a beautiful site to behold.
When the rocket stages, there will be a few seconds of darkness from your point of view. Then, you should see the second stage firing up and continuing the mission. It is usually just a little pin-prick of light, but most nights it’s clearly visible.
This is another point where artist’s choice comes into play: you can stop the exposure pretty any time you like, or you can let it continue until you can’t see anything. Some nights, I’ve been able to follow the rocket’s flame plume almost to orbit – about eight minutes. If its hazy, like most summer nights, the light will disappear closer to staging. Every launch is different.
Unlock the shutter lock on your release cable, and let the camera write the file to the storage card and have a look – you’ll be able to immediately get an idea of your results!
Post-Processing
I’m not going to go too deep into this, other than to say it’s a near certainty that you will want to perfect your image in your favorite image editing software.
Me, I usually decrease the highlights a bit, perhaps increase or decrease the contrast, and just generally tweak the appearance of the final photo. Unless I’ve missed the mark wildly exposure-wise (like the time I forgot to turn off Auto-ISO, oops!) the shot will pretty much speak for itself and won’t need too much finagling to get it where I want it to be.
The most important thing in post-processing is getting your settings, focus and composition right in the camera.
The Bottom Line
It’s not hard to take a streak photo, but it does require you to pay attention in your setup. Take care of that, use a wide angle lens that can capture the whole arc and you should be golden. Have fun!
Photo: Charles Boyer
Blue Origin Announces Plan To Launch Next New Glenn NET Late February
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Blue Origin is picking up the pace in Cape Canaveral. The company announced today that the next flight of New Glenn (NG-3) is scheduled for NET late February. NG-2, New Glenn’s second flight, launched on November 13, 2025 on a wholly successful mission to launch two NASA satellites to Mars. NG-3 will come within 4 months of that.
Blue is planning to use the same New Glenn booster as it did with NG-2 — “Never Tell Me The Odds.” That booster landed on Blue Origin’s recovery ship “Jacklyn” after its debut flight, and Blue Origin engineers must feel confident enough in the refurbishment and flight preparation for NTMTO that the company can schedule a target date for its next flight. This flight will mark the first re-use of a New Glenn booster.
Payload Announcement for NG-3
Blue Origin also announced that NG-3 will carry AST SpaceMobile’s next-generation Block 2 BlueBird satellite to low Earth orbit.
AST SpaceMobile selected Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket in November 2024 to launch satellites for its Bluebird cellular broadband network. The constellation will serve both commercial and government telecommunications markets, providing seamless connectivity as mobile devices transition between ground-based cellular towers and space-based coverage—delivering broadband access anywhere on Earth.
“We’re proud to have AST SpaceMobile as our customer on NG-3,” said Dave Limp, CEO, Blue Origin in a press release announcing the flight timeline. “Our customers need a reliable, cost-effective launch vehicle, and New Glenn is purpose-built to serve their needs.”
2025 In Spaceflight For The Cape
2025 was an incredibly busy year in spaceflight, both here at the Cape and also globally. By Christmas, providers broke previous orbital launch records, with over 300 successful flights globally, largely driven by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 for Starlink satellite deployments.
The Cape’s numbers for 2025:
For a complete list of 2025 launches from Florida, you can click here.
Commercial Spaceflight
SpaceX: Launch Cadence at an Unmatched Scale
SpaceX further extended its dominance in 2025 with over 130 orbital launches across the year, the vast majority using its Falcon 9 rocket. The company continued flying at a pace unmatched by any other launch provider, supporting satellite deployments, ISS crew and cargo missions, and national security payloads in addition to continuing building out its wildly popular Starlink offering.
Starlink
On October 25, 2025, SpaceX launched its 10,000th Starlink satellite. Space.com quoted noted satellite tracker Dr. Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, saying that there are currently 9,357 Starlink satellites in orbit, with 9,347 in operational positions. The constellation serves over 9 million customers across 100 countries and territories. It is estimated that the company adds around 20,000 new customers daily.
Reusable boosters remain central to that success. Several Falcon 9 first stages flew 20 or more times, reinforcing the idea that rapid reuse is no longer experimental but routine. One of its boosters, B1067, has now flown 32 times and is currently at SpaceX’s facilities at the Kennedy Space Center, being refurbished for another flight. The company has publicly stated that it seeks to certify Falcon 9 boosters for up to 40 flights, and in 2025, several of the company’s boosters have fewer than ten missions remaining to meet that goal.
