Spaceflight Daily Report, Thursday 15th October 2026

CRS-35 approaches the ISS. Image credit: NASA.

Arrival of CRS-35

The SpaceX CRS-35 mission, which launched on Tuesday, arrived at the International Space Station today and docked with the zenith port of the Harmony module at 1427 UTC. Anil Menon (MS-29, NASA) and Joshua Kutryk (Crew-13, CSA) monitored the spacecraft's approach from inside the station. The Cargo Dragon being used for the mission is C211, on its 4th flight, which was previously used for CRS-26, 29, and 33. The 2867 kg of cargo includes a fourth pair of iROSA roll-out solar arrays to supplement the station's ageing power supply, which will be installed during two upcoming spacewalks. CRS-35 will remain docked to the station for a few weeks and is expected to return to Earth in mid-November. Its return cargo will include one of the station's spacesuits, which will be refurbished on Earth then sent back up on a future mission. [Source: NASA]

Launch of USSF-481

At time of writing, this mission had not launched. The following text is a placeholder assuming a successful launch, which may contain inaccurate information. It will be updated tomorrow morning.

PLACEHOLDER: SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg in California at 2357 UTC, or 1657 local time (PDT). This was carrying USSF-481, a classified mission for the United States Space Force, likely to be a batch of military communications satellites. More information about the number of satellites launched should become available in the coming days. This was the 697th flight of the Falcon 9, and the 28th flight of booster B1081, which successfully landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. [Source: SpaceX]

ION SCV Deployments

The United States Space Force are tracking five new Earth observation satellites in orbit belonging to American company Planet Labs, designated Flock 4J-1 through 5. These were launched as part of the Transporter-18 rideshare mission earlier this month and deployed recently, possibly by one of Italian company D-Orbit's ION satellite carrier vehicles. Additionally, D-Orbit announced today that ION SCV Alluring Alexander yesterday deployed MOI-1A, a computing satellite operated by the Indian company TakeMe2Space. [Source: Space-Track.org, D-Orbit]

Other notes

• The launch of a Ceres 1S has been scheduled for no earlier than 21st October. [Source: Next Spaceflight]
• The launch of a Long March 8A has been scheduled for no earlier than 22nd October. [Source: Next Spaceflight]
• The launch of a Long March 4B has been scheduled for no earlier than 23rd October. [Source: Next Spaceflight]
• The UK Space Agency have selected Swiss company ClearSpace to build and operate the UK Active Debris Removal mission, aiming to launch in 2029. [Source: ClearSpace]
• NASA's analysis of the Artemis II heat shield confirms it performed much better than during Artemis I, and that the design should be safe to use for future missions. [Source: NASA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Wednesday 14th October 2026

Zhuque 2E lifts off. Image credit: Landspace.

Launch of Zhuque 2E Rideshare

LandSpace launched a Zhuque 2E Block 2 from Jiuquan in Gansu at 1140 UTC, or 1940 local time (CST). This was a rideshare mission carrying ten satellites to Sun-synchronous orbit. Eight of them were computing satellites for the Three-Body constellation operated by ADA Space (Guoxing), designated XSD-39 and XSD-44 through 50. The other two were laser communications test satellites developed by LandTower (Lanta Zhineng), a subsidiary of LandSpace, designated LT-03 and 04. This was the 10th flight of Zhuque 2. [Source: LandSpace]

International Space Station Activities

The crew of the International Space Station is preparing for tomorrow's arrival of the SpaceX CRS-35 cargo resupply mission, which launched yesterday. Anil Menon and Joshua Kutryk will be on duty to monitor the approach and docking of the Cargo Dragon spacecraft. Today Menon transferred Earth observation hardware between modules and Kutryk cleaned some science racks. Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney began preparing a spacesuit for its return to Earth on CRS-35 for refurbishment. Meanwhile in the Russian segment, Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina continued testing the Teledroid controller, and Sergey Tetryatnikov updated the software that controls the European Robotic Arm. [Source: NASA]

NASA also announced today that they have scheduled two spacewalks to install the two new International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays (IROSA) being delivered by CRS-35. Anil Menon and Joshua Kutryk will head outside on 29th October and 5th November 2026, and install one IROSA on each spacewalk. [Source: NASA]

Other notes

• The debut flight of Rocket Lab's reusable Neutron rocket has officially slipped to no earlier than 2027 following discovery of a defect in one of its components. [Source: Rocket Lab]
• The launch of Starlink Group 15-16 aboard a Falcon 9 has been scheduled for no earlier than 24th October. [Source: SpaceX]
• The launch of Amazon Leo LE-04 aboard an Ariane 6 has been scheduled for no earlier than 23rd November. Arianespace have reportedly resolved an issue they were having with one of the rocket's turbopumps. [Source: Amazon]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Tuesday 13th October 2026

CRS-35 lifts off. Image credit: SpaceX.

