NASA is preparing for Artemis II's April launch after clearing a critical review, opting to skip another fueling test on the Space Launch System rocket. The mission, targeting April 1 at 6:24 pm EDT, will carry astronauts around the Moon for the first time since the Apollo era. NASA added an extra launch date to its window, with both April 1 and 2 offering sunset liftoffs that should please spectators.

Firefly Aerospace successfully returned its Alpha rocket to flight Wednesday, launching a technology demonstration mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The two-stage rocket reached orbit eight minutes after liftoff, with its upper stage later reigniting to demonstrate restart capability needed for orbit insertion. This seventh Alpha flight follows last year's launch failure and test stand fire, with Firefly billing it as validation for its upcoming Block II configuration featuring in-house avionics and enhanced thermal protection.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is dramatically increasing missile production, ordering 78 SM-3 Block IB interceptors worth over $1.36 billion to bolster defenses against ballistic missiles. This push comes amid heightened urgency following US strikes on Iran and increased missile threats in the Middle East. Rocket Lab also launched a confidential satellite March 5, likely for Earth observation company BlackSky, marking its second undisclosed customer mission in four months.