Key Facts
- SpaceX Spectacle: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched 28 Starlink internet satellites from Vandenberg on Sept. 28 (UTC Sept. 29), creating a rare glowing “jellyfish” exhaust plume across the Western U.S. [1]. Space.com’s Brett Tingley called it “lit up gorgeously from below by the setting sun” as he watched the streak in the sky [2].
- Rocket Lab Hypersonic Test: Rocket Lab prepared a classified HASTE suborbital flight (“JUSTIN”) on Sept. 30 to test hypersonic defense technologies for the U.S. military [3] [4].
- Commercial Launches: Blue Origin confirmed its second New Glenn launch (carrying NASA’s twin ESCAPADE Mars probes) slipped from late Sept. to mid-October [5]. Firefly Aerospace reported a mishap: an Alpha rocket booster intended for Flight 7 was destroyed in a ground test (no injuries) [6] [7].
- NASA & ISS: On the ISS, NASA astronauts continued experiments and installed the Voyager Flytrap inflatable capture bag in the Bishop airlock, a tech-demo for grabbing orbital debris and returning samples [8].
- JWST Discovery: NASA’s James Webb Telescope detected and analyzed a dust-and-gas disk around the young exoplanet CT Cha b (625 ly away) – the first direct evidence of a moon-forming circumplanetary disk [9]. Lead researchers said we’re literally “witnessing this planet’s [and moons’] formation” [10].
- Hubble Finds Hybrid Galaxy: Hubble imaged galaxy NGC 2775 (in Cancer), revealing an unusually smooth, gas-poor core (elliptical-like) encircled by a dusty, star-filled ring (spiral-like) [11]. This hybrid shape is puzzling to astronomers [12].
- ESA Reusable-Rocket Push: ESA signed a €40 million contract with launch firm Avio to design technologies for a reusable rocket upper stage [13]. ESA’s Space Transportation chief Toni Tolker-Nielsen said the work “paves the way for Europe’s long-term future in space” by making future rockets lower-cost and more flexible [14]. Avio’s CEO Giulio Ranzo added the project will leverage their expertise in LOX/methane engines and reentry vehicles [15].
- China’s Space Station: China’s Shenzhou-20 crew conducted a fourth spacewalk on Sept. 26, installing additional debris shielding on the Tiangong station’s exterior [16] [17]. CCTV reported the spacewalkers “accomplished all prescribed tasks, including the installation of debris protection devices and inspection/maintenance of external equipment” [18]. (Shenzhou-20 has now done four EVAs.)
- New Satellites & Constellations: China launched a Long March 2D (CZ-2D) rocket from Xichang on Sept. 29 carrying two “Shiyan-30” technology-demo satellites [19]. This was the 100th flight of the CZ-2D rocket. Meanwhile, India’s ISRO opened its Chandrayaan-3 lander/rover data to scientists worldwide (data from the Aug 2023 lunar landing) and invited proposals for new research [20].
- Defense & Policy: Germany’s defense minister Boris Pistorius announced a $41 billion investment to boost Germany’s military space capabilities, emphasizing satellites’ strategic role in national security [21]. (Germany will fund new military satellites, ground systems and industry.) NASA also underscored international cooperation: at the Sydney IAC 2025 conference (Sept. 28–Oct. 3), officials including NASA’s Sean Duffy and Casey Swails highlighted Artemis Accords and sustainable space exploration [22] [23].
SpaceX & Other Launch Highlights
SpaceX capped September with a spectacular twilight launch. On Sept. 28 (local time), a Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg SFB carrying 28 Starlink v2 Mini satellites [24]. Reaching dusk, the rocket’s exhaust expanded into the upper atmosphere and caught the Sun’s rays, creating a brilliant “space jellyfish” effect visible from hundreds of miles. Space.com’s Brett Tingley, camping in Afton Canyon (Mojave), marveled, “I’ve seen plenty of Falcon 9 ‘jellyfish’ online but never in person. It was lit up gorgeously from below by the setting sun…” [25]. The booster landed on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific, and the second stage successfully deployed all satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO). This launch was Falcon 9’s 28th flight of the stage, and the 124th SpaceX launch of 2025 [26] [27].
