Space exploration is heating up, and America is once again leading the charge – thanks in large part to SpaceX and its revolutionary approach to launching rockets.
Earlier this month, SpaceX described how its Falcon rockets are transforming America’s “Space Coast” into a high-speed hub, where launches occur almost as frequently as planes take off at some airports. In 2025 alone, SpaceX’s Falcon rockets are reportedly on track to launch more than 100 times from Florida.
SpaceX has even built new systems to expedite these launches, such as methane and oxygen production facilities on-site for its Starship rocket, aiming to ensure that its launches are not disrupted.
“For the first time in history, there is a concerted effort from several fronts to break the mold of what’s considered conventionally possible when it comes to launching rockets. An effort to advance from the staid stance of slow and cumbersome operations when launching people and payloads to outer space into a dynamic future more akin to what hundreds of millions experience every year via the world’s airports,” the company wrote in an update published on September 18.
SpaceX and NASA have collaborated once again – this time on a new weather mapping mission.
On September 24, a SpaceX Falcon 9 carried three spacecraft into orbit, including NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP).
The mission will monitor solar winds and space weather, which can disrupt satellites, power grids, and even astronauts working in the International Space Station (ISS). According to WhoIsInSpace.com, there are ten total astronauts listed as in space, as of September 25, seven of whom are currently at the ISS.
“This successful launch advances the space weather readiness of our nation to better protect our satellites, interplanetary missions, and space-faring astronauts from the dangers of space weather throughout the solar system,” said NASA Administrator Sean Duffy, “This insight will be critical as we prepare for future missions to the Moon and Mars in our endeavor to keep America first in space.”
Together, NASA and SpaceX are demonstrating that a well-coordinated space program can serve both science and America’s broader national interests. Quick commercial rocket launches combined with new research missions mean the U.S. maintains its edge in technology and national security. Now, Elon Musk’s vision of a “multiplanetary” future feels closer than ever, and it’s being built right here on American soil.
Who is in Space?
Currently, 10 astronauts are in orbit across three stations:
ISS – SpaceX Crew-11 (launched August 1, 2025)
- Zena Cardman (USA) – 55 days
- Michael Fincke (USA) – 436 days
- Kimiya Yui (Japan) – 196 days
- Oleg Platonov (Russia) – 55 days
ISS – Soyuz MS-27 (launched April 8, 2025)
- Jonny Kim (USA) – 170 days
- Sergey Ryzhikov (Russia) – 528 days
- Alexey Zubritsky (Russia) – 170 days
Tiangong Space Station – Shenzhou 20 (launched April 24, 2025)
- Chen Dong (China) – 369 days
- Chen Zhongrui (China) – 154 days
- Wang Jie (China) – 154 days