"SpaceX's Rivalry: Endeavour's Vertical Ascent"

SpaceX's Falcon 9 remains the primary US launch vehicle for crew and cargo service to the International Space Station, while Virgin Galactic conducts its first suborbital mission of 2024 and plans to retire its current spaceplane. Iran successfully launches three small satellites into orbit, Rocket Lab kicks off its 2024 launch year with a recovery Electron mission, and PLD Space wins government backing for its small launch vehicle. Additionally, a Japanese company sets a launch date for its small rocket, SpaceX launches a Northrop Grumman-owned Cygnus supply ship for the first time, and the European Space Agency prepares to dismantle an Ariane 6 rocket for its maiden flight. Lastly, the Pentagon approaches SpaceX about potentially taking over Starship for sensitive missions, and NASA's retired space shuttle Endeavour is displayed vertically at the California Science Center.