Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
China surprised the spaceflight community this week with the debut launch of a brand-new rocket that appeared to fly without the usual public hazard notices that observers rely on. Was it dangerous, or simply a different approach to launch operations?
In this week's This Week in Spaceflight, we break down what happened with China's unexpected Chang Zheng 12B launch, why it caught trackers off guard, and what it means for the country's rapidly expanding reusable rocket ambitions.
We also cover Blue Origin's plans to return New Glenn to flight before the end of the year, The Exploration Company's successful Nyx capsule drop test and teaser for its future heavy-lift launcher, Rocket Lab's latest Neutron milestone, ULA's first 85K Centaur, NASA's Commercial LEO Destination reversal, Artemis III preparations, and much more.
🚀 Stories this week:
• China's surprise Chang Zheng 12B launch
• Blue Origin's return-to-flight plans
• The Exploration Company's Nyx capsule tests
• Rocket Lab Neutron progress
• ULA's first 85K Centaur
• Artemis III booster shipment
• NASA ends MAVEN mission
• Commercial space station developments
• Weekly Space Traffic Report
⚡ Become a member of NASASpaceflight's channel for exclusive discord access, fast turnaround clips, and other exclusive benefits. Your support helps us continue our 24/7 coverage. Click JOIN above to get started.⚡
🤵 Hosted by Elysia Segal.
🖋️ Written by Martijn Luinstra & Alejandro Alcantarilla Romera.
🎥 Footage from: Max Evans, Justin Davenport, Patrick O'Laughlin, Jerry Pike, D Wise, Space Coast Live, Jeff Bezos, The Exploration Company, Rocket Lab, CACL, Astrolab, NASA, Vast, ESA, United States Air Force, Inspiration4/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Voyager Technologies, Firefly Space, Intuitive Machines, Blue Origin, NASA/JPL, United Launch Alliance, Rocket Lab, Latitude, SpaceX, CCTV, ATMHUFK1, Varda Space Industries, LandSpace, JAXA.
✂️ Edited by Ryan Caton.
💼 Produced by Kevin Michael Reed (@kmreed).
🛰 NSF's ISS Imagery Partner, Sen: @Sen
🔍 If you are interested in using footage from this video, please review our content use policy: nasaspaceflight.com/content-use-policy
#Spaceflight #SpaceNews #China #RocketLaunch #ChineseSpaceProgram #LongMarch #ChangZheng12B #ReusableRocket #SpaceIndustry #BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #RocketLab #Neutron #Archimedes #TheExplorationCompany #Nyx #Yrene #Vast #Haven1 #NASA #Artemis #ULA #Vulcan #Mars #MAVEN #CommercialSpace #OrbitalMechanics #Satellite #Aerospace #NSF
LDAPAABJRG2UMCU3
China surprised the spaceflight community this week with the debut launch of a brand-new rocket that appeared to fly without the usual public hazard notices that observers rely on. Was it dangerous, or simply a different approach to launch operations?
In this week's This Week in Spaceflight, we break down what happened with China's unexpected Chang Zheng 12B launch, why it caught trackers off guard, and what it means for the country's rapidly expanding reusable rocket ambitions.
We also cover Blue Origin's plans to return New Glenn to flight before the end of the year, The Exploration Company's successful Nyx capsule drop test and teaser for its future heavy-lift launcher, Rocket Lab's latest Neutron milestone, ULA's first 85K Centaur, NASA's Commercial LEO Destination reversal, Artemis III preparations, and much more.
🚀 Stories this week:
• China's surprise Chang Zheng 12B launch
• Blue Origin's return-to-flight plans
• The Exploration Company's Nyx capsule tests
• Rocket Lab Neutron progress
• ULA's first 85K Centaur
• Artemis III booster shipment
• NASA ends MAVEN mission
• Commercial space station developments
• Weekly Space Traffic Report
⚡ Become a member of NASASpaceflight's channel for exclusive discord access, fast turnaround clips, and other exclusive benefits. Your support helps us continue our 24/7 coverage. Click JOIN above to get started.⚡
🤵 Hosted by Elysia Segal.
🖋️ Written by Martijn Luinstra & Alejandro Alcantarilla Romera.
🎥 Footage from: Max Evans, Justin Davenport, Patrick O'Laughlin, Jerry Pike, D Wise, Space Coast Live, Jeff Bezos, The Exploration Company, Rocket Lab, CACL, Astrolab, NASA, Vast, ESA, United States Air Force, Inspiration4/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Voyager Technologies, Firefly Space, Intuitive Machines, Blue Origin, NASA/JPL, United Launch Alliance, Rocket Lab, Latitude, SpaceX, CCTV, ATMHUFK1, Varda Space Industries, LandSpace, JAXA.
✂️ Edited by Ryan Caton.
💼 Produced by Kevin Michael Reed (@kmreed).
🛰 NSF's ISS Imagery Partner, Sen: @Sen
🔍 If you are interested in using footage from this video, please review our content use policy: nasaspaceflight.com/content-use-policy
#Spaceflight #SpaceNews #China #RocketLaunch #ChineseSpaceProgram #LongMarch #ChangZheng12B #ReusableRocket #SpaceIndustry #BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #RocketLab #Neutron #Archimedes #TheExplorationCompany #Nyx #Yrene #Vast #Haven1 #NASA #Artemis #ULA #Vulcan #Mars #MAVEN #CommercialSpace #OrbitalMechanics #Satellite #Aerospace #NSF
LDAPAABJRG2UMCU3
