Global Space News Roundup (Sept 26

Summary:

SpaceX & ULA Break Records: SpaceX conducted back-to-back Falcon 9 launches for Starlink and a NASA mission, achieving its 123rd Falcon 9 flight of 2025 and reaching nearly 8,500 active Starlink satellites in orbit ^[1]. ULA’s Atlas V orbited 27 more of Amazon’s Project Kuiper internet satellites, bringing Amazon’s constellation to 129 satellites and driving toward 200+ satellites by year’s end ^[2] ^[3].
Major Missions & Collaborations: NASA and ISRO’s joint NISAR Earth-mapping satellite released its first radar images, showcasing unprecedented detail of forests and farmlands and promising better disaster monitoring ^[4]. China launched a new Fengyun-3H meteorological satellite into polar orbit for global weather forecasting ^[5].
Space Station & Industry Updates: Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane debut was delayed to late 2026, shifting from an ISS docking to a free-flyer test flight ^[6]. Blue Origin prepared its second New Glenn rocket for an October launch carrying NASA’s twin Mars probes, after a successful first flight earlier in the year ^[7].
Defense and Market Outlook: Officials warned of growing military threats in orbit, as Russian “inspector” satellites shadow Western assets ^[8]. In the commercial sector, satellite-imaging firm Planet Labs announced a new production facility in Berlin to double its high-res satellite output ^[9], following a €240 million German government contract ^[10].

Record Launch Cadence for Starlink and Kuiper Constellations

SpaceX’s launch blitz: SpaceX achieved an unprecedented launch cadence, flying three Falcon 9 missions in under 41 hours through Sept. 25–26 ^[11]. These included two Starlink batches (28 satellites from Florida and 24 from California) and NASA’s solar observatory mission (IMAP) to deep space. The Sept. 26 Vandenberg launch marked SpaceX’s 123rd Falcon 9 flight of 2025 and the 15th just in September, putting the company on pace to smash its previous annual launch record ^[12]. With these missions, SpaceX surpassed 8,400 Starlink satellites in orbit, with about 8,500 active Starlink craft now in the network according to satellite trackers ^[13]. Both Falcon 9 boosters used were reused multiple times – one flying its 22nd mission and another on its 16th – and both first stages landed safely on drone ships ^[14] ^[15]. SpaceX’s launch director joked that “the rocket fleet’s working overtime,” underscoring how routine rapid reusability has become in support of the Starlink megaconstellation.

Amazon’s Kuiper deployment accelerates: In a back-to-back feat at Cape Canaveral on Sept. 25, United Launch Alliance (ULA) lofted 27 Amazon Project Kuiper satellites just hours after SpaceX’s Florida Starlink mission ^[16] ^[17]. ULA’s Atlas V rocket (in its mighty 551 configuration with five solid boosters) roared off at 8:09 a.m. EDT, successfully deploying the third batch of Kuiper broadband satellites into low Earth orbit ^[18]. This was ULA’s third Atlas launch of the year and the second liftoff from Florida’s Space Coast that morning ^[19]. Amazon now has 129 Kuiper satellites in orbit, inching toward the FCC milestone requiring 1,618 satellites (half the planned 3,236) in orbit by July 2026 ^[20] ^[21]. Ricky Freeman, head of Amazon’s government satellite division, said Amazon expects to have “more than 200 satellites in orbit by the end of 2025,” and the company recently inked its first airline internet customer for Kuiper service ^[22] ^[23]. To reach these targets, Amazon has a packed launch manifest: after exhausting its last few Atlas V missions, Amazon will turn to 38 ULA Vulcan, 18 Arianespace Ariane 6, and up to 27 Blue Origin New Glenn flights booked for full-scale Kuiper deployment ^[24]. The Sept. 25 launch also carried Amazon’s biggest Kuiper satellite batch yet (27 spacecraft) and demonstrated Atlas V’s reliability as it nears retirement. Amazon’s broadband constellation is racing SpaceX’s Starlink to connect remote customers, and the investment outlook is bullish – Amazon is pouring resources into Kuiper as a key future business, with half a dozen launches slated in the next year to build out coverage.

NASA–ISRO Satellite Delivers First Images

NISAR radar imaging debut: A landmark U.S.-India collaboration bore fruit as NASA and ISRO’s NISAR satellite beamed back its first high-resolution radar images of Earth’s surface ^[25] ^[26]. The joint $1.3 billion mission – short for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar – launched from India in July and carries dual L-band and S-band radars to map the planet in unprecedented detail ^[27]. NASA released the first sample images on Sept. 25, revealing Maine’s forested Mount Desert Island and North Dakota’s patchwork farmlands in striking detail and false-color contrast ^[28] ^[29]. These initial images (captured in late August) are “a preview of what’s to come” once NISAR enters full science operations in November ^[30]. The satellite will systematically survey nearly all land and ice areas every 12 days, measuring subtle shifts in terrain – from groundwater changes and glacier movements to crop growth – using interferometric radar. “NISAR’s first images are a testament to what can be achieved when we unite around a shared vision of innovation and discovery,” remarked acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy, calling the mission an exemplar of international teamwork ^[31]. Indian officials likewise hailed the data’s potential to improve disaster response and resource management across the globe.

