CASC
Every Cosmic Herald story on CASC — missions, launches, discoveries, and the business of space, newest first.
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Commercial
Rocket Launch Vehicles Compared: Payload, Cost, and Reusability in 2026
Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Starship, New Glenn, Vulcan Centaur, Neutron, Ariane 6, and six more launch vehicles compared on payload, cost per launch, and reusability, including China's Long March 10B, which on July 10 became just the third rocket in history to catch its own booster.
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Commercial
An Austrian Propulsion Startup Just Landed €6.3 Million From Europe's Sovereign Space Push
Gate Space, a Vienna-born satellite propulsion firm, secured €6.3M from the European Innovation Council — the only space company in a 38-firm cohort — as Europe doubles down on homegrown launch and in-orbit capabilities.
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Commercial
China's Spark Space Bets on Electric-Pump Engines to Carve Out a Niche in the Small-Sat Launch Race
Two-year-old Hefei startup Spark Space has test-fired its Lieyan-2 kerosene-LOX engine and closed back-to-back funding rounds totaling over $14.8M, racing to debut its Jinhua-1 rocket by 2027.
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Commercial
China flies a new reusable rocket as its commercial push accelerates
The maiden flight of the Long March 12B on June 1 marks another step in China's drive toward reusable launchers — and another entrant in an increasingly crowded global market for cheap access to orbit.