Space.com
• Josh Dinner
NASA’s Artemis IV mission could rely on SpaceX’s Starship as its lunar lander, but the vehicle’s scale and propellant needs make the mission architecture complex. The number of refueling launches required—and how they would be distributed between two separate orbits—remains unknown.
Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation
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NASA’s Artemis IV mission could rely on SpaceX’s Starship as its lunar lander, but the vehicle’s scale and propellant needs make the mission architecture complex. The number of refueling launches required—and how they would be distributed between two separate orbits—remains unknown.
Rocket Lab’s Electron successfully placed a radar-imaging satellite for Japanese company iQPS into orbit, marking another mission for the small-launch vehicle as it approaches its 100th flight. The launch underscores Electron’s continuing role in serving commercial satellite customers and Japan’s Earth-observation market.
The funding will support development of Oasis Beta, an in-orbit research vehicle that Tumbleweed says it is building with reentry capability. The €6.9 million ($7.7 million) seed round gives the company capital to advance the vehicle’s development.
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China has publicly outlined plans for its first crewed Moon landing, targeted before 2030, involving two rocket launches, an orbital rendezvous and major testing of three spacecraft systems. Hardware for a key initial flight test appears to have arrived at Wenchang spaceport. The plan does not include an Apollo 8- or Artemis II-style crewed lunar-orbit mission.
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The European Space Agency plans to support industry-led flight demonstrations of reusable rocket boosters through its Boosters for European Space Transportation (BEST!) initiative. The effort puts ESA behind companies demonstrating booster recovery and reuse, a key step toward developing reusable launch systems in Europe.
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SpaceX is reportedly discussing either buying EchoStar’s Boost Mobile or using its network to support Starlink Mobile, a move that could extend its satellite business into the U.S. terrestrial wireless market. The reports come as Amazon’s Kuiper faces a turning point in its effort to build a Starlink competitor, while Canada’s rival broadband plans face a Wall Street challenge.
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Rocket Lab is scheduled to launch a privately owned Japanese Earth-observation satellite on Nov. 2, marking its 99th mission to date. The company plans to stream the launch live; the available report does not identify the satellite’s operator or provide its mission specifications.
Launch activity from Cape Canaveral is down this year, but the Space Force is continuing upgrades intended to support substantially higher launch rates. The effort signals that infrastructure planning is proceeding despite a near-term dip in launches; the available reports do not specify the projects, schedule or expected capacity.
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