By combining NASA’s L-band radar (penetrating forests and detecting ground deformation) with ISRO’s S-band radar (sensitive to vegetation and small-scale changes), NISAR can monitor Earth’s ecosystems and hazards with unmatched precision ^[32] ^[33]. The mission is expected to significantly aid in forecasting floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, and tracking the impacts of climate change on ice sheets and forests ^[34]. As NASA’s Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya noted, understanding Earth’s dynamics also informs planetary science elsewhere – “by understanding how our home planet works, we can produce models of how other planets work as we prepare to send humanity back to the Moon and on to Mars,” he said ^[35]. The successful early results from NISAR underscore the growing role of international partnerships in tackling big science goals.

China Launches New Weather Satellite Amid High Launch Rate

Fengyun-3H in orbit: In the pre-dawn hours of Sept. 27 (Beijing time), China launched a Fengyun-3H meteorological satellite via a Long March 4C rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center ^[36] ^[37]. The 3,300 kg satellite carries nine advanced sensors – including medium-resolution spectral imagers and microwave/infrared sounders – to improve global weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and atmospheric chemistry research ^[38] ^[39]. After a 3:28 a.m. liftoff, Fengyun-3H was placed into a sun-synchronous polar orbit, where it will provide morning and afternoon coverage complementary to China’s other Fengyun series satellites ^[40]. CNSA, China’s space agency, said the new satellite will boost the country’s capabilities in numerical weather prediction and help track climate change and natural disasters worldwide ^[41]. This launch continues China’s strong pace of orbital missions – it was China’s 58th rocket launch of 2025 and the 596th flight of the Long March family of launchers ^[42].

With Fengyun-3H’s addition, China now operates 11 Fengyun weather satellites (across polar orbit and geostationary types) to support both domestic and international meteorological services ^[43]. The country’s launch cadence in 2025 is on track to set a new national record, reflecting heavy investment in civil, commercial, and military space projects. In fact, just hours after the Fengyun launch, China was preparing another mission: a Long March 6A was slated for Sept. 27 from Taiyuan to a similar polar orbit, reportedly carrying a classified Earth-observation payload (likely a reconnaissance satellite) for national defense ^[44]. By late September, China had conducted nearly 60 orbital launches in 2025, second only to the United States in volume, and its space infrastructure – from navigation networks to space station operations – continues to expand rapidly. Chinese officials emphasize that many of these missions, like Fengyun-3H, also contribute to international datasets (China provides Fengyun weather data to the World Meteorological Organization). The global scope of China’s space activity was evident this week: one day launching a climate-focused satellite, the next day a potential spy satellite – underscoring the dual nature of space technology.

Spaceplane Delayed, ISS Logistics Evolve

Dream Chaser debut pushed to 2026: A highly anticipated new vehicle for resupplying the International Space Station hit a snag. Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser, a reusable mini-spaceplane, will not fly until late 2026 and will no longer dock with the ISS on its first mission as originally planned ^[45]. NASA announced on Sept. 26 that it has renegotiated Sierra Space’s cargo contract: instead of multiple ISS dockings, Dream Chaser’s maiden flight (vehicle “Tenacity”) will be a free-flying orbital test to prove out the spaceplane’s systems ^[46]. “Development of new space transportation systems is difficult and can take longer than what’s originally planned,” acknowledged Dana Weigel, NASA’s ISS Program manager ^[47]. Both NASA and Sierra Space decided that an orbital demo without an immediate station rendezvous would “enable testing and verification to continue on Dream Chaser” while relieving schedule pressure ^[48]. Under the revised agreement, NASA is no longer obligated to order a specific number of ISS resupply flights from Sierra Space; future missions will depend on the agency’s needs and Dream Chaser’s success in its test flight ^[49] ^[50].

