Rocket launches are expensive and laborious, but for decades they’ve been the price of doing business for space agencies hoping to get their latest satellite, telescope, or team of astronauts into the great blue yonder.
While traditional giants like Northrop Grumman and United Launch Alliance continue to contribute to space exploration with decades of experience, a new wave of ambitious and pioneering companies is rising.
Humans have been exploring space for over six decades, and our ambitions are only increasing over time. In recent years, this drive has been rekindled with fervor, ushering in an era of unprecedented innovation and competition in the realm of space exploration.
NASA/Joel Kowsky
ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images and Amanda Edwards/WireImage
Britta Pedersen-Pool/Getty Images
The stacking of Starship’s upper stage 25 onto booster 9 was completed on September 5 at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. With the megarocket now standing tall at the launch mount, SpaceX announced its readiness for the second launch, though FAA approval remains outstanding.
Britta Pedersen/Getty Images
Anyone who’s spent time observing the erratic, often contradictory behavior of billionaire Elon Musk in recent years could be forgiven for believing he’s lost a sense of direction.
Alain Jocard/AFP via Getty Images