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# Weekly Dose of Space (22/3-28/3)
- URL: https://proximareport.com/weekly-dose-of-space-22-3-28-3/
- Published: 2026-03-29T10:46:37.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-29T10:46:37.000Z
- Author: Jack C.
- Tags: Newsletter

Welcome back to Weekly Dose of Space! This week saw eight launches into orbit worldwide, with multiple missions from China, Russia, and the United States. News during the week had the Artemis II crew arriving in Florida ahead of launch and a Chinese enterprise testing a robotic arm in orbit. As always, we'll also look ahead to what the worldwide launch schedule might look like next week.

## **Launches This Week**

### *March 22nd - Soyuz 2.1a with Progress MS-33*

A Soyuz 2.1a blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome carrying the Progress MS-33 cargo resupply spacecraft, sending it towards the Russian segment of the International Space Station. The spacecraft reached the space station [on March 24th](https://www.russianspaceweb.com/progress-ms-33.html?ref=proximareport.com).

> Successful launch of Soyuz-2.1a with the Progress MS-33 cargo spacecraft from the Baikonur cosmodrome!   
> Progress MS-33 is now on its way to the ISS, with the docking scheduled for March 24, 13:34 UTC  
>  
> This time with some cool views that weren't shown on NASA broadcast  
>  
> Liftoff: [pic.twitter.com/uiEfIorBD8](https://t.co/uiEfIorBD8?ref=proximareport.com)
> 
> — afec7032 🇷🇺 (@robert\_savitsky) [March 22, 2026](https://twitter.com/robert%5Fsavitsky/status/2035695117105824249?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=proximareport.com)

Soyuz 2.1a departing the Baikonur Cosmodrome on March 22nd with Progress MS-33, via [robert\_savitsky on Twitter](https://x.com/robert%5Fsavitsky/status/2035695117105824249?s=20&ref=proximareport.com).

### *March 22nd - Falcon 9 with Starlink Group 10-62*

SpaceX's Falcon 9, flying from Space Launch Complex 40 in Florida, delivered twenty-nine Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. Supporting this mission was booster B1078, flying for the twenty-seventh time and landing on the drone ship 'A Shortfall Of Gravitas' downrange.

![Falcon 9 during first-stage flight for the Starlink Group 10-62 mission on March 22nd 2026. ©SpaceX](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/15/c115fdad-529f-4ea1-9d82-260375a868a5/content/images/2026/03/HEBsooFagAAyC1d-1.jpg)

Falcon 9 during first-stage flight for the Starlink Group 10-62 mission on March 22nd 2026\. ©SpaceX

### *March 22nd - Jielong-3 with ten CentiSpace satellites*

Off of a launch platform in the Yellow Sea, a Jielong-3 carried ten CentiSpace navigation satellites into sun-synchronous orbit on behalf of Beijing Future Navigation Technology Co Ltd. This launch now has the operator operating twenty satellites in orbit to begin providing basic services.

![The Jielong-3 Y10 vehicle lifting off from the Yellow Sea on March 22nd 2026.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/15/c115fdad-529f-4ea1-9d82-260375a868a5/content/images/2026/03/9da82ba5gy1ibg88r7xfvj22vb1x0x6p-1.jpg)

The Jielong-3 Y10 vehicle lifting off from the Yellow Sea on March 22nd 2026.

### *March 23rd - Soyuz 2.1b with sixteen Rassvet-3 satellites*

From the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, a Soyuz 2.1b flew into polar orbit carrying the first sixteen Rassvet-3 connectivity satellites. By 2035, [over nine hundred satellites are planned](https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/03/24/russian-aerospace-company-launches-first-batch-of-starlink-rival-satellites-a92318?ref=proximareport.com) to be in orbit. 

> Yesterday, Russia launched the first batch of 16 Rassvet satellites from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome  
>  
> This marks the beginning of the deployment of their satellite internet constellation, a OneWeb/Starlink analogue, developed by Bureau 1440\. [pic.twitter.com/SYk6FcdJWX](https://t.co/SYk6FcdJWX?ref=proximareport.com)
> 
> — afec7032 🇷🇺 (@robert\_savitsky) [March 24, 2026](https://twitter.com/robert%5Fsavitsky/status/2036537099751481817?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=proximareport.com)

Soyuz 2.1b lifting off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on March 23rd 2026, via [robert\_savitsky on Twitter](https://x.com/robert%5Fsavitsky/status/2036537099751481817?s=20&ref=proximareport.com).

