Spaceflight Daily Report, Sunday 25th October 2026

Long March 8A lifts off. Image credit: CACL.

Launch of SatNet LEO Group 28

CALT, a subsidiary of China Aerospace (CASC), launched a Long March 8A (Chang Zheng 8A) from Wenchang in Hainan at 0203 UTC, or 1003 local time (CST). This was carrying SatNet LEO (Guowang) Group 28, the latest batch of 9 satellites for the state-owned China SatNet's internet constellation. This was the 12th flight of the Long March 8A, and the 19th flight of the Long March 8 family. Incidentally, CASC recently established a new subsidiary named China Aerospace Science and Technology Commercial Launch Vehicle Group, or CACL for short, who are now handling the marketing of some SAST and CALT launches. [Source: CACL]

Tiangong Activities

CMSA released their weekly video on what the taikonauts aboard the Tiangong space station have been up to. This week Zhang Zhiyuan, Zhu Yangzhu, and Lai Ka-Ying performed VR research and deployed another set of experiments from the Mengtian module's airlock to be exposed to the vacuum of space. They also maintained life supports systems, checked the water dispenser for microbes, carried out routine cleaning, performed ultrasound exams, and underwent their usual schedule of exercise and other treatments to counter the health effects of low gravity. [Source: CMSA]

(Missed) Poker Flat Sounding Rockets

On 20th October, NASA launched a Magellan Aerospace-built Black Brant IX (Terrier Black Brant) sounding rocket from Poker Flat in Alaska at 0707 UTC, or 2307 on the evening of the 19th local time (AKDT). This was carrying INFUSE 2, a suborbital mission from the University of Colorado with an ultraviolet spectroscopy instrument for studying stellar remnants.

On 22nd October, NASA launched another Black Brant IX from Poker Flat at 0530 UTC, or 2130 on the evening of the 21st local time (AKDT). This was carrying DUST III, a suborbital mission from the Goddard Space Flight Center containing dust particles for researching how planets form. [Source: University of Alaska Fairbanks]

Other notes

• SpaceX have conducted an all-engines static fire test of booster B22, the Super Heavy booster that will launch Starship Flight 15, currently aiming for November. [Source: SpaceX]
• Further payloads have been deployed from tugs launched with Transporter-18. See 1st October for an updated list of payloads. The deployments on each day have been edited into previous blog posts. [Source: Jonathan McDowell's GCAT]