It’s October 30th, and Halloween is here. Although my space-themed costume isn’t quite ready, it’s time for another update on the latest deep space happenings. Let’s jump right into it, starting with some major launches from recent weeks.
### Starship’s Incredible Test Flight
First up, SpaceX’s **Starship IF5** launch was a showstopper. Both the booster and the upper stage landed safely, surpassing all expectations. Few believed the booster would be caught successfully by the tower, but they managed it, astonishing everyone! We’ll dive into more details on that later, but let’s move on to other exciting missions for now.
### Europa Clipper and Other Recent Launches
On **October 14th**, Falcon Heavy launched **NASA’s Europa Clipper** on its way to Jupiter. Set to arrive by 2030, this is one of NASA’s largest outer solar system missions, second only to the James Webb Space Telescope in mass. The Clipper will study Europa, focusing on its icy surface and possible subsurface ocean with a suite of scientific instruments.
Then on **October 15th**, Falcon 9 launched **Starlink Group 10-10** with 23 satellites from Florida. This was followed by another Starlink launch, Group 9-7, from Vandenberg Space Force Base. That same day, China’s **Long March 6A** launched more of its Kean Fan satellites for its “Thousand Constellation” Starlink-like system, planning a network of around 1,200 satellites over the coming years.
### More Falcon and Long March Launches
On **October 18th**, another **Falcon 9** deployed 21 OneWeb satellites from Vandenberg. This was their first OneWeb mission since a major corporate merger in September. Meanwhile, China continued its own launches, such as **Long March 4 SE** on October 15th with a high-resolution Earth observation satellite, and **Long March 2 C** on October 23rd, which launched reconnaissance satellites for Chinese military operations.
### Starship’s Phenomenal Achievements
Returning to Starship, this test represented yet another major leap. They have iterated rapidly, from just launching off the pad to managing both booster and Starship landings successfully. Notably, the latest booster landing included a stunning sonic boom and a fiery display between engines, likely due to fuel caught between boosters. This provides insight for future Starship upgrades, as SpaceX aims to further refine the catch mechanism to handle the booster’s intense re-entry and thermal stress without damaging any parts.
### Other Noteworthy Events
– **Crew 8 Return**: SpaceX’s Crew 8 returned after an extended space mission. Though a few astronauts stayed in the hospital overnight post-landing, all are reported to be in good health.
– **New Shepard Launch**: Blue Origin’s New Shepard, featuring a newly named capsule “RSS Karman Line” honoring Theodor von Karman, returned to flight on October 23rd with a series of onboard science experiments.
– **International Astronautical Conference**: Held in Milan, this conference saw companies like Vast unveil designs for a larger modular space station, pitching it to NASA as a potential ISS successor.
That wraps up this week’s highlights! There’s more to come, including the next Starship test, the continuation of the Starlink launch schedule, and further updates on emerging space station concepts from both Vast and Axiom.
