Top Stories
Albania Signs the Artemis Accords, Bringing Total Signatories Higher
Albania became the newest signatory to the Artemis Accords, NASA announced Monday. The accords establish a framework of principles for civil space exploration and use, including transparency, interoperability, and the release of scientific data. Albania joins a growing list of countries that have signed since the accords launched in 2020.
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Exolaunch Books First Starship Reentry Mission for Biotech Payloads
German launch integrator Exolaunch has signed on to support customer payloads aboard a SpaceX Starfall reentry mission, targeted for no earlier than 2029. This is Exolaunch’s first Earth-return mission and first Starship commitment. The company will serve as payload integrator for up to 1,000 kg of biotech, pharmaceutical, and in-space manufacturing experiments.
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Deputy Defense Secretary Feinberg Briefs HASC in Classified Session
Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg recently met with the House Armed Services Committee in a classified session to discuss Pentagon funding planning. The meeting addressed uncertainties surrounding the department’s budget trajectory due to the upcoming midterm elections.
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Navy Picks a Captain, Not an Admiral, to Lead Public Affairs
The Navy has selected Capt. Tamara Lawrence as its next chief of information, a departure from the traditional practice of appointing a rear admiral. This change follows a decision to broaden eligibility for the role to include various candidates beyond just active-duty captains.
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Commercial Space Federation Adds Insurance and Strategy Firms
The Commercial Space Federation has welcomed two new members: ORBITInsure and Renaissance Strategic Advisors. These additions reflect the growing commercial infrastructure around space operations, particularly in risk transfer and capital markets.
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Satellite of the Day
INMARSAT 2-F4 – Launched in 1992, INMARSAT 2-F4 now drifts uncontrolled at a 12.25° inclination after exceeding its 10-year design life by three decades.
Read the full feature or track INMARSAT 2-F4 live.
By the Numbers
- Active satellites tracked: 16,024
- Cataloged debris objects: 14,951
- New objects cataloged yesterday: 10
- Orbital launches this year: 230 (223 successful)
- Next launch: Long March 8A | Unknown Payload in about 28 hours (Sep 23, 13:30 UTC)
Catalog Watch
Space-Track cataloged 10 new objects recently, alongside 28,116 updated element sets.
New catalog entries: 100749, 100750, 100751, 100752, 100781, 100782, 100783, 100784, and 2 more.
Reentry Watch
Upcoming Space Launches
Schedule Changes
- Slipped: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Transporter 18 (Dedicated SSO Rideshare) moved from Oct 31 to Oct 1.
- Slipped: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-25 moved from Sep 30 to Oct 10.
- Status change: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Transporter 18 is now “To Be Confirmed.”
Next 48 Hours
- China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 8A – Unknown Payload from Wenchang Space Launch Site, China (Sep 23, 13:30 UTC)
- China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 6A – Unknown Payload from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China (Sep 24, 08:45 UTC)
See every upcoming mission on the live schedule.
Note: Launch dates and times are subject to change due to technical or weather considerations.
