Skyroot Aerospace aims to launch the first test flight of its Vikram‑1 rocket between July 12 and August 4 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center, India’s first private attempt to place a launch vehicle into orbit. SpaceX announced that it has produced its 1,000th Merlin 1D engine, a reusable engine that powers the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.

Skyroot, which has raised about $160 million and reached a valuation above $1 billion, will use a three‑stage solid‑propellant rocket with a liquid‑fueled upper stage to place up to 500 kilograms into low‑Earth orbit. The test flight will gather data on propulsion, stage separation, guidance, navigation and control, and overall vehicle performance. The launch pad was originally built for India’s government space program.

SpaceX has also launched a SiriusXM communications satellite to geostationary orbit, its third such mission this year, after completing 78 Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches this year.

NASA selected Rocket Lab to launch three science missions on Electron rockets in 2027, including the Polarized Submillimeter Ice‑cloud Radiometer and the Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor‑2. The missions will depart from Rocket Lab’s New Zealand spaceport on dedicated Electron flights.

Isar Aerospace, a German startup, has signed a deal with Planet Labs to launch at least one of its Pelican Earth‑observation satellites on the Spectrum rocket, which has yet to reach orbit. The planned launch from Andøya Spaceport in Norway could occur as early as later this year. The final Atlas V launch for Amazon’s Leo broadband constellation took place on Thursday, marking the ninth flight for the rocket and concluding a series of missions that have used the vehicle for nearly 25 years. ULA plans to return to flight with its Vulcan rocket after a pause caused by booster issues.

Blue Origin is cleaning up its launch pad after an explosion on May 28 that destroyed the site’s lightning tower and transporter‑erector. The company says a return to flight is expected before the end of the year, using a crane to lift the New Glenn rocket rather than rebuilding the transporter. A schedule of upcoming launches includes a Long March 6A mission on July 4, a Falcon 9 Starlink mission on July 5, and a Falcon 9 Transporter mission on July 7.

The space industry continues to see a mix of first‑time private launches and milestones in reusable engine production, while launch schedules remain subject to weather and technical delays.