> Bureau 1440 shows footage of separation of 16 Rassvet satellites from Soyuz's third stage [pic.twitter.com/jhe2krZ1kA](https://t.co/jhe2krZ1kA?ref=proximareport.com)
> 
> — afec7032 🇷🇺 (@robert\_savitsky) [March 24, 2026](https://twitter.com/robert%5Fsavitsky/status/2036316858110841337?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=proximareport.com)

Deployment of the sixteen Rassvet-3 satellites from Soyuz 2.1b's third-stage, via [robert\_savitsky on Twitter](https://x.com/robert%5Fsavitsky/status/2036316858110841337?s=20&ref=proximareport.com).

### *March 25th - Long March 2D with Siwei Gaojing-2-05 and Siwei Gaojing-2-06*

Out of the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China Siwei Survey and Mapping Technology's Siwei Gaojing-2-05 and Siwei Gaojing-2-06 synthetic aperture radar Earth observation satellites were sent towards sun-synchronous orbit by a Long March 2D. From space, the two satellites are providing all-day, all-weather, high-resolution imagery.

![The Long March 2D Y105 vehicle during first-stage flight from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on March 25th 2026.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/15/c115fdad-529f-4ea1-9d82-260375a868a5/content/images/2026/03/0080MYmPly1ibk0vxpzzdj37c04w0x6x-1.jpg)

The Long March 2D Y105 vehicle during first-stage flight from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on March 25th 2026.

### *March 26th - Falcon 9 with Starlink Group 17-17*

Twenty-five more Starlink satellites were sent into low Earth orbit by a Falcon 9 flying from Space Launch Complex 4E, in California. Booster B1081 supported this launch for its twenty-third flight, landing downrange on the drone ship 'Of Course I Still Love You'.

![Falcon 9 lifting off from Space Launch Complex 4E for the Starlink Group 17-17 mission on March 26th 2026. ©SpaceX](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/15/c115fdad-529f-4ea1-9d82-260375a868a5/content/images/2026/03/HEYJDgaW8AAr4VF-1.jpg)

Falcon 9 lifting off from Space Launch Complex 4E for the Starlink Group 17-17 mission on March 26th 2026\. ©SpaceX

### *March 27th - Long March 2C with Shiyan-33*

Equipped with the Yuanzheng-1S optional upper-stage, a Long March 2C delivered the Shiyan-33 spacecraft into sun-synchronous orbit. Little is known about the spacecraft other than that it is for space environment research and related scientific experiments.

![The Long March 2C launch vehicle lifting off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on March 27th 2026.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/15/c115fdad-529f-4ea1-9d82-260375a868a5/content/images/2026/03/006aWhMSgy1iblgo09quvj30j00sg427-1.jpg)

The Long March 2C launch vehicle lifting off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on March 27th 2026.

### *March 28th - Electron for 'Daughter Of The Stars'*

Rocket Lab's Electron carried two positioning, navigation*,* and timing demonstration satellites into sun-synchronous orbit on behalf of the European Space Agency from Launch Complex-1A, on the Māhia Peninsula in New Zealand. Those satellites will are the first part of Europe's Celeste navigation constellation.

> LIFTOFF! Electron is on the way to space for [@esa](https://twitter.com/esa?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=proximareport.com) [pic.twitter.com/okqSOgy5cA](https://t.co/okqSOgy5cA?ref=proximareport.com)
> 
> — Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) [March 28, 2026](https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/2037820980622692432?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=proximareport.com)

Electron lifting off from Launch Complex-1A on March 28th 2026, via [Rocket Lab on Twitter](https://x.com/RocketLab/status/2037820980622692432?s=20&ref=proximareport.com).

## **In Other Space News**

### *Artemis II astronauts arrive in Florida*

![Artemis II's Jeremy Hansen (left), Christina Koch (center left), Reid Wiseman (center right), and Victor Glover (right) after arriving at the Kennedy Space Center on March 27th 2026. ©Kim Shiflett/NASA](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/15/c115fdad-529f-4ea1-9d82-260375a868a5/content/images/2026/03/KSC-20260327-PH-KLS01_0284-large-1.jpg)

Artemis II's Jeremy Hansen (left), Christina Koch (center left), Reid Wiseman (center right), and Victor Glover (right) after arriving at the Kennedy Space Center on March 27th 2026\. ©Kim Shiflett/NASA

Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, the four astronauts for [the Artemis II mission](https://proximareport.com/articles/artemis-ii-back-launch-pad/), [arrived at the Kennedy Space Center](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2026/03/27/artemis-ii-crew-arrives-at-launch-site-shares-moon-mascot/?ref=proximareport.com) in Florida on March 27th following a flight from the Johnson Space Center in Texas, with a stop by the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The crew are currently in a low-contact quarantine ahead of their mission around the Moon, starting no earlier than April 1st.

