US Space Launch Facilities Face Capacity Crisis Amid Rocket Launch Surge; Isar Aerospace Secures First Asian Customer for Spectrum Rocket

U.S. space launch executives are warning that current launch facilities may soon be overwhelmed by the projected increase in rocket launches, potentially hindering U.S. competitiveness. Concerns were raised by executives from Blue Origin, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) at the Air & Space Forces Association's Warfare Conference. They emphasized the need for infrastructure upgrades to support multiple daily launches, a tempo that current government-run launch ranges at Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg Space Force Base are not equipped to handle. Congress has authorized changes allowing space launch companies to pay for infrastructure upgrades, and the Space Force is revising policies to accept in-kind contributions from commercial companies. In related news, Japanese microgravity services startup ElevationSpace has become the first Asian customer for Germany's Isar Aerospace, booking a launch in the second half of 2026 for its AOBA spacecraft. Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket, designed to deliver up to 1,000 kilograms to LEO, has completed static-fire testing and awaits final regulatory approval for its first flight from Andøya Spaceport in Norway.