Starship test flights also continued launching from Texas, focusing on vehicle upgrades, heat-shield performance, and recovery techniques aimed at future missions beyond Earth orbit. The company is also continuing to build out its Boca Chica infrastructure, with a new launch pad nearing completion at the end of this year. Flights from the new facility should take place in the first part of 2026.
SpaceX also received approval to begin converting Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) at Cape Canaveral for Starship operations. The site, previously used by United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV, gives SpaceX a second major East Coast launch location and points to long-term plans for higher-energy missions beyond Falcon 9.
Meanwhile, NASA, the FAA and other relevant authorities are finishing an Environmental Impact Statement for another Florida-based Starship launch pad at LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. The tower there has long been under construction, with work continuing apace at that facility in addition to the new pad a few miles south at SLC-37.
SpaceX has stated that its goal is to launch from the Cape in 2026.
SpaceX has also begun construction of a new “Gigabay” facility for Starship at its Roberts Road site at Kennedy Space Center. That facility is large — not quite the size of the venerable VAB, but large nonetheless — and should be completed in 2026.
Blue Origin: New Glenn Finally Flies
After years of development, Blue Origin reached orbit for the first time with the debut launch of its New Glenn rocket in 2025. Flying from LC-36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the successful flight validated the vehicle’s core systems and marked the company’s entry into the heavy-lift orbital launch market.
NG-1, Blue’s mission designation for the debut flight, also had a tertiary goal of landing the New Glenn first stage, but that effort was unsuccessful. The payload reached its target orbit, however, making the flight a rousing success for a company long discounted by many in the space community.
Momentum continued on New Glenn’s second launch, when Blue Origin successfully landed its reusable first-stage booster on its recovery ship ‘Jacklyn’. The recovery showed that the company’s emphasis on reusability was now operational and not theoretical, and it positioned New Glenn as a serious competitor in the heavy-lift category.
Notably, Blue’s second New Glenn flight was much smoother than the debut. This was an expected improvement, but it clearly showed that Blue had taken the lessons learned from NG-1 to heart, made operational improvements, and applied them to the NG-2 flight.
2025 also saw Blue Origin significantly advancing its Blue Origin Blue Moon lunar lander program, as it continued preparing its Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1) lunar lander for its first demo mission to deliver payloads to the lunar South Pole, presumably on the New Glenn NG-3 flight in early 2026.
Plans to reuse ‘Never Tell Me the Odds’, the booster used for the NG-2 flight, on NG-3. If successful, Blue Origin will achieve landing and then reusing a booster in relatively quick succession.
Blue is continuing development of its second lunar lander, Blue Moon Mark 2 (MK2). While they have made few public statements on the status and progress of the project, it is believed that they are building a flight-capable cabin for testing and crew training for the larger MK2, one of two of NASA’s selected crewed landers. Additionally, Blue is said to be working on life support, thermal control, and docking systems for MK2. Undoubtedly, the results from the MK1 mission will greatly inform the future designs of MK2.
Finally, Blue Origin created a new internal group focusing on national security missions for the US Government, and to run it they hired ULA’s CEO, Tory Bruno.
United Launch Alliance: A Year Full Of Change
2026 was a transitional year for United Launch Alliance, and one that has many observers wondering about the company’s long-term prospects, especially now that their former leader, Tory Bruno, has left to work for the competition.
One one hand, the company has an estimated 70 launches backlogged, with the majority being LEO satellites for Amazon’s Leo telecommunications constellation. On the other, Vulcan has been slow to build any cadence, with August 2025 being the last launch and NET March 2026 for its next flight. That’s not going to trim the backlog appreciably.
The reasons go back to last year: October of 2024, Vulcan’s second flight, CERT-2 saw one of its solid rocket boosters (SRB) nozzles detach due to a manufacturing defect in the nozzle’s internal insulator, causing an off-nominal burn. However, the main engines compensated, kept the rocket on course, and the mission still achieved its orbital goals. The company and Northrop Grumman conducted an investigation to identify the issue and prevent any recurrence.
That took several months and most of ULA’s inertia but the company continued to soldier on with other missions while it waited for the results and corrections to Vulcan.
