SpaceX set for Starship orbit as global rocket scene reshapes

SpaceX is aiming for its first orbital Starship flight, carrying 26 Starlink satellites in a September launch window, a milestone as United Launch Alliance’s dominance fades and a broader, more competitive global launch scene takes shape. Avio is winning Vega C business after SpaceX paused Falcon 9 orders, with recent ESA missions FLEX and Copernicus Sentinel-3C aboard Vega C; Space Pioneer unveils a Tianhuo-21 engine with a Raptor 3–like design; four Chinese launches showcase a maturing commercial sector, Sirius Space Services completes STAR-1 engine tests, and NASA’s Mars Telecommunications Network competition continues to pit Blue Origin against Rocket Lab.