Launch of Starlink Group 15-25

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg in California at 0028 UTC, or 1728 Monday afternoon local time (PDT). This was carrying Starlink Group 15-25, the latest batch of 27 Starlink v2-mini satellites for the constellation. It was the 695th flight of the Falcon 9, and the 20th flight of booster B1088, which successfully landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. [Source: SpaceX]

Launch of SpaceX CRS-35

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 1033 UTC, or 0633 local time (EDT). This was carrying SpaceX CRS-35, a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. The Cargo Dragon being used for the mission is C211, on its 4th flight, which was previously used for CRS-26, 29, and 33. The 2867 kg of cargo includes a fourth pair of iROSA roll-out solar arrays to supplement the station's ageing power supply, which will be installed during a future spacewalk, as well as a new toilet. CRS-35 is expected to dock with the zenith port of the Harmony module on Thursday, and will remain at the station for a few weeks before returning to Earth. This was the 696th flight of the Falcon 9, and the 8th flight of booster B1096, which performed a boostback burn and successfully landed at Cape Canaveral's Landing Zone 40. [Source: SpaceX, NASA]

International Space Station Activities

The crew of the International Space Station performed routine research and maintenance while they wait for the arrival of CRS-35. Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina practised with the Teledroid controller. Jessica Watkins serviced 3D printing hardware and the Astrobee robot. Luke Delaney serviced a spacesuit jetpack and set up an ultrasound scanner for remote servicing by engineers on the ground. Anil Menon and Joshua Kutryk cleaned and inspected a science freezer. Watkins, Delaney, and Menon also underwent eye checks. Sergey Teteryatnikov cleaned smoke detectors. [Source: NASA]

(Missed) Missile Tests

In addition to last week's French missile test, there have been two other missile tests in recent days which reached heights great enough to qualify as suborbital spaceflights:

• On 2nd October, North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile from Wonsan towards the Sea of Japan at 2136 UTC, or 0636 local time (KST). It achieved a maximum altitude of around 90 km. [Source: Japanese Ministry of Defense]
• On the morning of 9th October, the United States Air Force launched a Minotaur I missile from Vandenberg in California. It was carrying an unarmed Mk21A re-entry vehicle. [Source: Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center]
• Two missiles launched by North Korea on 12th October probably did not exceed an altitute of 80 km, so won't be counted as spaceflights in this month's statistics. [Source: Japanese Ministry of Defense]

(Missed) Deployment of Payloads from OSSIE

OSSIE, a space tug operated by Spanish company UARX Space which launched on SpaceX Transporter-18, deployed three payloads on 2nd October; HADES-L and UNNE-1B for AMSAT Spain, and ERMINAZ-2U for AMSAT Germany. All three are amateur radio satellites. [Source: Jonathan McDowell's GCAT]

Other notes

• Voyager Technology's Griffin-1 lander has completed several critical tests. Next, it will be integrated with Astrolab's FLIP rover and prepared for launch later this year under the mission designation Moon Base I. [Source: NASA]
• Astronaut Christina Koch has taken on the role of NASA's deputy chief engineer. With this promotion, none of the Artemis II crew remain on the roster for future missions; Jeremy Hansen left the CSA in July, and Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover became emeriti in September. [Source: NASA]
• NASA have completed stacking for the boosters of the SLS rocket aiming to launch the Artemis III mission next year. There is still a great deal more work to be done before the rocket is ready for launch. [Source: NASA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Monday 12th October 2026

Path of Perseverance. Image credit: NASA.

There were no major events today.

Other notes

• NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has set an off-world driving distance record, surpassing the 45 km record previously held by Opportunity. [Source: NASA]
• The astronauts aboard the International Space Station had the day off for the US Columbus Day federal holiday, which also meant there was no daily blog post from NASA.
• Rocket Lab have announced names and target dates for their next three Electron missions. [Source: Rocket Lab]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Sunday 11th October 2026

Taikonauts aboard Tiangong. Image credit: CMSA.

Tiangong Activities

The CMSA published their weekly video on the activities of the taikonauts aboard the Tiangong space station. Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Lai Ka-Ying replaced experiment samples, trained for rendezvous and docking procedures, serviced life support systems, and carried out routine exercise and cleaning. [Source: CMSA]

Starship Flight 15 Updates

During a speech at a Tesla Owners event yesterday, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gave some updates on Starship Flight 15. As usual he downplayed the engine failures of the previous flight, then stated that Flight 15 will feature a catch attempt of the rocket's upper stage. If this is successful, Flight 16 would then aim to achieve the first ever reflight of a full orbital rocket stack. Musk estimated Flight 15 will take place in mid to late November. [Source: Elon Musk]

Ship 40, which unexpectedly survived its splashdown after Starship Flight 13, is back at Starbase Texas after an 11-week journey from the Indian Ocean. [Source: NSF]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Saturday 10th October 2026

Falcon launch. Image credit: SpaceX.

Launch of Tranche 1 Transport Layer A

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg in California at 0739 UTC, or 0039 local time (PDT), delayed multiple times from its initial launch window on Monday. It was carrying Tranche 1 Transport Layer A, the 4th batch of 21 military communication satellites for the United States Space Force's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) Tranche 1 Transport Layer constellation, manufactured by Northrop Grumman. This was the 694th flight of the Falcon 9, and the 6th flight of booster B1103, which performed a boostback burn and successfully landed at Vandenberg's Landing Zone 4. [Source: SpaceX]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Friday 9th October 2026

NG-24 departs the ISS. Image credit: NASA.

Launch of SatNet LEO Group 27

SAST, a subsidiary of China Aerospace (CASC), launched a Long March 12 (Chang Zheng 12) from Wenchang in Hainan at 1927 UTC, or 0327 Saturday morning local time (CST). This was carrying SatNet LEO (Guowang) Group 27, the latest batch of nine satellites for China SatNet's internet constellation. This was the 9th flight of the Long March 12, which is settling into a monthly launch cadence, and the 11th flight of the Long March 12 family. [Source: SAST]

Departure of Cygnus NG-24

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL S.S. Steven R. Nagel spacecraft, serving the NG-24 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station, was unberthed from the nadir port of the station's Unity module at 1644 UTC with the help of the Canadarm2 robotic arm. It has spent six months berthed to the station. It is scheduled to de-orbit and be destroyed in the atmosphere on Monday. As well as waste from the station, it is carrying twelve small re-entry capsules each with experimental heat shields to test new designs and materials. [Source: NASA]

NASA Formally Requests Proposals for Private Space Stations

NASA have issued a final request for proposals for "low Earth orbit destinations" for American astronauts following the decommissioning of the International Space Station, which is currently planned for the early 2030s. Proposals are due by early December, with contracts set to be awarded in spring 2027. This follows a draft proposal issued back in July. Several companies are already designing or building commercial space stations that could potentially replace the ISS. [Source: NASA]

Other notes

• During the final day of the International Aeronautical Congress in Antalya, Turkey the convention space was opened to the public. [Source: IAF]
• Voyager Technologies are retiring the Astrobotic brand name following their acquisition of the company. Missions like the upcoming Griffin-1 Moon lander will now be carried out under the Voyager brand. [Source: Astrobotic]

UPDATE: The US Air Force launched a Minotaur I missile that reached space on this day. See 13th October 2026 for details.

Spaceflight Daily Report, Thursday 8th October 2026

Crew-12 splashdown. Image credit: NASA/Keegan Barber.

Splashdown of Crew-12

The SpaceX Crew-12 mission de-orbited and splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean at 1534 UTC, following their undocking from the International Space Station yesterday. Crew Dragon Freedom returned to Earth with its four crew; American NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, French ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Russian Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. This completes their eight month mission to the station as part of Expeditions 74 and 75. There are now ten people in space; three Americans, three Russians, and one Canadian aboard the ISS, and three Chinese aboard Tiangong. [Source: NASA]

VSS Unity Glide Flight

Virgin Galactic carried out a low altitude glide flight of their SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity today, to provide their pilots with more practice ahead of the first glide tests of their new Delta-class SpaceShip, which are meant to be starting soon. This was overall the 35th flight of Unity. [Source: Virgin Galactic]

Other notes

• TESS reaches 1000 confirmed exoplanets. [Source: NASA]
• American Airlines to equip passenger fleet with Starlink terminals. [Source: American Airlines]
• Starship Flights 15 and 16 pushed back to at least 8th November and 10th December respectively. [Source: SpaceNotices]
• Blue Origin announces new factory in Texas. [Source: Blue Origin]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Wednesday 7th October 2026

Nuri launches from Naro Space Center. Image credit: KARI.

Launch of Nuri Rideshare

The Korean Advanced Research Institute (KARI) launched a Nuri (KSLV-2) rocket from the Naro Space Center in South Korea at 0325 UTC, or 1225 local time (KST). The primary payloads were NeonSat-2 to 6, a batch of five Sun-synchronous Earth observation satellites for the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Additionally, the rocket delivered ten rideshare payloads. One of them, Quarternion's PERSAT-02, failed to deploy, but the other nine were successfully released into orbit. A list of all the successfully deployed payloads is available beneath the "read more" break. This was the 5th flight of Nuri, and South Korea's first orbital launch of 2026. [Source: The Korea Herald]

Departure of Crew-12

Crew Dragon Freedom, carrying the crew of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission, undocked from the International Space Station at 1205 UTC after a stay of eight months. Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, and Andrey Fedyaev are expected to re-enter tomorrow and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean at approximately 1534 UTC. Their departure brings the population of the station from ten down to its regular seven. [Source: NASA]

Artemis II Preliminary Science Report

NASA have released to the public all the remaining science data from the Artemis II flyby of the Moon. The 800 gigabyte release includes 11,000 photographs and 8.5 hours of crew audio. [Source: NASA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Tuesday 6th October 2026

French President Emmanuel Macron observes the M51 launch.

Test Fire of M51.3 Missile

The French Navy launched an M51.3 missile from the submarine Le Vigilant off the coast of Finistère in France this morning. This was a test fire of the newly upgraded missile, built by ArianeGroup, and it was not carrying a payload. It entered a suborbital trajectory and likely achieved a maximum altitude of around 2000km before re-entering and splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean. [Source: DefenseNews]

Further Delay to Tranche 1 Transport Layer A

SpaceX have announced that the Tranche 1 Transport Layer A mission for the United States Space Force, originally scheduled to launch yesterday and rescheduled to today following a pad abort, has now been delayed further to Thursday. [Source: SpaceX]

International Space Station Activities

Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina spent today setting up hardware to test the controller for Teledroid, a new robot that will operate outside the station. Anil Menon carried out exercise research. The crew of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission (Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, and Andrey Fedyaev) finalised preparations for their departure from the station tomorrow, and are scheduled to re-enter and splashdown in the Pacific early on Thursday. Meanwhile the recently arrived Crew-13 have begun their research duties. Jessica Watkins performed research into blood clots, Luke Delaney performed research into sleep and stress, Joshua Kutryk underwent an ultrasound scan administered by Adenot, and Sergey Teteryatnikov performed research into the respiratory system. [Source: NASA]

(Missed) Launch of MAPHEUS-17

A suborbital spaceflight occurred on 1st October 2026 but was missed in that day's report. The German Aerospace Centre (DLR) launched an RK-IM sounding rocket from Esrange in Sweden at 0651 UTC, or 0851 local time (CEST). This carried the MAPHEUS-17 mission, a collection of small scientific payloads, to an altitude of 291km. The RK-IM consists of a Red Kite first stage and an Improved Malemute second stage. [Source: SSC Space]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Monday 5th October 2026

The IAC 2026 opening ceremony. Image credit: IAC2026.

Scrub of Tranche 1 Transport Layer A

SpaceX were scheduled to launch a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg in California carrying the Tranche 1 Transport Layer A mission today, but the flight was aborted by the rocket's computer shortly before ignition. There will be another launch attempt tomorrow. [Source: SpaceX]

International Space Station Activities

Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, and Andrey Fedyaev continued preparations for their departure from the International Space Station on Wednesday. Also departing later this week is the Cygnus NG-24 cargo resupply mission; Hathaway and Anil Menon spent some of today loading it with obsolete hardware and other waste ahead of its re-entry, during which it will be destroyed. Joshua Kutryk studied procedures for the arrival of the following cargo resupply, SpaceX's Cargo Dragon CRS-35 mission. [Source: NASA]

International Astronautical Congress

The 2026 International Astronautical Congress has begun in Antalya, Turkey. The week-long event is being attended by organisations from across the world, and a handful of announcements are expected. China's focus was expanding international cooperation in their crewed and lunar endeavours. The European Space Agency is focused on maintaining access to space for its research and astronauts following the scheduled decommissioning of the ISS. The ESA delegation also appeared to confirm that Artemis III is now aiming to launch in late 2027 rather than mid 2027. [Source: Jeff Foust]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Sunday 4th October 2026

The ISS change of command ceremony. Image credit: NASA.

International Space Station Activities

Today, Jessica Meir handed command of the International Space Station over to Pyotr Dubrov, who will remain in command until the conclusion of Expedition 75. Meir and the rest of Crew-12 are scheduled to depart the station and return to Earth on Wednesday. [Source: NASA]

Tiangong Activities

CMSA released their weekly video on the activities of the taikonauts aboard the Tiangong space station. Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Lai Ka-Ying performed metabolism research, took cognitive assessments in different lighting conditions, installed a new module and performed maintenance in the research cabinets, serviced the life support systems, and took medical examinations to monitor how their bodies are adapting to zero-G. [Source: CMSA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Saturday 3rd October 2026

Jessica Meir records the view from her temporary quarters aboard Crew Dragon Freedom.

Crew-12 Departure Scheduled

The crew of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission (Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, and Andrey Fedyaev) will aim to return to Earth aboard Crew Dragon Freedom no earlier than Wednesday, 7th September, pending a review of weather conditions at the target splashdown area. Their newly arrived replacements, Crew-13, are acclimatising to life in space. [Source: NASA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Friday 2nd October 2026

Crew-12 pose for a portrait ahead of their departure next week. Image credit: NASA/Anil Menon

International Space Station Activities

The crew of the SpaceX Crew-13 mission, having docked to the forward port of the International Space Station's Harmony module late last night, opened the hatch and joined the rest of the station's crew at 0119 UTC this morning. Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney, Joshua Kutryk, and Sergey Teteryatnikov are expected to spend around five months aboard the station. The station's crew were off duty for most of today, as they will be working over the weekend. With the arrival of Crew-13, the preceding Crew-12 mission (Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, and Andrey Fedyaev) will make preparations to head back to Earth, possibly as soon as Monday. The crew of the Soyuz MS-29 mission (Pyotr Dubrov, Anna Kikina, and Anil Menon) will remain on the station along with Crew-13. Meir is expected to pass command of the station to Dubrov on Sunday. [Source: NASA]

Launch of NROL-97

SpaceX launched a Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 0354 UTC, or 2354 local time (EDT). This mission was designated NROL-97, and it was carrying a classified payload for the United States National Reconnaissance Office. This was the 14th flight of the Falcon Heavy. It was the 2nd and 4th flight of side boosters B1104 and B1072, which each performed a boostback burn and returned to land at Cape Canaveral's landing zones 1 and 2. It was the first and only flight of the expendable central booster, B1106. [Source: SpaceX]

UPDATE: North Korea launched a ballistic missile that reached space on this day. See 13th October 2026 for details.

UPDATE: UARX Space's OSSIE satellite deployed three payloads into orbit on this day. See 13th October 2026 for details.

Spaceflight Daily Report, Thursday 1st October 2026

Crew-13 aboard Grace. Image credit: NASA

Launch of SpaceX Crew-13

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 1510 UTC, or 1110 local time (EDT). This was carrying SpaceX Crew-13, a Crew Dragon spacecraft (Grace) carrying two Americans, one Canadian, and one Russian to the International Space Station. The spacecraft docked to the forward port of the Harmony module at 2305 UTC, just eight hours after launch, which is a new record for a US spacecraft. Hatch opening will occur after midnight UTC and will be covered in tomorrow's report. This was the 692nd flight of the Falcon 9, the 2nd flight of Crew Dragon Grace, and the 3rd flight of booster B1101, which performed a boostback burn and successfully landed at Cape Canaveral's Landing Zone 40. [Source: SpaceX]

The crew will join Expedition 75, and are expected to remain on the station for around five months. The mission commander is NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, a geologist who got her start at NASA working on various robotic Mars missions. This is her second spaceflight; she previously flew on SpaceX Crew-4 back in 2022, when she became the first Black woman to serve on a long-duration ISS mission, and as of today she is the first person to fly on two different Crew Dragon missions. The mission's pilot is NASA astronaut Luke Delaney, who became a test pilot for NASA after retiring from the Marine Corps. This is his first spaceflight. The first of the two mission specialists is Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk. He joined the CSA after a career as a test pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Force. This is also his first spaceflight. And finally, the second mission specialist is Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. Before being selected as a cosmonaut, he worked as a submarine engineer for the Russian Navy. This is his first spaceflight as well. The three first-timers are jointly the 649th people to achieve orbit, the 744th people to fly above 100km (the FAI definition of space), and the 785th people to fly above 50mi (the US definition of space). There are now 14 people in orbit: five Americans, four Russians, three Chinese, one Canadian, and one French. There are also currently five women in orbit, matching the record first set in 2022. [Source: NASA]

Launch of Transporter-18

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg in California at 1832 UTC, or 1132 local time (PDT). This was Transporter-18, the latest SpaceX rideshare mission carrying a reported 130 payloads to Sun-synchronous orbit, including satellites for communication, Earth observation, medical manufacturing, technology demonstrations, orbital servicing, and orbital transfers. The full launch manifest can be found beneath the "read more" break. This was the 693rd flight of the Falcon 9, and the 25th flight of booster B1082, which performed a boostback burn and successfully landed at Vandenberg's Landing Zone 4. [Source: SpaceX]

UPDATE: An RK-IM suborbital spaceflight took place on this day. See 6th October 2026 for details.

Statistics for September 2026

List of humans who were in space during this month:

Name	Flight	Spacecraft	Days in space
			Mission	Total
Jessica Meir	2nd	ISS	229	434
Andrey Fedyaev	2nd			415
Jack Hathaway	1st			229
Sophie Adenot	1st			229
Zhu Yangzhu	2nd	Tiangong	129	283
Zhang Zhiyuan	1st			129
Lai Ka-Ying	1st			129
Pyotr Dubrov	2nd	ISS	78	433
Anna Kikina	2nd			235
Anil Menon	1st			78

Population of space during this month:

Nationality				Total	Gender
CN	FR	RU	US		M	W
3	1	3	3	10	6	4

EVAs conducted during this month:

Name	EVA	Spacecraft	Duration	EVA time (cumulative)
Jessica Meir	7th	ISS	6hr 49min	49hr 22min
Sophie Adenot	3rd			19hr 42min

Orbital launches by rocket:

Rocket		Manufacturer		Country
Falcon 9	7	SpaceX	8	United States			12
Starship	1
Electron	4	Rocket Lab	4
Long March 2D	1	China Aerospace (CASC)	5	China			10
Long March 4B	1
Long March 6A	1
Long March 8A	1
Long March 12	1
Kuaizhou 11	1	CASIC	1
Kinetica 1	1	CAS Space	1
Pallas 1	1	Galactic Energy	1
Zhuque 2	1	LandSpace	1
Gravity 1	1	Orienspace	1
Spectrum	1	Isar Aerospace	1	Germany	1	Europe	2
Vega C	1	Avio	1	Italy	1
Soyuz 2.1b	2	Roscosmos	2	Russia			2
GSLV Mk. II	1	ISRO	1	India			1
Total	27

Orbital launches by launch site:

Launch site		Country
Jiuquan	5	China			10
Taiyuan	2
Wenchang	2
East China Sea	1
Vandenberg	6	United States			8
Cape Canaveral	1
Starbase Texas	1
Māhia	4	New Zealand			4
Kourou	1	France	1	Europe	2
Andøya	1	Norway	1
Satish Dhawan	1	India			1
Baikonur	1	Kazakhstan			1
Plesetsk	1	Russia			1
Total	27

No suborbital launches occurred this month, as far as the public know.

New orbital payloads by operator (some payloads may be missing or misattributed):

Operator		Country
SpaceX	107	United States			171
United States Space Force	63
BlackSky	1
Shanghai Spacecom	19	China			58
China SatNet	18
People's Liberation Army	3
StarRF	3
Northwestern Polytechnical University	2
SpaceTy	2
China Aerospace (CASC)	1
Chinese Academy of Sciences	1
Galactic Energy	1
Pengcheng Laboratory	1
Supercomputing	1
Undisclosed operators	6
SES	3	Luxembourg	3	Europe	10
European Space Agency	2	Europe	2
TU Wien	1	Austria	1
EnduroSat	1	Bulgaria	1
TU Berlin	1	Germany	1
Norwegian University of Science and Technology	1	Norway	1
University of Maribor	1	Slovenia	1
Synspective	3	Japan			3
Roscosmos	2	Russia			2
Indian Space Research Organisation	1	India			1
Total	245

< Last month's stats | Next month's stats >

Spaceflight Daily Report, Wednesday 30th September 2026

The current crew of the International Space Station. Image credit: NASA.

International Space Station Activities

Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, and Anil Menon prepared for tomorrow's arrival of SpaceX Crew-13 by reorganising cargo and staging supplies that could be needed when the new astronauts arrive. Sophie Adenot performed exercise research and practised a simulated Moon landing. Andrey Fedyaev continued testing the negative pressure suit to reacclimatise his body to regular gravity. Anna Kikina continued unloading the Progress MS-35 cargo spacecraft while Pyotr Dubrov performed maintenance of life support systems and computers. [Source: NASA]

The weather forecast at Cape Canaveral currently shows a 55% chance of favourable conditions for the launch of Crew-13 tomorrow. [United States Space Force]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Tuesday 29th September 2026

Concept art of a future European space station. Image credit: ESA.

International Space Station Activities

The crew of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission (Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, and Andrey Fedyaev) spent today packing the Dragon spacecraft for their return to Earth. They are expected to leave a few days after the arrival of Crew-13. Anil Menon assisted with preparations for their departure. Meanwhile, Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina installed a new gas analyzer in the Zvezda module for monitoring the station's air quality, then Dubrov unloaded water from Progress MS-35 and Kikina set up Earth observation equipment. [Source: NASA]

Feasibility Study for Potential European Space Station

The European Space Agency announced they have contracted two groups to conduct a feasibility study into the concept of a European orbital space station following the conclusion of the International Space Station project in the early 2030s. This does not mean Europe will actually build a space station, as it is much more likely they will instead participate in the commercial space stations being planned in the United States, but it does show ESA are interested in the concept. Europe have station-building experience, having constructed the Columbus module and various other components for the ISS. Russia also have plans for a post-ISS orbital outpost. China already have their own space station, Tiangong. [Source: ESA]

New Glenn 9x4 Joins NASA Launch Services II

NASA have announced that Blue Origin's New Glenn 9x4 rocket, the super-heavy lift variant of the New Glenn which has yet to fly, has been awarded a NASA Launch Services II contract. This means it will be part of the pool of launch vehicles that NASA can launch their missions on. [Source: NASA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Monday 28th September 2026

Starship Flight 14 lifts off. Image credit: SpaceX.

Launch of Starship Flight 14

SpaceX launched a Starship from Starbase in Texas at 1248 UTC, or 0748 local time (CDT). This was the 14th flight of Starship, the company's fully reusable super-heavy launch vehicle, though neither the booster stage nor the upper stage were due to be recovered today. This was the first Starship flight to achieve a full, non-transatmospheric orbit, despite several engine failures. The booster stage lost one engine on ascent and one engine during boostback, before making a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico and self-destructing. The upper stage "ship" also lost one engine, causing mission control to briefly call off the orbital insertion burn, but that decision was reversed and the ship achieved orbit with its five remaining engines. Once in orbit, the ship deployed Starlink Group 31-1, a batch of 26 new, larger V3 satellites for the constellation. The ship also began shedding heat shield tiles in orbit, posing a potential debris risk, and for undisclosed reasons SpaceX decided to de-orbit it after just three hours rather than the planned ten. It survived orbital re-entry and made a controlled splashdown in the Pacific Ocean before self-destructing. [Source: SpaceX]

Juice Earth Flyby

The European Space Agency's Juice probe (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) performed a gravity assist manoeuvre around Earth today, making its closest approach at 1145 UTC at a distance of 8640km. This is the mission's second flyby of Earth, and it will encounter our planet once more in January 2029 in order to build up enough velocity to reach Jupiter in mid-2031. It will then tour the Jovian system for three years before settling into an orbit around Ganymede. [Source: ESA]

International Space Station Activities

The crew of the Crew-12 mission (Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, and Andrey Fedyaev), who are returning to Earth next week, tested specialised suits for reacclimatising their circulatory systems to Earth's gravity; this is a different suit to the one Fedyaev has been testing for the past few days, which he also continued testing today. Meir, Hathaway, and Anil Menon performed blood and medical research. Adenot performed exercise research and taught Menon how to use the new European exercise machine. Pyotr Dubrov performed semiconductor research and Anna Kikina took photographs of the Earth. [Source: NASA]

Boeing Starliner Updates

As rumoured a couple of weeks ago, NASA have provided some updates on Boeing Starliner. Four crewed missions to the International Space Station are planned using the spacecraft, though the agency has not committed to a fifth and sixth just yet. The first uncrewed test flight of Starliner since the failure of the CFT-1 mission in 2024 is expected no earlier than December 2026, and will be called Starliner-1. The following crewed mission, called Starliner-2, is aiming to launch in mid 2028 and will be commanded by NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg. The reason for the significant delay is related to certifying the redesigned thrusters for human spaceflight; the most severe and life-threatening malfunctions during the CFT-1 mission were the failures of multiple thrusters. This will be a regular ISS crew rotation rather than a test flight, with the three other crew members to be announced at a later date. Since the Atlas V rocket is no longer in production, Starliner will be certified for launch aboard United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rocket, though there are still a handful of Atlas V rockets in storage and one of those will be used for the Starliner-1 mission. NASA is not currently planning to extend their fleet of crewed ISS vehicles to any other companies beyond SpaceX and Boeing. [Source: NASA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Sunday 27th September 2026

The Mengtian cargo airlock. Image credit: CMSA.

Tiangong Activities

CMSA published their weekly video on the activities of the three taikonauts aboard the Tiangong space station. This week, Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Lai Ka-Ying used the Mengtian module's cargo airlock to expose a series of experiments to the vacuum of space, as well as swapping out refrigerated experimental samples inside the station. They performed maintenance on the life support system, replacing old components. They also continued research into the effects of weightlessness on the human body, including mass perception tests, emergency decision-making assessments, exercise research, and regular medical checks, and celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival aboard the station. The video did not feature any mooncakes; perhaps they are saving those for the lunar surface. [Source: CMSA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Saturday 26th September 2026

An Electron launches from Māhia. Image credit: Rocket Lab.

Launch of "Owlright, Owlright, Owlright"

Rocket Lab launched an Electron from Māhia in New Zealand at 0039 UTC, or 1239 local time (NZST). The mission was named "Owlright, Owlright, Owlright". It was carrying StriX-12 for the constellation of synthetic aperture radar satellites operated by the Japanese private company Synspective. This was the 13th StriX satellite launched by Rocket Lab, and Synspective have bought a further 14 launches. This was the 97th flight of the Electron. [Source: Rocket Lab]

Launch of USSF-385

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg in California at 1400 UTC, or 0700 local time (PDT). This was carrying USSF-385, a classified mission carrying an unknown number of small satellites for the United States Space Force. More information about the number of satellites should become available in the coming days. This was the 691st flight of the Falcon 9, and the 10th flight of booster B1100, which successfully landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. [Source: SpaceX]

UPDATE: There were 23 payloads aboard this launch. [Source: Space-Track.org]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Friday 25th September 2026

Cygnus NG-24 fires its thrusters during a previous reboost. Image credit: NASA.

International Space Station Activities

The Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft (NG-24), which is berthed to the nadir port of the International Space Station's Unity module, fired its thrusters for 18 minutes to raise the station's apogee by 2.5km and its perigee by 1.3km. [Source: NASA]

Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, and Andrey Fedyaev, the four space travellers belonging to the SpaceX Crew-12 mission, continued to pack their personal belongings for their return to Earth after Crew-13 arrives next week to replace them. They rehearsed re-entry procedures with ground control, and Fedyaev continued testing the negative pressure suit for reacclimatising to Earth's gravity with help from fellow cosmonaut Anna Kikina. Meir and Adenot also took and stored blood and saliva samples. Pyotr Dubrov continued unpacking the Progress MS-35 cargo spacecraft. Anil Menon worked on assembling and testing a new cooling system for the Destiny module and practised operating the Canadarm2 robotic arm. [Source: NASA]

Swift Resumes Automatic GRB Observations

NASA have reactivated all of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory's instruments following the failure of the mission to reboost the space telescope. It's too late to organise a second rescue mission, so Swift has instead resumed its science mission to detect and turn to observe distant gamma ray bursts. It is expected to re-enter the atmosphere and be destroyed in a month or so. The failed LINK spacecraft de-orbited today. [Source: NASA]

San Marino Signs Artemis Accords

For the third time in as many days, a new country have signed the Artemis Accords. San Marino have become the 76th country to sign the Accords, a United States led set of agreements regarding mineral rights and other arrangements for international cooperation in space exploration. The microstate of 30,000 people does not have a space programme. [Source: NASA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Thursday 24th September 2026

The crew of SpaceX Crew-14 pose for a group portrait. Image credit: SpaceX

Launch of Yaogan 40 Group 04

SAST, a subsidiary of China Aerospace (CASC), launched a Long March 6A (Chang Zheng 6A) from Taiyuan in Shanxi at 0846 UTC, or 1646 local time (CST). This was carrying Yaogan 40 Group 04, a batch of three military satellites of unclear purpose. Most spacecraft with the Yaogan designation are reconnaissance satellites for the People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Forces. This was the 27th flight of the Long March 6A, and the 44th flight of the Long March 6 family. [Source: SAST]

International Space Station Activities

Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway continued practising ultrasound scans. Sophie Adenot carried out exercise research. Anil Menon continued immune system research. Adenot and Menon also continued taking inventory of cargo in the Cygnus cargo vehicle, while Andrey Fedyaev, Pyotr Dubrov, and Anna Kikina continued unpacking the recently arrived Progress MS-35 cargo vehicle, among some other routine maintenance. [Source: NASA]

Crew of SpaceX Crew-14 Announced

NASA have announced the crew for the SpaceX Crew-14 mission to the International Space Station, aiming to launch around March 2027. American astronaut Kayla Barron will be mission commander, on her second spaceflight, while the other three members of the crew will all be on their first spaceflight. American astronaut Chris Birch will be the pilot. Japanese astronaut Makoto Suwa will be one of the two mission specialists. The other mission specialist will be Russian cosmonaut Arutyun Kiviryan, as part of an ongoing arrangement where the United States and Russia swap a crew member with each other to ensure both countries retain access to space in the event that either Dragon or Soyuz is grounded. [Source: NASA]

Starship Flight 14 Wet Dress Rehearsal

SpaceX carried out a wet dress rehearsal for the launch of Starship Flight 14, the first orbital test flight of the company's fully reusable super-heavy rocket, currently aiming to launch on Monday. The company have also posted NOTAMs that optimistically suggest two further Starship launches in October. [Source: NSF]

Côte d’Ivoire Sign Artemis Accords

Côte d’Ivoire have become the 75th country to sign the Artemis Accords, a United States led set of agreements regarding mineral rights and other arrangements for international cooperation in space exploration. The country founded their national space agency in 2025. They have yet to put a satellite in orbit. [Source: NASA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Wednesday 23rd September 2026

Image credit: CALT

Launch of Guowang Group 26

CALT, a subsidiary of China Aerospace (CASC), launched a Long March 8A (Chang Zheng 8A) from Wenchang in Hainan at 1332 UTC, or 2132 local time (CST). This was carrying SatNet LEO (Guowang) Group 26, the latest batch of nine satellites for the China Satellite Network Group's internet constellation. This was the 11th flight of the Long March 8A, and the 18th flight of the Long March 8 family. [Source: CALT]

International Space Station Activities

The crew of the International Space Station prepared for the upcoming crew swap while carrying out research and maintenance. Jessica Meir and Sophie Adenot practised using ultrasound to perform medical examinations. Jack Hathaway took samples from the water dispensers to test them for microbes. The crew of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission (Meir, Hathaway, Adenot, and Andrey Fedyaev) began packing their personal belongings and practised with emergency respirator masks. They are expected to depart for Earth in early October, once Crew-13 has arrived. Fedyaev also continued testing the negative pressure suit for reacclimatising to Earth's gravity. Meanwhile, the other half of the crew (Pyotr Dubrov, Anna Kikina, and Anil Menon), who arrived on Soyuz MS-29, practised evacuation procedures. Dubrov also continued unpacking the Progress MS-35 cargo spacecraft that arrived on Saturday, and Menon and Kikina both processed body fluid samples for immune system research. [Source: NASA]

NASA Select PRIMA Infrared Telescope Mission

NASA have selected a 1.8m far-infrared space telescope called PRIMA (a characteristically convoluted acronym for "PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics") for Phase B development. It is the first in a new class of "Probe Explorers" missions, which are smaller than the agency's flagship exploration missions but bigger than minor science missions. It was selected over a competing proposal for an x-ray telescope. Pending a confirmation review at the conclusion of Phase B development, PRIMA is aiming to launch in 2033. [Source: NASA]

Croatia Sign Artemis Accords

Croatia have become the 74th country to sign the Artemis Accords, a United States led set of agreements regarding mineral rights and other arrangements for international cooperation in space exploration. Croatia do not have much of a space programme, but they are actively pursuing European Space Agency membership and they operate a single small satellite. [Source: NASA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Tuesday 22nd September 2026