In written testimony to Congress in May 2025, Major General Stephen G. Purdy stated the Vulcan program had performed “unsatisfactorily“ over the past year. He noted that “major issues with the Vulcan have overshadowed its successful certification,” directly resulting in the grounding of four national security missions.
Due to Vulcan’s delays, the original 60/40 mission split favoring ULA under the NSSL Phase 2 contract shifted closer to 54/46 (or nearly 50/50) in 2025, as more missions were awarded or reassigned to SpaceX. Now, Blue Origin is also in the competition future NSSL launches, with Blue expected to complete NSSL Certification next year. SpaceX isn’t going anywhere either, leaving ULA walking a tightwire in the coming year.
On August 13, 2025, ULA successfully launched its first national security mission for the U.S. Space Force using a Vulcan VC4S. The mission deployed NTS-3, an experimental navigation satellite designed to enhance GPS resilience and was a complete success.
With its Delta family retired, ULA successfully conducted four major launches for Amazon’s broadband constellation (Project Kuiper, now Amazon Leo) using Atlas V rockets. All of those missions were textbook perfect, as has been customary for the rocket.
ULA is planning to increase its launch cadence in 2026, and has all but completed a second launch tower and vertical integration facility for Vulcan.
Finally, close to the Christmas holiday, ULA announced that CEO Tory Bruno had resigned “to pursue another opportunity.” For Bruno, that opportunity turned out to be leading Blue Origin’s new National Security Group, where he will ostensibly be competing with his old company for lucrative USSL launches. At Blue Origin, Bruno will have a reusable rocket system in hand, while ULA will compete with its Vulcan rocket and the vast depth of experience the company has on its resume.
ULA COO John Elbon was named as the Interim CEO in a press release issued today. John Elbon is the chief operating officer for United Launch Alliance (ULA). Before his new role, Elbon was responsible for the operations of the Atlas, Delta, and Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle programs, including design, engineering, integration, production, quality assurance, and program management.
Previously, Elbon served as vice president and program manager for Boeing’s Commercial Programs. In that position, Elbon managed Boeing’s efforts on NASA’s Commercial Crew Space Act Agreements, including the first two phases of the Commercial Crew Development, which for Boeing was the Starliner CST program.
Rocket Lab
In 2025, Rocket Lab completed 21 Electron launches, maintaining one of the highest success rates in the small-satellite market and continuing to serve commercial, civil, and national security customers. Electron missions flew from both New Zealand and Virginia, reinforcing Rocket Lab’s value as a responsive, geographically flexible company.
At the same time, much of Rocket Lab’s strategic focus shifted toward the future with continued development of Neutron, its upcoming medium-lift, partially reusable rocket. Throughout 2025, the company advanced engine testing, structural manufacturing, and launch infrastructure work at Wallops Island, Virginia.
While Neutron did not fly during the year as the company had expected, visible progress signaled Rocket Lab’s intent to move beyond small payloads and compete for larger commercial constellations and U.S. government missions later in the decade.
Beyond launch vehicles, Rocket Lab also expanded its space systems business, delivering spacecraft components, solar panels, and complete satellites to a growing customer base.
Rocket Lab’s share price rose sharply in 2025, with investors seeing significant gains in their positions.
Taken together, 2025 was not a year of dramatic firsts for Rocket Lab, but one of consolidation and preparation — proving it could sustain a high launch tempo today while methodically building the capability to play a much bigger role in the launch market of the future.
NASA
The year was marked by layoffs, with uncertainty and dread a prevalent mood for many at the agency as the new presidential budget called for drastic cuts in NASA’s science programs.
The year also saw a great deal of preparation for a return to the Moon under Artemis, a major anniversary for the International Space Station, and visible progress in science, aviation, and artificial intelligence. It was also a year of leadership change, with private-space veteran Jared Isaacman nominated and later confirmed to a senior NASA leadership role, signaling closer alignment between the agency and the commercial space sector.
The year set the tone for a decade defined by sustained activity rather than isolated milestones.
Lunar exploration remained a central focus. NASA continued methodical preparations for Artemis II, the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon since Apollo, completing the stacking of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft and running dozens of mission simulations to stress-test procedures and crew timelines. At the same time, the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program delivered tangible results.
