Rocket Lab and Blue Origin have entered SpaceX's arena

The article highlights the emerging competition challenging SpaceX's longstanding dominance in the medium-lift rocket launch market. Rocket Lab, a New Zealand and US-based company, recently opened its first launch pad for the Neutron rocket at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. Neutron is a reusable medium-lift vehicle designed to restore balance to the sector, which has been dominated by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 for nearly a decade. With a payload capacity of 13,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit and innovative features like a reusable captive fairing called the "Hungry Hippo," Neutron aims to compete directly with Falcon 9’s proven reliability and high launch cadence. Meanwhile, SpaceX continues to push boundaries with its Starship rocket, which recently completed a successful tenth integrated flight test, deploying Starlink simulator satellites and demonstrating controlled splashdowns of both its upper stage and booster. Falcon 9 remains the industry benchmark with over 530 flights and a success rate of approximately 99.44%. Blue Origin