Rocket Report: SpaceX says no thanks to military launches; Spanish rocket nearly ready

SpaceX declined three military launch contracts from the US Space Force, and no other providers offered to take them, according to Ars Technica. The Space Force acknowledged growing pains as demand rises, while SpaceX has been turning down new Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy contracts. United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin are still addressing technical issues.

A NASA safety panel indicated Starship could need up to 22 refuelings for a lunar landing. PLD Space reports its Miura 5 rocket is near final integration, targeting a first flight before mid-2027. Reaction Dynamics aims to raise $350 million to expand and develop its Aurora and Borealis rockets, with aspirational orbital dates of 2028 and 2031.

Rocket Lab readies its 98th Electron launch. Japan launched its MMX mission to Phobos on an upgraded H3 rocket. Debris from a Chinese rocket launched September 15 came down over the American Midwest after a suborbital trajectory.

Source

Rocket Report: SpaceX says no thanks to military launches; Spanish rocket nearly ready — Ars Technica