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission One achieved a successful lunar landing in early March, while Intuitive Machines’ second Nova-C lander reached the surface days later, gathering data despite landing on its side. Together, the missions reinforced NASA’s strategy of using commercial partners to deliver science and technology to the Moon more frequently and at lower cost.
Beyond the Moon, NASA continued expanding its deep-space science portfolio. In November, the twin ESCAPADE spacecraft were launched toward Mars to investigate how the planet’s weak magnetic environment interacts with the solar wind, a key factor in understanding how Mars lost much of its atmosphere. Planning for future lunar surface science also advanced when Blue Origin was selected to deliver the VIPER rover to the Moon’s south pole later in the decade, keeping the agency’s search for water ice on track.
Space science and Earth observation saw several high-profile missions reach orbit in 2025. In March, NASA launched the SPHEREx space telescope to conduct an all-sky infrared survey while also deploying the PUNCH mission to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere and the origins of the solar wind.
Over the summer, the NISAR satellite, a joint mission with India’s ISRO, lifted off to provide unprecedented radar mapping of Earth’s ice sheets, forests, and changing landscapes. Astronomers also turned their attention outward as NASA coordinated global observations of 3I/ATLAS, only the third confirmed interstellar object ever detected passing through our solar system.
Closer to home, the Lucy spacecraft added another successful asteroid flyby to its mission, passing 52246 Donaldjohanson and returning detailed images that will help refine models of early solar system formation.
Human spaceflight milestones were just as prominent aboard the International Space Station. In November, the ISS marked 25 consecutive years of continuous human presence in orbit, a milestone that underscored its role as a testbed for long-duration missions beyond Earth.
Earlier in the year, astronaut Suni Williams set a new record for cumulative spacewalk time by a woman, reflecting both the station’s ongoing maintenance demands and the growing experience of its crews. Williams had the opportunity to mark that achievement because she and Butch Wilmore were part of the ill-fated Boeing CFT mission that launched in 2024 and led to an unexpected nine-month stay on station. The Boeing CFT astronauts joined Crew 9, which launched in September 2024 and landed in the Pacific Ocean on March 18, 2025.
Logistics capabilities also expanded with the arrival of Northrop Grumman’s first Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft, which delivered larger payloads and increased flexibility for station resupply. SpaceX provided the lift for Cygnus, as Northrop Grumman has yet to complete development of a new Antares 300-series replacement.
NASA also made visible progress in aviation and emerging technologies. The X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft completed its long-awaited first flight in October, validating a design meant to dramatically reduce sonic booms and potentially reopen the door to commercial supersonic travel over land.
In materials science, the agency’s heat-resistant superalloy GRX-810 earned recognition as NASA’s 2025 Commercial Invention of the Year, highlighting work aimed at improving engines and structures for extreme environments.
Taken together, 2025 was less about a single headline mission and more about steady progress across many fronts. NASA strengthened its lunar pipeline, celebrated a quarter-century of continuous human spaceflight, launched major new science missions, and laid the groundwork for how future exploration will be managed and analyzed. They also got a new administrator after a tumultuous nomination process. Jared Isaacman will bring many new ideas and changes to the agency, changes that will hopefully rejuvenate and reinvigorate the US space program.
Others
Sierra Space
In 2025, Sierra Space moved its Dream Chaser program through a series of important ground milestones while also reworking its near-term flight plans. The spaceplane, named Tenacity, completed extensive pre-flight testing, including electromagnetic compatibility checks and runway tow trials, clearing several technical hurdles ahead of flight. That flight, planned for 2024, will now take place in 2026. Maybe.
Photo: Sierra Space
The program’s first mission was significantly reshaped. What was initially planned as a cargo run to the International Space Station was revised into a standalone orbital demonstration, now targeted for late 2026. NASA amended its contract with Sierra Space, removing guaranteed ISS delivery missions as the company redirected more attention toward defense and national security work.
As a result, Tenacity’s debut will focus on proving core flight and reentry capabilities rather than docking operations. The change reflects both development challenges and the additional certification steps required for ISS missions. While near-term station flights are no longer assured, Dream Chaser could still play a role in future logistics, including potential cargo deliveries to commercial space stations such as Orbital Reef, once the vehicle completes its initial orbital testing.
