Bloomberg
• Loren Grush
SpaceX plans to launch NASA’s four-person Crew-13 mission and the U.S. government’s classified NROL-97 reconnaissance payload from Florida, alongside the Transporter-18 rideshare mission from California carrying Starfish Otter and roughly 130 payloads. The schedule would place all three Falcon-capable launch pads in use within the same general period.
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SpaceX plans to launch NASA’s four-person Crew-13 mission and the U.S. government’s classified NROL-97 reconnaissance payload from Florida, alongside the Transporter-18 rideshare mission from California carrying Starfish Otter and roughly 130 payloads. The schedule would place all three Falcon-capable launch pads in use within the same general period.
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NASA and SpaceX have cleared Crew-13 for a planned Oct. 1 launch to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon, targeting 11:10 a.m. ET, weather permitting. The six-month mission includes one veteran astronaut and three first-time flyers; Jessica Watkins is set for her second Dragon flight.
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SpaceX is scheduled to conduct four orbital launches this week, including Crew-13 to the ISS, a Falcon Heavy mission for the NRO and Transporter-18 with 130 payloads. The activity coincides with satellite-sector financing and development milestones from Astro Digital, Sateliot and India’s GalaxEye.
The large robotic arm on the International Space Station has stopped working, with NASA providing limited information and indicating the issue may be temporary. The arm is a key external maintenance and cargo-handling asset, making the status relevant to station operations and upcoming activities.
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NASA has announced four crew members from three space agencies for SpaceX’s Crew-14 mission to the International Space Station, targeted for no earlier than spring 2027. The long-duration expedition will conduct scientific research and support ongoing station operations, following the current crew’s work and preparations for new arrivals.
Stanford engineers are developing a spacecraft guidance approach modeled on “dreaming” to help vehicles rendezvous and dock with the International Space Station. The work addresses the precision of matching velocity and trajectory with a laboratory traveling at roughly 28,000 km/h.
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Russia’s Progress 96 uncrewed cargo spacecraft is scheduled to reach the International Space Station on Sept. 19. The arrival will be broadcast live, offering coverage of the spacecraft’s rendezvous and delivery operation at the orbiting outpost.
A European-designed spacesuit prototype has undergone testing aboard the International Space Station, with ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot saying the system remains at the beginning of its development journey. The evaluation is identifying design issues that must be resolved before the suit can advance toward operational use.
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