SpaceX rejects military launch contracts as Starship faces lunar landing challenges

SpaceX has rejected three military launch contracts from the US Space Force, turning down a major opportunity in the defense sector. At the same time, the company’s Starship spacecraft may require up to 22 refuelings to support a lunar landing, according to a NASA safety panel. This news comes as part of the latest edition of the Rocket Report, which highlights major developments in the space industry.

The military launch contracts were offered to SpaceX by the US Space Force, but the company chose to decline them, signaling a shift in its priorities. On the civil space side, SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft may require up to 22 refuelings to support a lunar landing, a NASA safety panel said, adding uncertainty to its mission timeline.

The Rocket Report continues to deliver breaking news on the latest developments in the space industry, including updates on SpaceX and other major players in the field. The report provides a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar and includes information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets.

PLD Space, a prominent player in the rocket industry, says its Miura 5 rocket, due to undertake its inaugural launch next year, is nearing final integration. The rocket is one of three Miura 5s the company has already manufactured, with the other two designed to qualify key system elements. PLD Space now targets a first flight of the small-lift vehicle before mid-2027.

Miura 5 getting closer to launch. PLD Space says its Miura 5 rocket, due to undertake its inaugural launch next year, is nearing final integration, Aviation Week reports. The rocket is one of three Miura 5s the company has already manufactured, with the other two designed to qualify key system elements, CEO Raúl Torres said in an October 19 program update. PLD Space now targets a first flight of the small-lift vehicle before mid-2027.

Fully integrated stage … “Manufacturing these three vehicles has allowed our teams to work continuously across different stages of production and integration, applying the lessons learned from each qualification campaign directly to the launch vehicle,” Torres said. One Miura 5 second stage is now fully integrated to kick off system-level testing under representative operating conditions. The second stage is at PLD’s Teruel test facility for its qualification campaign, including wet dress rehearsal and a static hot-fire test.

Reaction Dynamics, one of three prominent Canadian launch startups, said it is seeking to raise $350 million to grow its staff from 68 to more than 350 people, spaceQ reports. The company is developing the small-lift Aurora rocket, which Reaction Dynamics hopes will reach orbit in 2028. Reaction Dynamics also announced plans to build a medium-lift rocket, Borealis, for a debut by 2031.