Boeing once defined American spaceflight, but the balance of power has shifted. As SpaceX races ahead with reusable rockets, a packed commercial manifest and plans for a blockbuster IPO, Boeing is trying to stabilize its finances,

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying two astronauts aboard Boeing's Starliner-1 Crew Flight Test, is launched on a mission to the International Space Station, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, June 5, 2024. automation Boeing's Starliner capsule ...

The increasing number of commercial space launches and the upward trend in upmass serve as unmistakable signs of space industry growth. Space is a high-risk, high-reward industry, however. Space launches are expensive, and space companies often operate at a loss for years while developing their businesses.

NASA plans to send four astronauts on a mission to circumnavigate the moon, the first human lunar mission in over 50 years. SpaceX is expected to debut a new version of its Starship megarocket and continue developing it for future moon and Mars missions.

The number of orbital launch attempts worldwide last year surpassed the record 2024 flight rate by 25 percent, with SpaceX and China accounting for the bulk of the launch activity, Aviation Week & Space Technology reports.