Rocket Report: SpaceX seeks 20km hop license, why Rocket Lab funder left

Enlarge / The mighty "Dominator" Atlas V 541 goes supersonic with our newest Mars rover. (credit: Trevor Mahlmann)

Welcome to Edition 3.10 of the Rocket Report! Now that Mars Perseverance is safely on its way to the Red Planet, we're happy to congratulate space agencies in the UAE, China, and the United States on successful launches to Mars this summer. It's great to go three-for-three in the 2020 launch window. In February, we'll see how many safely reach their final destination.

As always, we welcome reader submissions, and if you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below. Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets, perhaps a little snark, as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.

Virgin Galactic unveils look of interior cabin. Virgin Galactic has released the first images of what the interior of its VSS Unity spacecraft will look like. The design shows a seating capacity for up to six passengers who will fly on board the rocket-powered space plane, crest at an altitude above 80km, and experience a few minutes of weightlessness. The company says it plans for one or two more powered tests, followed by final test flights from New Mexico, before commencing a full commercial service for passengers.

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