Relativity
In 2025, Relativity Space entered a new phase after a major leadership shakeup. In March, Eric Schmidt stepped in as chief executive following a substantial investment in the company. Under his leadership, Relativity moved away from its earlier goal of fully 3D-printed rockets, adopting a more pragmatic hybrid manufacturing strategy while accelerating development of its larger, reusable Terran R launch vehicle.
Schmidt is a former Google
Stoke Space
Stoke Space, the Kent, Washington, company founded by former Blue Origin and SpaceX employees, had a good 2025, making major progress toward the first launch of its Nova rocket.
Rockets need launch pads, and Stoke has rebuilt SLC-14 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to modern standards for Nova. This is no small accomplishment, and on top of that, Stoke was respectful of the history of 14: this is where John Glenn launched in Mercury-Atlas 6, becoming the first American to orbit the Earth.
As for Nova itself, work is focused on final hardware qualification as the company simultaneously activates SLC-14. Stoke had previously planned for a 2025 debut of Nova, but mid-year, the company shifted to the right on the launch calendar in order to complete SLC-14 and to iron out any remaining issues with Nova.
The 40.2-meter (132-foot) tall rocket is expected to fly in the early part of next year. Stoke is also planning to slowly introduce reusability, so expect the first launch to be expendable.
Boeing
In 2025 Boeing welcomed a new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, previously the president and CEO of Rockwell Collins. Ortberg promised major changes throughout the company, including its spaceflight division.
In November 2025, NASA reduced Boeing’s Commercial Crew contract from six planned missions to the International Space Station (ISS) down to four. This followed technical issues during the 2024 crewed flight test that necessitated the astronauts’ return on a SpaceX vehicle in early 2025. The next mission for Starliner will be uncrewed and carrying cargo, but no date for that mission has been announced.
The news was not all bad for Boeing: their autonomous X-37B spaceplane continued its eighth mission, conducting long-duration orbital experiments as well as novel orbital maneuvers that can quickly place the spacecraft in a new orbit very quickly. In the quickly militarizing orbital environment, this is a tactical advantage yet to be demonstrated by any other nation.
Boeing also continued working on the SLS core stage. It’s Artemis II hardware is in the VAB awaiting rollout and at the time of this writing, the core stage for Artemis III is in an advanced state of manufacturing. After that, it is difficult to tell if the SLS rocket will be canceled by NASA and the Trump administration or if Boeing and others will continue manufacturing the rocket.
Taken overall, the year was an incredibly exciting one, but also one that sets the stage for the future: in 2026 humans will return to cislunar space and further development for landing on the lunar surface will continue apace. Vast Space is planning to launch Vast-1, the first privately owned and operated space station in LEO. We’ll also see SpaceX passing 10,000 Starlink satellites on orbit at some point in 2026, along with Amazon’s nascent Leo constellation starting to take form. There will be new rockets making their debut, and in between, lot of launches, especially Falcon 9 launches.
Stay tuned.
2025 Space Coast Launches
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Tory Bruno Joins Blue Origin To Lead New National Security Group
Former ULA leader Tory Bruno has joined Blue Origin and will head a new division, the National Security Group. He will report to CEO Dave Limp. The move comes three days after United Launch Alliance announced Bruno’s departure as its chief executive.
Bruno gave his most extensive comments to date on leaving ULA and taking on the new role at Blue Origin:
Specific details of Blue Origin’s plans for the new group have not been announced. It’s reasonable to say that, with New Glenn now in operation, they will first focus on completing their NSSL certification, followed by securing contracts for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program.
Blue’s Path To National Security Launches
The gating item for Blue Origin is gaining NSSL certification. All signs point to Blue choosing a four-launch qualification cycle, and with two New Glenn launches completed in 2025, Blue Origin is likely to have the needed launches under their belt next year in 2026.
That began in 2022 when the U.S. Space Force approved Blue Origin’s New Entrant Certification plan. Launch providers can choose among four certification tracks, each with different flight requirements—ranging from 2 to 14—and varying levels of government technical oversight. Fewer flights mean more governmental scrutiny.
Certification Flights like NG-2 are just one part of the broader certification framework. They provide critical data to confirm that the launch system is mission-ready, helping ensure U.S. satellites that support both warfighters and intelligence operations are launched reliably and securely.