In orbit, the 28 new Starlinks joined SpaceX’s ever-growing internet “megaconstellation.” Analysts estimate Starlink now has on the order of 4–5 million subscribers. Industry watchers project even faster growth: Quilty Space forecasts about 7.8 million customers and $11.8 billion in revenue by end of 2025 [28]. (Strong military contracts under SpaceX’s Starshield project are driving much of this growth [29].) By the end of October SpaceX may have over 10,000 Starlink sats aloft, setting it far ahead of its competitors in satellite internet.
Meanwhile, Rocket Lab had a busy week. From Wallops Island, Virginia, Rocket Lab prepared its next HASTE mission – a suborbital test flight nicknamed “JUSTIN” – targeting launch on Sept. 30 [30]. HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron) uses a modified Electron rocket to carry classified payloads for US Armed Forces hypersonic technology research [31]. Little is public about the exact payloads, but U.S. officials have emphasized rapid development of hypersonic aircraft and missiles. This will be Rocket Lab’s 14th Electron flight of 2025, as the company ramps up pace and also readies its future Neutron launcher [32].
Not all news was positive in the launch world. On Sept. 29 Firefly Aerospace disclosed that an Alpha rocket booster intended for “Flight 7” was destroyed during a pre-launch test. The accident occurred on a test stand in Briggs, Texas; fortunately no injuries were reported [33]. CEO Jason Kim told investors that the static-fire anomaly will delay Flight 7 by a few weeks as engineers troubleshoot the issue. “Safety and quality are our highest importance,” Kim emphasized [34]. Firefly is expected to resume testing soon, but the setback highlights the challenges smaller launch firms face on the path to regular operations.
Blue Origin also remained in the spotlight. Blue Origin’s second New Glenn rocket – carrying NASA’s twin ESCAPADE probes to Mars orbit – has been pushed from a late-September attempt to mid-October [35]. The delay comes as Blue Origin completes final ground tests of New Glenn’s RS-25 engines. ESCAPADE’s launch was originally “no earlier than Sept. 29,” but now the mid-Oct target will allow for a full hot-fire and checkout [36]. Once flying, this mission will be Blue Origin’s first reaching orbit and its first deep-space science mission (studying Mars’ magnetosphere).
NASA Missions & Space Science
International Space Station: NASA continued routine science aboard ISS in late Sept. Crew activities included setting up experiments in materials science and debris removal. Notably, Flight Engineers Mike Fincke and Jonny Kim installed the Voyager Flytrap demonstration inside the station’s NanoRacks Bishop airlock [37]. This inflatable capture bag is designed to snag orbital debris or returning sample capsules in microgravity. If successful, Flytrap could offer a flexible tool for cleaning up space junk or retrieving asteroid samples. Meanwhile JAXA’s Kimiya Yui worked on materials-processing experiments (using the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace) to help scientists measure properties of molten materials in zero-G [38]. These research efforts are typical of the station’s science program but show steady progress in space-based R&D.
Exoplanet Discovery: On Sept. 29, NASA posted a major result from the James Webb Space Telescope. Webb’s infrared spectra revealed a dusty, carbon-rich disk encircling the young exoplanet CT Cha b [39]. This disk contains organic molecules (diacetylene, benzene, etc.) – the raw building blocks for moon formation [40]. Co-lead scientist Sierra Grant said, “We’re not just witnessing moon formation — we’re also witnessing this planet’s formation” [41]. A second Webb scientist, Gabriele Cugno, added, “We are seeing what material is accreting to build the planet and moons” [42]. In other words, astronomers are watching planet+moon birth in real time. These observations mark the first time chemistry of a circumplanetary disk has been studied, offering a glimpse into how planetary systems (including our own) form over millions of years.
Astronomical Images: Hubble Space Telescope also contributed news. On Sept. 29, Hubble’s “Photo of the Day” highlighted galaxy NGC 2775, located ~67 million light-years away. Hubble’s sharp image shows the galaxy’s odd structure: a smooth, dust-free core typical of an elliptical galaxy, surrounded by a ring of dust lanes and young stars more like a spiral galaxy [43]. Astronomers say NGC 2775 straddles the boundary between classic categories; one expert noted it may even be a “lenticular” galaxy. Its hybrid nature – possibly the result of past mergers – helps researchers understand how galaxies evolve. As Space.com explained, seeing both elliptical and spiral traits in one object “allows astronomers to look at the transitional zones between galaxies” [44].
