SpaceX plans to end commercial Falcon 9 flights after 2028 while China prepares the Chang’e 7 lunar mission for launch on a Long March 5 rocket from Wenchang on August 24. A prototype satellite launch vehicle developed by Taiwan’s National Chung‑Shan Institute of Science and Technology experienced a trajectory anomaly shortly after liftoff on Wednesday, prompting activation of its self‑destruct system. Debris fell into a designated safety zone near the southern tip of Taiwan and no injuries or property damage were reported. South Korean startup Innospace suffered its second consecutive suborbital test failure on Thursday at Brazil’s Alcântara Space Center. The Sebit rocket deviated from its planned trajectory and the Brazilian Air Force activated its flight termination system. Innospace said the test provided valuable data on launch pad, propulsion and guidance systems and reported no injuries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukrainian forces struck the Progress Rocket Space Center in Russia’s Samara region with ground‑launched cruise missiles. The facility manufactures the Soyuz‑2 and Soyuz‑5 rockets, which are used for civilian and military payloads and for human spaceflight. China’s LandSpace completed a successful launch and landing of its Zhuque‑3 medium‑lift rocket on Tuesday, placing a satellite into low‑Earth orbit and returning its first‑stage booster to an on‑target landing in the Gobi Desert. The flight was the second for Zhuque‑3 and followed a previous booster recovery of a Long March 10B in July. Public policy research indicates that the United States has overtaken Russia in cumulative payload to orbit, driven by SpaceX’s high launch cadence and reusable rockets. Average launch cost per kilogram to orbit is estimated at $3,225 in the United States, compared with $5,287 in Japan, $5,809 in China, $6,682 in Russia and $9,897 in Europe. European Space Agency officials have halted development of the Ariane 6 Block 3 upper stage after member states withdrew support. Development continues on Ariane 6 Block 2 and an add‑on kick stage named Astris, expected around 2029. SpaceX’s recent Starship test flight ended with a splashdown in the Indian Ocean on July 24. The vehicle remained intact and was towed to Christmas Island over 24 days, with engineers planning its return to the company’s South Texas base for further inspection of the heat shield. United Launch Alliance promoted Chief Operating Officer Mark Peller to president and CEO, succeeding Tory Bruno. Peller will oversee ULA as it addresses a grounding of the Vulcan rocket caused by a solid rocket booster nozzle anomaly and manages financial challenges with a loan guarantee from its parent companies Boeing and Lockheed Martin.