Posted: Sat, Sep 28 6:58 AM ET (1058 GMT)
Japan launched a reconnaissance satellite on the penultimate flight of the H-2A. The rocket lifted off at 12:41 am EDT (0441 GMT) Thursday from the Tanegashima Space Center after weather delayed a launch attempt last week. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries confirmed separation of the IGS-Radar 8 reconnaissance satellite from the launch vehicle in sun-synchronous orbit around two hours after launch. The launch was the 49th of the H-2A, with one more launch of that rocket planned for late this year carrying an Earth science satellite. The H-2A is being replaced by the H3 rocket, which made two successful launches earlier this year.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  Space.com article

Posted: Sat, Sep 28 6:56 AM ET (1056 GMT)
Blue Origin test-fired the upper stage of its first New Glenn rocket this week. The 15-second firing of the stage's two BE-3U engines, on the pad at Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 36, confirmed the integrated performance of the stage. The test was scheduled for earlier this month, and the delay appears to validate a NASA decision not to attempt a mid-October launch of the rocket carrying the ESCAPADE Mars mission. Blue Origin is instead pursuing a first launch of New Glenn in November carrying its own payload while ESCAPADE's launch has been pushed back to no earlier than next spring.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  Ars Technica article
•  NASASpaceFlight.com article
•  Aviation Week article
•  Blue Origin statement

SpaceX launches Starlink satellites from Vandenberg
Posted: Sat, Sep 28 6:51 AM ET (1051 GMT)
SpaceX launched another set of Starlink satellites Wednesday. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 12:01 am EDT (...

Chinese rocket launches five satellites
Posted: Sat, Sep 28 6:49 AM ET (1049 GMT)
A Chinese commercial rocket launched five satellites Tuesday. The Lijian-1, or Kinetica-1, solid-fuel rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center...

NASA selects Firefly Aerospace to launch NOAA weather satellite
Posted: Sat, Sep 28 6:47 AM ET (1047 GMT)
NASA selected Firefly Aerospace to launch a NOAA satellite. NASA announced Monday that it awarded a task order through its Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated...