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]