Weekly Spaceflight Update: September 15 - October 5th
Starlink 15-27 | SpaceX
On September 19th, at 6:47 p.m. PDT, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying 27 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. Booster B1093, on its 17th flight, landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You shortly after launch.
Photo: SpaceX
Kinetica 1 | CAS Space
On September 20th, at 12:03 p.m. China Standard Time, CAS Space launched a Kinetica 1 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China, carrying nine satellites, including Qinling and a supercomputing payload, to sun-synchronous orbit.
Photo: 空天逐梦 / Weibo
SatNet LEO Group 26 | CASC
On September 23rd, at 9:32 p.m. China Standard Time, China launched a Long March 8A from the Wenchang commercial launch site in Hainan, China, carrying a batch of Guowang communications satellites to low Earth orbit.
Photo: 空天逐梦 via Weibo
Yaogan 40 Group 04 | CASC
On September 24th, at 4:46 p.m. China Standard Time, China launched a Long March 6A from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China, carrying the Yaogan 40-04 reconnaissance satellites to polar orbit.
Photo: Wang Yapeng / Xinhua:
StriX | Rocket Lab
On September 26th, at 12:39 p.m. New Zealand Standard Time, Rocket Lab launched an Electron from Launch Complex 1 at Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand, carrying a Synspective StriX radar satellite to low Earth orbit.
Photo: Rocketlab
USSF-385 (SBST R-3) | SpaceX
On September 26th, at 7:00 a.m. PDT, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying a U.S. Space Force payload to orbit.
Photo: SpaceX
Starship Flight Test 14 | SpaceX
On September 28th, at 7:48 a.m. CDT, SpaceX launched Starship Flight 14 from Pad 2 at Starbase in Texas, carrying 26 next-generation Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. The ship later splashed down north of Hawaii. It was the first Starship flight to deploy commercial satellites
Photo: Matthew T. For Launch Heaven Media
NASA Crew-13 | SpaceX
On October 1st, at 11:10 a.m. EDT, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, carrying Crew Dragon and a NASA crew to the International Space Station. The spacecraft later docked with the station.
Photo: Asher B. For Launch Heaven Media
Transporter-18 | SpaceX
On October 1st, at 11:32 a.m. PDT, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying a smallsat rideshare of about 130 payloads to sun-synchronous orbit. Booster B1082, on its 25th flight, landed at LZ-4 shortly after launch.
Photo: SpaceX
NROL-97 | SpaceX
On October 1st, at 11:53 p.m. EDT, SpaceX launched a Falcon Heavy from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying a classified National Reconnaissance Office payload. Side boosters B1072 and B1104 landed at LZ-2 and LZ-1. The center core was expended. It was the first NRO mission on a Falcon Heavy.
Photo: Gavin R. For Launch Heaven Media