Following their arrival, the crew unveiled Artemis II's zero gravity indicator 'Rise', designed by a student from Mountain View, California. 'Rise' is a plushie of the Moon wearing a cap featuring the Earth and space.

> Introducing the Moon Mascot for the Artemis II mission!  
>  
> The zero gravity indicator for the Moonbound crew was selected from thousands of submissions from over 50 countries and is named “Rise.” The design was inspired by the iconic Earthrise moment from the Apollo 8 mission. [pic.twitter.com/5g2B0I6BDn](https://t.co/5g2B0I6BDn?ref=proximareport.com)
> 
> — NASA (@NASA) [March 27, 2026](https://twitter.com/NASA/status/2037599591743287590?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=proximareport.com)

### *Commercial Chinese enterprise tests robotic arm*

> With just over a week spent in orbit, Sustain Space has performed a first set of tests with an early robotic refueling arm onboard its Xiyuan-0 satellite  
>  
> Details -> [https://t.co/7WZu4FR88I](https://t.co/7WZu4FR88I?ref=proximareport.com) [pic.twitter.com/bA5pjaGPyq](https://t.co/bA5pjaGPyq?ref=proximareport.com)
> 
> — Phazzee 🐼🚀 | 中国航天 🇨🇳 | 🇵🇸🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 (@PhazzeeYeehaw) [March 26, 2026](https://twitter.com/PhazzeeYeehaw/status/2037204247045927274?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=proximareport.com)

Sustain Space, an enterprise focused on in-space services from China, announced on March 25th that its teams have [successfully tested a robotic arm](https://www.china-in-space.com/p/sustain-space-successfully-completes?ref=proximareport.com) onboard the Xiyuan-0 satellite, launched on March 16th. 

That arm is largely a single structure that flexibly bends to position its end wherever automatic and human controls from the ground dictate. For recent testing, the arm was translated across to a target rectangle and docking port, before gradually moving into the port, holding position inside, then exiting.

In the future, Sustain Space plans to evolve the arm into the key satellite-to-satellite piece for refueling customer spacecraft. 

At the end of testing with the arm, the Xiyuan-0 satellite will inflate a 2.5-meter-wide drag sphere, added onto the satellite via a contribution from the Hunan University of Science and Technology, to accelerate its decay into Earth's atmosphere. 

## **What to Expect Next Week**

### *March 29th - Falcon 9 with Starlink Group 10-44*

SpaceX is preparing to launch a batch of Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit atop of Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40.

### *March 30th - Falcon 9 for Transporter-16*

A Falcon 9 will launch SpaceX's Transporter-16 sun-synchronous orbit dedicated rideshare mission from Space Launch Complex 4E, carrying over 110 customer payloads.

### *March 30th - Tianlong-3 for its debut flight*

Space Pioneer may launch its Tianlong-3 rocket for the first time via a mission from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center toward polar orbit, possibly carrying customer payloads.

### *April 1st - Soyuz 2.1a for Meridian-M-21L*

A Soyuz 2.1a will fly towards a Molniya orbit from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, carrying the Meridian-M-21L communications satellite for civilian and military users in Russia.

### *April 1st - Space Launch System for Artemis II*

NASA is preparing to launch its Space Launch System rocket from Launch Complex 39B, in Florida, sending the Orion spacecraft with astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen [around the Moon for the Artemis II mission](https://proximareport.com/articles/artemis-ii-back-launch-pad/), becoming the first to do so since December 1972.

### *April 2nd - Soyuz-5 for its first flight*

From the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Russia will attempt to launch its Soyuz-5 two-stage rocket for the first time.

### *April 2nd - Falcon 9 with Starlink Group 10-58*

Another Falcon 9 will deliver Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40\. 

### *April 3rd - Falcon 9 with Starlink Group 17-35*

Even more Starlink satellites are set to head into low Earth orbit via Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 4E. 

### *April 4th - Atlas V for LA-05*

United Launch Alliance's Atlas V is set to fly into low Earth orbit carrying a batch of twenty-nine satellites for Amazon's Leo space-based internet mega-constellation.