Originally selected in 2016 alongside SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the Commercial Resupply Services-2 program, Dream Chaser was envisioned as a lifting-body spacecraft capable of runway landings with up to 5,500 kg of cargo. Sierra Space has been assembling Tenacity and its attachable cargo module at Kennedy Space Center since 2024 ^[51]. The delay to 2026 comes after technical challenges and the need to find a new launch vehicle – Dream Chaser was initially slated to launch on ULA’s Vulcan, but setbacks in Vulcan’s schedule forced Sierra Space to seek alternatives ^[52]. Despite the hiccups, Sierra Space’s leadership put a positive spin on the change. “Dream Chaser represents the future of versatile space transportation and mission flexibility,” said company executive chair Faith Ozmen, adding that the spaceplane remains a “national asset” that will eventually meet both NASA’s needs and national security priorities ^[53]. NASA likewise stressed that demonstrating Dream Chaser in orbit will position it for future use in the ISS’s final years and for upcoming commercial space stations ^[54]. (Sierra Space is a core partner in Blue Origin’s proposed Orbital Reef station, planning to use Dream Chaser to ferry cargo and possibly crew there in the late 2020s ^[55].)

ISS resupply and crew updates: The ISS program overall is adjusting to changes as it heads toward a 2030 retirement. In addition to Dream Chaser’s delay, NASA confirmed that existing vehicles are keeping the ISS stocked: a Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL cargo craft (the first stretched variant) launched in mid-September on a Falcon 9 ^[56], and SpaceX’s Dragon continues regular rotations. On the crew side, NASA introduced 10 new astronaut candidates (its 2025 class) earlier in the week – notably the first class with more women than men ^[57] ^[58] – signaling the agency’s human spaceflight ambitions beyond ISS. Training these candidates for Artemis lunar missions and future low-Earth orbit commercial stations is already underway. Meanwhile, Roscosmos and NASA successfully swapped crew seats on recent missions to ensure both partners maintain a continuous presence on ISS. A Soyuz launched from Baikonur earlier in April carried two Russian cosmonauts and NASA astronaut Dr. Jonny Kim to the ISS ^[59] ^[60], exemplifying ongoing international cooperation. With these adjustments, NASA officials say ISS operations remain smooth, but they are also clearly laying groundwork for the post-ISS era – from investing in commercial vehicles like Dream Chaser to supporting multiple private station concepts through the Commercial LEO Destinations program.

Space Security Concerns Grow

Orbital defense spotlight: Geopolitical tensions made headlines in the space realm during this period as well. On Sept. 25, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius cautioned that Russia’s activities in orbit pose an increasing threat ^[61]. Speaking at a space security conference in Berlin, he revealed that Russian “Luch” satellites have been shadowing commercial communication satellites used by Germany’s military, raising alarms about potential espionage or disruption ^[62]. “Russia and China have expanded their capabilities for warfare in space rapidly over the past years: They can disrupt satellite operations, blind satellites, manipulate or kinetically destroy them,” Pistorius warned the international gathering ^[63]. He argued that NATO nations must have frank discussions about developing their own “offensive capabilities in space as a deterrent,” given the demonstrated anti-satellite (ASAT) tests and proximity operations by adversaries ^[64]. This marked one of the strongest public statements to date by a European official about military competition in orbit.

The minister’s comments echoed broader worries among defense officials that critical satellite infrastructure – from GPS navigation to reconnaissance and communications – could be targeted in a conflict. Just days earlier, a classified U.S. spy satellite (NROL-48) was launched into orbit on a SpaceX Falcon 9, the fifth NRO mission of the year to bolster U.S. imagery and signals intelligence constellations ^[65]. And in a likely demonstration of such counterspace concerns, China’s Sept. 27 Long March 6A launch (from Taiyuan) was believed to be carrying a military surveillance payload, potentially a high-resolution imaging satellite for the People’s Liberation Army ^[66]. Western analysts noted that the mission’s short-notice announcement and unspecified nature fit the pattern of Chinese defense launches. In response to these trends, militaries are forging new space commands and strategies. Europe, for instance, is considering greater cooperation under an EU Space Security initiative, and the U.S. Space Force continues to advance technologies like satellite jamming resistance and rapid satellite replacement. Space is now “a war-fighting domain,” NATO’s leadership has declared, with alliances being extended into orbit. The late-September warnings underscore that norms and treaties for space conduct lag behind capabilities, and the coming years will likely see increased diplomatic urgency to prevent miscalculation in the high frontier.

