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- Caroline Mercer via NASASpaceflight
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Falcon 9 to Launch Three Missions, Chinese Rocket Also Set for Liftoff
ReFalcon 9 to Launch Three Missions, Chinese Rocket Also Set for Liftoff
SpaceX's Falcon 9 is scheduled to carry out three missions this week, including a cargo resupply flight to the International Space Station, a batch of Starlink satellites, and a classified payload for the U.S. Space Force. A Chinese ZhuQue-2E rocket will also launch an undisclosed payload.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is set to conduct three separate missions this week, a relatively quiet period for global launch activity that also includes a flight by China's ZhuQue-2E vehicle. The schedule features a cargo resupply run to the International Space Station, a new batch of Starlink broadband satellites, and a classified national security payload for the United States Space Force.
The week's first launch took place Monday, Oct. 12, when a Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California carrying 27 Starlink v2 Mini satellites. The booster, making its 20th flight, landed on a droneship in the Pacific Ocean after sending the payload toward a low-Earth orbit inclined 70 degrees to the equator. The mission had been delayed several times since late September for undisclosed reasons, though poor weather may have contributed to the setbacks.
On Tuesday, Oct. 13, a second Falcon 9 launched from Cape Canaveral on a cargo resupply mission for NASA, known as CRS-35. The flight carried 2,867 kilograms of supplies, equipment, and research materials to the space station. Among the cargo are the final two iROSA rollout solar arrays, which will be installed during future spacewalks, and a replacement spacesuit as part of a regular rotation plan. The booster returned to a landing zone near the launch site after liftoff.
The Cargo Dragon capsule will remain docked at the station for about 30 days before returning to Earth with items including a failed robotic arm joint that was replaced during a spacewalk in June. Research equipment aboard will support experiments on the effects of microgravity on artificial retina production and 3D heart tissue models, as well as studies on inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. Fresh fruit, vegetables, and water for the crew round out the delivery.
A Chinese ZhuQue-2E rocket, developed by the private company Landspace, is scheduled to launch Wednesday, Oct. 14, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The rocket will fly south from the site to deploy an undisclosed payload to an unknown orbit. Details about the mission are expected to be released after liftoff. The two-stage vehicle, which stands 49.5 meters tall and uses liquid oxygen and liquid methane as propellants, first flew in 2024. This will be its fourth flight of 2026 and the tenth overall.
The week's final launch is another Falcon 9, set for Thursday, Oct. 15, from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The mission, designated USSF-481 TH-2, will carry a classified set of satellites for the U.S. Space Force. The booster, flying for the 28th time, will send the payload due south into a polar orbit. The satellites are likely based on SpaceX's Starshield bus, a version of the Starlink platform adapted for military communications and other national security functions.
The relatively light manifest comes as Falcon 9 continues to serve as SpaceX's primary workhorse, even as the company shifts some Starlink launch duties to its larger Starship vehicle. Falcon 9 remains the only orbital rocket to have achieved regular reuse of its first stage and payload fairings, with one booster having flown as many as 37 times. The rocket is 70 meters tall and 3.9 meters in diameter, powered by nine Merlin engines on its first stage and a single vacuum-optimized Merlin engine on its second stage.
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