The commercial space industry is booming, and March 2025 has been a whirlwind of activity. From successful launches to spectacular explosions, and even a pop star heading to space, this month has had it all. Let’s dive into the highlights.
Europe’s attempt at a first orbital launch from Andoya Spaceport ended abruptly after approximately 30 seconds. The rocket, unfortunately, veered off course, leading to an immediate abort. Andoya Spaceport general manager Ingun Berget confirmed the news, citing the rocket’s deviation from its planned trajectory.
Meanwhile, NASA and Boeing are diligently investigating anomalies discovered in the Starliner spacecraft following its successful, yet ultimately problematic, maiden voyage last June. The mission, which saw astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore journey to the International Space Station, was cut short due to issues with the Starliner’s thruster, valve, and helium systems. While the astronauts safely returned to Earth via SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, NASA and Boeing are working to resolve these issues before the next crewed Starliner flight, potentially slated for later this year or early 2026.
Adding a touch of Hollywood glamour to the space race, pop star Katy Perry is set to blast off to space next month! She’ll be joining Jeff Bezos’ fiancé Lauren Sanchez and CBS host Gayle King aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket for their first all-female flight, a mission scheduled for April 14th. The launch window opens at 9:30 AM ET from Launch Site One in West Texas.
SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission concluded successfully with a splashdown off the coast of Florida, marking a safe return for the astronauts. This follows the safe return of the Boeing Starliner astronauts, bringing to a close a period of intense activity in low Earth orbit.
On the less successful side, SpaceX’s Starship program continues to experience setbacks. The eighth test flight ended in another spectacular explosion, despite a successful launch and booster separation. The Starship began tumbling before exploding, marking yet another challenge for SpaceX’s ambitious heavy-lift rocket program. SpaceX has previously released reports detailing the causes of earlier explosions, and further analysis is expected following this latest incident. The company has already stated that the booster experienced a ‘rapid unscheduled disassembly’ and contact was lost.
In positive news from Europe, Ariane 6 successfully completed its second launch, carrying CSO-3, a French military spy satellite. This launch represents a significant step for Europe in securing autonomous access to space, overcoming years of delays.
Yet another SpaceX Starship test flight has been delayed, this time due to issues with the Super Heavy booster. The launch is now targeted for as early as Wednesday, March 5th.
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket made headlines with its successful launch, reaching orbit and deploying its payload successfully, marking a significant milestone for the company. However, the initial launch attempt was preceded by several delays, including a scrub due to technical reasons and weather-related postponements. The successful launch was a significant victory for Blue Origin in its competition with SpaceX.
Two private lunar landers, Blue Ghost and Resilience, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, embarking on their journey to the Moon as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. These landers will collect valuable data and test technologies crucial for future crewed Artemis missions.
Finally, the success of SpaceX’s reusable rockets is causing some unexpected disruptions. Qantas airlines has had to delay some flights to avoid the rockets’ splashdown zone in the Indian Ocean, highlighting the growing impact of commercial space activity on other sectors.
It’s clear that the space race is far from over, and the coming months promise even more exciting developments in the ever-evolving world of space exploration.
