Two launches today less than 20 minutes apartArianespace and ULA both successfully completed launches today, less less than 20 minutes apart.
First Arianespace placed in orbit a new European weather satellite, its Ariane-6 lifting off from French Guiana in South America on its second commercial launch and third launch overall.
Next, ULA launched a Space Force national security classified payload, its Vulcan rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. This was the Vulcan’s third launch, and the first in 2025. It is also its first commercial launch, and the first since the military certified the rocket for its use. It was also the first since a nozzle fell off a strap-on booster during its last launch in October 2024. On this launch it used four boosters, all of which functioned as planned.
For Arianespace (and Europe) this was its fourth launch in 2025 so it does not make the leader board for the 2025 launch race. Similarly, this was ULA’s second this year, so it also does not make the leader board.
The leaders in the 2025 launch race:
98 SpaceX (with another Starlink launch scheduled for later today)
43 China
11 Rocket Lab
9 Russia
SpaceX still leads the rest of the world in successful launches, 98 to 76.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Arianespace and ULA both successfully completed launches today, less less than 20 minutes apart.
First Arianespace placed in orbit a new European weather satellite, its Ariane-6 lifting off from French Guiana in South America on its second commercial launch and third launch overall.
Next, ULA launched a Space Force national security classified payload, its Vulcan rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. This was the Vulcan’s third launch, and the first in 2025. It is also its first commercial launch, and the first since the military certified the rocket for its use. It was also the first since a nozzle fell off a strap-on booster during its last launch in October 2024. On this launch it used four boosters, all of which functioned as planned.
For Arianespace (and Europe) this was its fourth launch in 2025 so it does not make the leader board for the 2025 launch race. Similarly, this was ULA’s second this year, so it also does not make the leader board.
The leaders in the 2025 launch race:
98 SpaceX (with another Starlink launch scheduled for later today)
43 China
11 Rocket Lab
9 Russia
SpaceX still leads the rest of the world in successful launches, 98 to 76.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Meanwhile, SpaceX has four (4) Starlink missions prepped for launch this week…
Now, that said…
…it’s true that last night’s launches were on obsolescent expendable rockets. But it’s still welcome to see other launch capacity coming online in the western world. And both got the job done, with precision. Such we must accept until all the reusable rockets in the pipeline become operational.
The Space Force command has to be happy, at any rate. They’ve been antsy to get this payload into orbit for a while now.