Industry Outlook and Upcoming Missions

Blue Origin readies Mars probe launch: In a notable commercial milestone, Blue Origin is preparing to launch NASA’s ESCAPADE mission to Mars on its next New Glenn rocket flight. On Sept. 26, Blue Origin confirmed that New Glenn’s second launch (designated NG-2) is now targeted for mid-October after a slight delay from a late September window ^[67]. The massive heavy-lift rocket had a successful inaugural flight earlier in 2025, and this upcoming mission will be its first interplanetary launch ^[68]. ESCAPADE consists of twin small satellites developed by UC Berkeley and Rocket Lab that will orbit Mars to study its magnetosphere and how the solar wind strips away the Martian atmosphere ^[69]. NASA’s decision to place ESCAPADE on New Glenn signals confidence in Blue Origin’s vehicle – the agency had initially hesitated to launch the $80 million science mission on a brand-new rocket, but after New Glenn’s debut, “ESCAPADE was added back to the manifest and assigned as the rocket’s second mission” ^[70] ^[71]. Blue Origin teams in Florida have now integrated the twin probes and are conducting a static test firing of the New Glenn first stage at Launch Complex 36, aiming for liftoff a few weeks from now ^[72]. This mission will not only send valuable data back from Mars in the coming years, but also demonstrate New Glenn’s capabilities to NASA and commercial customers. If successful, New Glenn’s entry could diversify the heavy-launch market, which has been dominated by SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy (and upcoming Starship) and ULA’s developing Vulcan. Blue Origin is also eyeing national security launch contracts and its own lunar lander ambitions for NASA’s Artemis program, making NG-2 a closely watched flight.

Commercial expansion in Europe: The commercial space economy also saw a notable investment in Europe during this period. Planet Labs, a leader in Earth-imaging satellites, announced on Sept. 25 that it will open a new satellite manufacturing facility in Berlin, Germany – its first production site outside the United States ^[73]. The California-based company will invest an “eight-figure” sum (tens of millions of dollars) in the Berlin plant, which is expected to double Planet’s output of high-resolution imaging satellites and add about 70 jobs to its existing European team ^[74]. CEO Will Marshall said the choice of Berlin was driven by the local talent pool and proximity to the German government, noting “there’s real value in being close to the government” for a space company ^[75] ^[76]. In fact, Germany awarded Planet Labs a €240 million contract this summer for responsive satellite imaging services ^[77], in part to support military reconnaissance needs – a sign of how commercial providers are meeting government demand. The new facility will build Planet’s upcoming “Pelican” series satellites, which leverage AI to analyze imagery within minutes of collection for applications from agriculture to defense. German officials praised Planet’s expansion as a “good signal” that the country can attract high-tech space investment without subsidies ^[78]. This move also reflects a broader trend of growth in Europe’s space startup ecosystem (especially in Berlin and Munich), backed by EU initiatives to foster commercial space capabilities in Earth observation, communications, and launch services.

Looking ahead: The closing days of September 2025 highlight a vibrant and intensifying global space sector. In the coming weeks, spaceflight fans can anticipate SpaceX’s next Starlink launches (the company is fast approaching 100 missions for the year), Blue Origin’s important ESCAPADE launch attempt to Mars, and possibly the return of Blue Origin’s suborbital New Shepard flights carrying research payloads after an extended stand-down. Rocket Lab is also resuming Electron launches from New Zealand and Virginia as it ramps back up from a mid-year pause, aiming for a higher cadence of smallsat deployments. On the human spaceflight front, NASA’s Artemis 2 Moon mission preparations continue – the Orion spacecraft was recently fueled and crews are in training, with an optimistic launch target of early 2026 ^[79] ^[80]. The international Artemis coalition (now 29 member nations) met to discuss contributions to the planned Artemis 3 lunar landing and beyond. Meanwhile, ISS partners are scheduling a series of spacewalks in October to install new solar arrays and science experiments, as the station marks 25 years of continuous assembly and habitation.

In the space economy, analysts note that satellite launches in 2025 are on track to hit an all-time high globally, driven by megaconstellations and pent-up demand after pandemic delays. Investor interest remains strong in space startups, though some consolidation is expected in the crowded launch and Earth-imaging markets. Market forecasters predict the satellite sector will exceed $400 billion in revenue by 2030, with growth in broadband internet, Earth observation data, and deep-space infrastructure. Overall, the period of Sept. 26–27, 2025 encapsulated the dynamic interplay of innovation, competition, and collaboration that defines today’s space industry – from record-breaking commercial launch feats and ambitious interplanetary missions, to the pressing challenges of keeping space peaceful and sustainable for all. The final quarter of 2025 promises even more milestones as humanity’s presence in space continues to expand.

Sources:

Spaceflight Now – Launch reports and space station updates ^[81] ^[82] ^[83]
Space.com – SpaceX and Blue Origin coverage ^[84] ^[85]
NASASpaceFlight – Weekly launch roundup (Starlink, Kuiper, China) ^[86] ^[87]
NASA/NOAA/ESA press releases and AP News – NISAR first images, Artemis updates ^[88] ^[89]
Xinhua & China Daily – Fengyun-3H launch details ^[90] ^[91]
Reuters – Statements on space security and industry investments ^[92] ^[93]