SpaceX skips three military bids as Spain finalizes rocket

SpaceX has turned down three launch contracts from the United States Space Force, according to the October 23 Rocket Report.

The company reportedly informed the military branch of its decision with a polite refusal. This development represents one of two major updates regarding the firm released on Thursday.

A separate update from NASA involves a safety review of the Starship spacecraft. A NASA safety panel determined that the vehicle may require up to 22 refueling operations to support a landing on the moon. This figure indicates the high logistical demand of the proposed mission architecture.

In Spain, PLD Space is completing the final integration of its Miura 5 rocket. Aviation Week reports that the small-lift vehicle is scheduled for its first flight next year. The company has set a goal to launch before the midpoint of 2027.

PLD Space has constructed three Miura 5 rockets. CEO Raúl Torres stated on October 19 that two of the vehicles are designated to qualify key system elements. Building the full set of three has allowed engineering teams to maintain continuous work across production and integration phases.

Torres noted that manufacturing the trio enabled the application of lessons from each qualification campaign directly to the flight vehicle. One second stage is now fully integrated and is located at the Teruel test facility. This stage will undergo a wet dress rehearsal and a static hot-fire test to verify performance under representative operating conditions.

In Canada, startup Reaction Dynamics is seeking to raise $350 million to expand its operations. The funding would increase the company's workforce from 68 employees to more than 350. The firm is developing a small-lift rocket named Aurora, which it aims to send to orbit in 2028. It also plans to debut a medium-lift vehicle called Borealis by 2031.