Elon Musk’s SpaceX restored some of its luster Jan. 14 with the launch of a Falcon 9 for the first time since an on-pad explosion on Sept. 1.

New Zealand-based space launch company Rocket Lab has completed the qualification of the second stage of the Electron launch vehicle which will be lofted from a newly constructed site on the east coast of the country’s North Island.

Built for Paris-based Eutelsat and Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) of Bermuda, the electric propulsion spacecraft need eight months to reach their final orbit, creating a lag between their March 1 launch and their ability to generate revenue.

NASA is asking for $500 million more in fiscal 2016 than it received from Congress last year to try to meet its many obligations.

Virgin Galactic is 90% through the structural build of its second SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle and plans to assume control of the test program from its development partner Scaled Composites when flights resume later this year.