Russia Tests New ICBM as NASA and SpaceX Race for Artemis III Hardware

Welcome to Edition 8.41 of the Rocket Report! The stories of the world's two most powerful rockets are now intertwined. Hardware for NASA's third Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is coming together at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, while SpaceX is readying its first upgraded Starship Version 3 rocket for liftoff from Starbase, Texas.

The readiness of each vehicle, along with Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket and Blue Moon lander, will determine the schedule and content of NASA's Artemis III mission in low-Earth orbit.

India's Space Startup Nears First Orbital Launch

After the Indian government opened a pathway in 2020 for private industry to build and launch its own rockets, one Indian startup is nearing the pad with its first orbital rocket, Ars reports.

The most promising Indian launch company, Skyroot Aerospace, says its Vikram-1 launch vehicle could take flight within the next couple of months. With a recent $60 million fundraising round valuing the firm at $1.1 billion, the company is poised to accelerate its commercial launch efforts.

Russia Claims Success with New ICBM

In a parallel development, Russia has claimed success with its new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), further intensifying the global space and defense landscape.

Upcoming Launches and Mission Updates

As always, we welcome reader submissions. If you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the form below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report includes information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets, as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.