No. 6 · 40 stories · 6 sources
From the pad to the outer planets
Tuesday 21 July 2026
This week’s most consequential developments
SpaceX will launch Starship's 13th test flight on 23 July, deploying new V3 Starlink satellites to orbit.
Why it matters Starship is central to SpaceX's plans for lunar missions and Mars exploration.
Artemis III will coordinate three spacecraft and four astronauts in orbit for two weeks, marking NASA's most complex mission.
Why it matters The mission represents a significant step towards returning humans to the Moon after a fifty-year gap.
SpaceX aborted a Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites on July 20, its second last-second abort in succession.
Why it matters Repeated launch delays risk further slippage in SpaceX's commercial deployment schedules and satellite internet coverage expansion.
SpaceX is rescheduling Starship Flight 13 after the previous attempt aborted, alongside planned Falcon 9 and Chinese rocket launches.
Why it matters These launches mark a return to activity following the Starship abort and demonstrate ongoing heavy-lift rocket development globally.
SpaceX targets July 23 for Starship Flight 13 after aborting its first attempt on July 16.
Why it matters Successful completion of this test flight is critical for validating Starship's development programme and future operational capability.
NASA will brief media on August 3 regarding the SpaceX Crew-13 mission, a routine crew rotation to the International Space Station.
Why it matters Crew rotation missions sustain continuous human presence on the ISS and maintain international partnership in orbital operations.
Artemis II astronauts visited ESA's Dutch technical centre to acknowledge European contributions to their upcoming mission.
Why it matters The crewed Moon programme depends on international collaboration, with Europe playing a substantial technical role.
NASA plans a 2027 uncrewed test of lunar lander docking procedures ahead of 2028 crewed landings.
Why it matters Validates technology for crewed Moon return; any failure delays US lunar programme significantly.
NASA is preparing for Artemis III, a crewed moon landing mission scheduled for 2027 on the SLS rocket.
Why it matters Mission preparations including hardware assembly and control room simulations advance NASA's goal of returning humans to the lunar surface.
SpaceX aborted Starship Flight 13 at the last second on July 16 due to engine ignition failures.
Why it matters The abort delayed testing of V3 Starlink deployment and booster recovery systems by several days.
Also moving, worth a read
An opinion piece reflects on how Artemis II astronauts' recent statements underscored public engagement with human spaceflight goals.
Three companies—Relativity, Rocket Lab, and PLD Space—are advancing their next-generation rocket programmes amid SpaceX's Starship test focus.
Fifty years after Viking 1's Mars landing on July 20, 1976, NASA is now planning atmospheric science missions for the Red Planet.
Viking 1 successfully landed on Mars on July 20, 1976, and transmitted its first surface image forty minutes later.
NASA is launching six new airborne scientific campaigns this summer to observe Earth's atmosphere and surface conditions.
Launch costs have fallen 96% since 1960 and could drop nearly as much again by 2040, according to a new study.
Astronomers warn that planned mega-constellations of satellites and orbital mirrors could create a visible ring around Earth.
NASA's Psyche spacecraft photographed Mars's crescent shape during its approach for a gravity assist between May 2 and 15.
A Soyuz rocket carrying ISS astronauts featured advertising for an energy drink, continuing Russia's practice of commercial space branding.
NASA and Draper have terminated their lunar lander programme following significant development delays.
Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket successfully completed its debut launch, making India the third nation with private orbital launch capability.
SpinLaunch's CEO discussed reimagining spacecraft launch methods and adapting infrastructure for the evolving space economy.
Two Earth observation satellites, FLEX and Sentinel-3C, have arrived at Europe's Spaceport ahead of September launch.
SpaceX's Starship Flight 13 experienced a booster ignition abort during launch attempt on 16 July.
A Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft launched a new crew to the International Space Station from Baikonur on 14 July.
Podcast episode 219 discusses recent space industry developments including SpaceX-related topics.
Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket successfully reached orbit on its maiden flight, becoming India's first commercial orbital rocket.
NASA established a working group in April 2026 to review venous thromboembolism risk data among astronauts.
SpaceX's IPO has elevated the company's space ambitions to mainstream capital markets attention.
The FCC approved the first test launch of Reflect Orbital's Eärendil-1 satellite, designed to reflect sunlight to Earth on demand.
New Horizons imagery reveals evidence of large landslides on Pluto's steep crater walls.
SpaceX launched 21 satellites for the U.S. military's new Tranche 1 Transport Layer constellation from California.
Weak signals worth a glance