Image credit: SpaceX

International Space Station Activities

The crew of the International Space Station carried out research and maintenance while they await the arrival of SpaceX Crew-13, now confirmed by NASA to be scheduled to launch on Thursday 1st October 2026. A few days later, the previous Crew-12 mission will depart the station. Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway reviewed undocking and re-entry procedures for their departure, and joined crewmates Sophie Adenot and Andrey Fedyaev to check the pressure suits they will wear during their return. Andrey Fedyaev, Pyotr Dubrov, and Anna Kikina continued unloading the Progress MS-35 cargo vehicle that arrived on Saturday. Anil Menon carried out blood research. [Source: NASA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Monday 21st September 2026

Image credit: Roscosmos/Anna Kikina

International Space Station Activities

The crew of the International Space Station carried out routine research and maintenance and prepared for October's crew swap. Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway performed research into how their bodies have changed shape over the course of their mission. Hathaway also performed colloidal crystal research. Andrey Fedyaev tested the lower body negative pressure suit and set up Earth-imaging equipment. Sophie Adenot performed exercise research. Anil Menon practised procedures for monitoring an incoming Crew Dragon spacecraft ahead of the arrival of Crew-13. The American astronauts all worked on transferring cargo in and out of the Cygnus XL cargo craft, as well as beginning to pack Crew Dragon Freedom with cargo ahead of the departure of Crew-12. Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina conducted respiratory research. The three cosmonauts also worked on unloading cargo from the Progress MS-35 cargo vehicle, which arrived on Saturday. [Source: NASA]

Crew-13 Launch Date

According to the current OEM for the International Space Station, SpaceX Crew-13 is aiming to launch on Thursday 1st October 2026, before docking with the ISS a few hours later. The mission was originally scheduled to launch on 12th September but was delayed after an oxidizer leak was discovered in the propulsion system of Crew Dragon Grace. The new launch date has not been officially confirmed by NASA or SpaceX. [Source: Jay Keegan]

UPDATE: NASA have confirmed this launch date. [Source: NASA]

Albania Signs Artemis Accords

Albania have become the 73rd country to sign the Artemis Accords, a United States led set of agreements regarding mineral rights and other arrangements for international cooperation in space exploration. Albania do not have much of a space programme. Since 2023 they have operated two Argentinian-built Earth imaging satellites. [Source: NASA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Sunday 20th September 2026

Image credit: CAS Space

Launch of Starlink Group 15-27

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg in California at 0147 UTC, or 1847 Saturday evening local time (PDT). This was carrying Starlink Group 15-27, a batch of 27 satellites for the constellation. It was the 690th flight of the Falcon 9, and the 17th flight of booster B1093, which successfully landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. [Source: SpaceX]

Launch of Kinetica 1 Rideshare

CAS Space launched a Kinetica 1 (Lijian 1) from Jiuquan in Gansu at 0403 UTC, or 1203 local time (CST). This was a rideshare mission carrying nine satellites to Sun-synchronous orbit; the Chaozhisuan-1 computation demonstration satellite for Chaozhisuan Beijing Technology, the Qinling-01 and 02 ecological monitoring satellites for Northwestern Polytechnical University, the Yunxiao Pathfinder Satellite of unclear purpose for the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Diting-1A, B and C electromagnetic monitoring satellites for Tianjin Xingkan Jiuzhou Technology, the Peng Cheng-SUSTech 1 (PEGA-SUS 1) communications and computation satellite for Peng Cheng Laboratory, and the Pujiang-4 greenhouse gas monitoring satellite for the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST). This was the 16th flight of Kinetica 1. [Source: CAS Space]

Tiangong Activities

CMSA's Tiangong TV vlog is back after a hiatus following last month's spacewalk, which means we finally have an update on what the taikonauts aboard the Tiangong space station have been up to. Zhu Yangzhu, Lai Ka-Ying, and Zhang Zhiyuan performed research into the immune system, replaced test samples, tested water faucets for microbes, cleaned and maintained the station's living area, and undertook regular medical examinations and exercise. [Source: CMSA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Saturday 19th September 2026

Image credit: NASA

Docking of Progress MS-35

Roscosmos' Progress MS-35 cargo resupply mission (designated Progress 96 by NASA) has arrived at the International Space Station. It docked with the zenith port of the Poisk module at 1344 UTC. Launched on Wednesday, the mission has successfully delivered about two and a half tonnes of fuel, life support supplies, and equipment to the station. Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina were on duty today to monitor its approach and docking. Progress MS-35 replaces the recently departed Progress MS-33 at the Poisk zenith port, and is scheduled to remain docked to the station for about five months. [Source: Roscosmos]

Launch of "Owl By The Dozen"

Rocket Lab launched an Electron from Māhia in New Zealand at 0322 UTC, or 1522 local time (NZST). The mission was named "Owl By The Dozen". It was carrying StriX-10 for the StriX constellation of synthetic aperture radar satellites operated by the Japanese private company Synspective. This was the 12th StriX satellite launched by Rocket Lab, and Synspective have bought a further 15 launches. This was the 96th flight of the Electron. [Source: Rocket Lab]

Launch of PIESAT-2 13 to 16

SAST, a subsidiary of CASC, launched a Long March 2D from Taiyuan in Shanxi at 1050 UTC, or 1850 local time (CST). This was carrying PIESAT-2 13, 14, 15, and 16, a batch of four Sun-synchronous synthetic aperture radar satellites for a constellation operated by the Chinese private company Zhuzhou Space Interstellar Satellite Technology. This was the 234th flight of the Long March 2 family, and the 106th flight of the 2D variant. [Source: SAST]