Commercial & Industry Developments
Europe’s space sector marked a major step toward reusability. On Sept. 29 in Sydney, ESA and Italian launch company Avio signed a €40 million deal to research a fully reusable upper stage [45]. So far Europe has no reusable stage (like SpaceX’s Falcon upper stage); this program will study designs where the rocket’s last stage (orbital engine) can return safely and fly again. ESA’s Toni Tolker-Nielsen said the contract “addresses technological criticalities in the short term” and “paves the way for Europe’s long-term future in space” [46]. Avio’s CEO Giulio Ranzo noted the work will build on their liquid-methane engine development and the Space Rider lifting body (a re-entry vehicle), aiming for “next-generation launchers” that cut costs [47]. This initiative is Europe’s answer to the new world of reusable rockets, and it could influence future versions of the Vega or Ariane families.
Across the Pacific, China’s commercial space industry also aims higher. China launched yet another batch of Qianfan “Thousand Sails” broadband satellites on Sept. 26 (18 sats) and has many more scheduled. (SpaceX isn’t the only one building a Starlink competitor.) While those large launches were just days before our period, they reflect China’s drive to field a massive constellation this year. In government news, the China Manned Space Agency reported that Shenzhou-20’s crew has spent over 150 days in orbit and is preparing for China’s National Day celebrations aboard station [48]. (Chinese taikonauts sent early holiday greetings from orbit.) The 4th spacewalk by the Shenzhou-20 crew (mentioned above) highlights China’s maturing station operations.
India’s ISRO meanwhile urged global scientists to study its Moon data. On Sept. 1 (just weeks earlier), ISRO opened an “Announcement of Opportunity” for the Chandrayaan-3 mission [49]. Landed successfully in Aug 2023, Chandrayaan-3 collected seismic, thermal and plasma measurements on the lunar surface. Now those payload data have been released (as of Aug 2024) and Indian research officials are soliciting proposals from universities to perform new analysis [50]. This move aims to broaden scientific returns from Chandrayaan-3 and help train the next generation of lunar scientists. (Future Indian missions like Chandrayaan-4 in 2027 and Lunar Polar Exploration in 2028 are already on the roadmaps [51].)
Defense, Policy & Future Outlook
Space is increasingly a military and diplomatic arena. In Berlin on Sept. 26, Germany’s Defence Minister announced a €35 billion (≈$41 billion) plan to strengthen military space capabilities [52]. This unprecedented investment will fund new communications and reconnaissance satellites, as well as ground control upgrades – reflecting that “satellite networks [are] critical” for national security, he said [53]. It also signals Europe’s concern about space assets’ vulnerability and the need to protect them in a tense global environment.
The week’s events presage more to come. The stacked launches by SpaceX (Starlink) and planned Amazon/Kuiper flights (early Oct) mean we’re entering a phase of near-constant orbital activity. Analysts remind us that Starlink’s saturation of LEO could have dual uses: besides broadband, the U.S. military is already paying to use Starlink satellites in conflict zones. As one space industry veteran noted in the context of militarized space internet, such “megaconstellations” will likely see increased defense spending and may raise new security and debris challenges.
Webb’s disk discovery points to a future of more exomoon hunts. By detecting moon-forming chemistry, astronomers have opened a new window on planetary evolution. Sierra Grant and colleagues say that as Webb (and future telescopes) continue observing young planetary systems, we will learn whether moon formation is as common and complex as planet formation. These findings could help guide NASA’s own Moon exploration: understanding how moons and planets form together could shed light on Earth-Moon history.
Back on Earth, ESA and Avio now have two years to produce a design concept for that reusable upper stage. If all goes well, Europe might see a test flight by the end of this decade. In the near term, however, the focus remains on reliable service: Ariane 6 had its first flight in 2024, and future Ariane or Vega evolution engines may incorporate these new reusable technologies.
Finally, the human aspect: the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Sydney (Sep 28–Oct 3) will feature NASA and partners promoting the Artemis Accords, space sustainability and international projects. NASA’s acting Admin. Sean Duffy and other leaders plan plenaries on Moon/Mars exploration and space communications [54] [55]. These discussions, along with the business deals and research reported here, will set the agenda for space exploration in the 2020s.
Sources: Official space agency releases and major space news outlets were used to compile this report. For details on the Falcon 9 Starlink launch and the “jellyfish” sighting, see [56] [57]. NASA’s Webb disk study is described by NASA Science [58] [59], and China’s EVA by Space.com [60] [61]. ESA’s new reusable-stage contract is detailed by ESA [62] [63]. Further information on the events above can be found in those sources.
References
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