The next stretch of the rocket calendar includes a rare Falcon 9 scrub, a possible turning point for United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan, and fresh progress from South Korea’s Nuri rocket. Several smaller launch companies are also adjusting their schedules, showing how launch plans can change even when missions are close to the pad.
Vulcan now looks close to returning to flight. Eric Berger said, “I can say we’re weeks away from launching on Vulcan.” The rocket has a no-earlier-than date of October 29 for its return-to-flight mission, followed by another Amazon Leo mission planned for this year.
Vulcan moves toward a faster launch pace
The timing matters because Vulcan could reach a major breakthrough in cadence next year, assuming its solid rocket boosters work. The two planned missions would give United Launch Alliance a clear path from return to flight toward another launch within the same year.
That does not guarantee a smooth schedule, but the plan puts Vulcan close to a test of how often it can fly. The October 29 mission is the immediate milestone, while the next Amazon Leo mission would provide another chance to build momentum before the year ends.
For now, the key detail is simple: Vulcan is no longer sitting at an open-ended point on the calendar. It has a no-earlier-than date, another mission planned, and a possible path to higher launch frequency next year.
Falcon 9 faces an unusual countdown delay
SpaceX had planned a Falcon 9 launch for early Monday morning, but the mission was scrubbed during the final minute of the count. SpaceX did not provide a reason for the abort. The mission would launch a new batch of data satellites for the United States Space Force’s Space Development Agency.
The next launch attempt was targeted for Tuesday, October 6, but that attempt was waved off. The mission was then rescheduled for no earlier than Saturday, October 10, giving the launch team another opportunity to send the satellites into orbit.
The Falcon 9 first stage assigned to the mission is B1103. This will be the booster’s sixth flight, following launches for the SDA’s T1TL-E, NROL-179, and three batches of Starlink satellites.
A scrub in the final minute stands out because Falcon 9 missions often rely on flight-proven boosters, including B1103. Still, the available facts provide no reason for this abort, so the important update is the schedule change and the booster’s flight history.
South Korea adds another Nuri success
South Korea successfully deployed five satellites for its first domestically launched microsatellite constellation during the fifth flight of its Nuri rocket. The Korea AeroSpace Administration reported that nine of the rocket’s 10 CubeSat secondary payloads were released as planned.
One payload did not separate. PERSAT-02, developed by South Korean startup Quaternion, remained attached to the rocket. The mission therefore delivered most of its planned secondary payloads, but not all of them.
Nuri’s flight record has now reached four consecutive successes after its debut flight failed in 2021. The small-lift rocket’s overall launch success rate is 80 percent, placing the latest mission within a longer effort to build South Korea’s domestic launch capability.
Smaller launch companies reset their plans
HyImpulse has pushed the second flight of its SR75 suborbital rocket into spring 2027. The German launch startup completed the rocket’s initial test flight on May 3, 2024, so the upcoming mission will mark the second SR75 flight.
The flight from SaxaVord will also be HyImpulse’s first SR75 mission to carry commercial payloads. That gives the delayed mission a different role from the initial test flight, with the company moving from its first demonstration toward a flight that includes paying customers.
Rocket Factory Augsburg has also changed leadership. Its Supervisory Board appointed Alexander Dahm as CEO, replacing Indulis Kalnins. Dahm brings 30 years of aerospace experience, including involvement with the Ariane 5 program.
The leadership change follows the loss of Rocket Factory Augsburg’s first stage during a static-fire test in 2024. With Dahm now in charge, the company has a new CEO whose aerospace background includes one of Europe’s major launch programs.
Europe gives SALTO more time
The European Commission extended the deadline for the SALTO reusable launcher project to the end of 2026. That decision keeps the project open longer as Europe works through its reusable-launcher plans.
Taken together, these updates show a launch industry moving through a mix of progress, delays, and schedule changes. Vulcan is nearing its return-to-flight mission, Falcon 9 is working through a scrub and two revised targets, Nuri has added another successful mission, and smaller European launch projects are adjusting their next steps.
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