Sitrep After NG-2
Photo: Charles Boyer
SSC took another key step in certifying Blue Origin’s New Glenn for National Security Space Launches (NSSL) following the successful NG-2 mission on November 13th from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
SSC, one of the U.S. Space Force’s three field commands, manages a $15.6 billion annual budget focused on acquiring, developing, and deploying space capabilities that maintain U.S. dominance in orbit and beyond.
The U.S. Space Force’s Assured Access to Space (AATS) Certification Team from System Delta 80 (SYD 80) was on-site to observe the rocket’s second flight, a requirement under Blue Origin’s certification process with the NSSL program. SYD 80 oversees the program in coordination with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), jointly responsible for launch services supporting national defense and intelligence missions.
“This launch marks a major milestone,” said Lt. Col. Brian Scheller, SSC’s system program manager and chief engineer for SYD 80. “New Glenn is getting closer to supporting our highest-priority space missions.”
Scheller nor SSC gave any additional insight regarding Blue Origin’s position in the certification process, but it is likely that the company took another major step forward with yesterday’s successful launch.
What Are NSSL Launches For?
NSSL payloads are generally high-value assets not only in terms of cost but also in the time required to construct them. If the payload is lost, then the asset must be replaced, something that takes time — time that the original was not on station, contributing to the nation’s defense.
System Delta 80 plays a key role in the Space Force’s mission of assured access to space. It conducts launch and range operations alongside the 30th and 45th Space Launch Deltas and maintains essential test and launch infrastructure. These efforts support national goals in defense, science, and industry.
With an experienced leader of the caliber of Tory Bruno at the helm of Blue Origin’s national defense efforts, expect them to assume an essential role in highly lucrative NSSL launches over the next few years.
Blue Origin Announces A Super-Heavy New Glenn Variant
It has been a big week for Blue Origin, first with the second launch of New Glenn, the successful landing of the first stage. As they were moving the first stage of last week’s New Glenn flight, the company casually made three major announcements today in one press release: a new, supersized New Glenn for megapayloads, ramping up the power output of its BE-4 and BE-3U engine used on the second stage of the current New Glenn, as well as the 9X4. It might be a while for the megarocket to be on the launch pad, but the engine advancements start arriving on the next New Glenn flight, NG-3.
Evolving Quickly
The first major upgrade is a boost in engine performance across both stages. The seven BE 4 engines on the booster will now deliver about 4.5 million pounds of thrust, up from 3.9 million. On the stand, BE 4 has already hit 625,000 pounds of thrust with its current propellant setup and is on track to reach 640,000 later this year. Subcooling the propellant raises the engine’s output well above its previous 550,000 pound level.
The upper stage is getting a similar lift. Its pair of BE 3U engines will move from a planned 320,000 pounds of thrust to roughly 400,000 over the next few flights. BE 3U has already shown 211,658 pounds on the test stand.
These performance gains directly support customers already booked to fly on New Glenn to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and farther than that. Other vehicle updates include a reusable fairing for a higher flight tempo, a redesigned tank that lowers manufacturing cost, and a new thermal protection system that can be reused and cuts turnaround time.
Blue Origin said in their press release today that the improvements and upgrades will be phased into upcoming New Glenn missions beginning with NG-3.
Super-Heavy: The New Glenn 9X4
The next significant step in the evolution of the New Glenn program is a new super-heavy rocket. Called New Glenn 9×4, a nod to the engine layout on each stage, it targets missions that need more lift and higher performance. It can place more than 70 metric tons into low Earth orbit, over 14 metric tons directly into geosynchronous orbit, and more than 20 metric tons on a translunar trajectory. The 9×4 will also carry a wider 8.7 meter fairing.
Both the 9×4 and the current 7×2 version will operate in parallel, giving customers more flexibility across mission types, from mega-constellations to lunar and deep space work to national security needs such as Golden Dome or larger NSSL payloads.
Presumably, the new variant will also be built at Blue Origin’s factory in Exploration Park across from the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center.
No mission or date for the upgraded rocket was given.
Blue Origin, New Glenn, NG-2 First Stage Return
Blue Origin’s New Glenn first stage “Never Tell Me The Odds” made a happy return to Port Canaveral this morning, marking the first time that Blue Origin returned with a New Glenn booster after a successful flight and landing.
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