Welcome back to Weekly Dose of Space! This week again had seven launches taking place, with spacecraft heading for the two space stations in low Earth orbit. News of the week had two crews meeting in space and potential hiccups ahead for Artemis II. As always, we'll also look ahead to what the worldwide launch schedule might look like next week.

Launches This Week

October 26th - H3 with HTV-X

Japan launched its H3 rocket, with four solid rocket boosters for the first time, into low Earth orbit from the Tanegashima Space Center for the HTV-X's first resupply mission to the International Space Station. HTV-X will remain with the station for about six months.

H3 lifting off from the Tanegashima Space Center with the HTV-X spacecraft. ©JAXA

October 26th - Long March 3B/E with Gaofen-14-02

A Long March 3B/E launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center carrying the Gaofen-14-02 satellite into sun-synchronous orbit. Gaofen-14-02 is set to work with the existing Gaofen-14 to create digital topographical maps, elevation models, and other kinds of geographic maps.

The Long March 3B/E lifting off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on October 26th.
The Long March 3B/E lifting off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on October 26th.

SpaceX launched twenty-eight Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit atop of its Falcon 9 flying from Space Launch Complex 40, in Florida. Booster B1077 supported this mission for its twenty-fourth flight, with a landing downrange on the drone ship 'A Shortfall Of Gravitas'.

Falcon 9 lifting off from Space Launch Complex 40 for the Starlink Group 10-21 mission. ©SpaceX
Falcon 9 lifting off from Space Launch Complex 40 for the Starlink Group 10-21 mission. ©SpaceX

Another twenty-eight Starlink satellites were sent into low Earth orbit via a Falcon 9 out of Space Launch Complex 4E, in California. Supporting this mission was booster B1082, for its seventeenth flight with a landing on the drone ship 'Of Course I Still Love You' downrange.

Falcon 9 lifting off from Space Launch Complex 4E for the Starlink Group 11-21 mission. ©SpaceX
Falcon 9 lifting off from Space Launch Complex 4E for the Starlink Group 11-21 mission. ©SpaceX

Falcon 9 sent twenty-nine more Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit out of Space Launch Complex 40. Booster B1083 supported this launch for its fifteenth flight, landing downrange on the drone ship 'Just Read The Instructions'.

A view of twenty-nine Starlink satellites seen by Falcon 9's second-stage during the Starlink Group 10-37 mission. ©SpaceX
A view of twenty-nine Starlink satellites seen by Falcon 9's second-stage during the Starlink Group 10-37 mission. ©SpaceX

October 31st - Long March 2F/G with Shenzhou-21

From the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the Shenzhou-21 mission blasted off atop of a Long March 2F/G heading for the Tiangong Space Station in low Earth orbit. Taikonauts flying for this sixth-month mission are Commander Zhang Lu, Flight Engineer Wu Fei, and Payload Expert Zhang Hongzhang.

The Long March 2F/G Y21 vehicle during first-stage flight while passing in front of the Moon for the launch of the Shenzhou-21 mission.
The Long March 2F/G Y21 vehicle during first-stage flight while passing in front of the Moon for the launch of the Shenzhou-21 mission.

Out of Space Launch Complex 4E, yet another twenty-eight Starlink satellites were sent into low Earth orbit atop of a Falcon 9. Supporting this mission was booster B1063, for its twenty-ninth launch with a landing downrange on the drone ship 'Of Course I Still Love You'.

In Other Space News

Shenzhou-21 crew boards Tiangong

The Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 crews inside of the Tiangong Space Station's Tianhe module on November 1st. ©China Manned Space Agency
The Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 crews inside of the Tiangong Space Station's Tianhe module on November 1st. ©China Manned Space Agency

Having lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on October 31st, the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft flew a new speedy rendezvous route to the Tiangong Space Station in low Earth orbit, carrying Commander Zhang Lu, Flight Engineer Wu Fei, and Payload Expert Zhang Hongzhang.

Just over three and a half hours after launch, the Shenzhou spacecraft docked with the station. A few hours later, following leak checks and various tests, hatches between Shenzhou's orbital module and Tiangong's Tianhe module's forward docking port were opened, allowing the new crew to be greeted by Shenzhou-20's Commander Chen Dong, Operator Chen Zhongrui, and Science Operator Wang Jie.

Now inside the space station, the Shenzhou-21 trio will spend about five days with the Shenzhou-20 crew to adjust to life in microgravity before a handover of duties takes place. That will allow the Shenzhou-20 mission to conclude in about five days with a return to Earth.

While onboard Tiangong for the next six months, the Shenzhou-21 crew is set to perform experiments in the fields of space life science and biotechnology, space medicine, space material science, microgravity fluid physics and combustion, and new space technology. One of those experiments has Tiangong hosting its first rodent residents, with two male and two female mice being sent up to study behaviours in microgravity before returning with Shenzhou-20.

U.S. shutdown may delay Artemis II

Since October 1st, the U.S. government has been shut down due to the inability of American lawmakers to agree on funding plans for the government. At the start of the shutdown, NASA was proceeding with preparations for the Artemis II mission, but now hiccups may be about to appear.

According to a recent report in SpaceNews, contractors working on the mission may begin to reduce or cease work as they run through the last of their financial cushion as the shutdown starts its second month. Citing a panel appearance of Kirk Shireman, Vice President of Human Space Exploration and Orion Program Manager at Lockheed Martin, the outlet stated that smaller contractors are not going to be able to continue working.

So far for the Artemis II mission, NASA has fully stacked the Space Launch System rocket and placed the Orion spacecraft atop it. Joint tests of both vehicles are set to be underway for many more weeks, with NASA's Artemis teams not expected to be affected by the shutdown for now.

What to Expect Next Week

November 2nd - Falcon 9 with Bandwagon-4

SpaceX is planning to perform its Bandwagon-4 low Earth orbit rideshare mission via a Falcon 9 flying from Space Launch Complex 40.

November 2nd - LVM-3 with GSAT-7R

India's LVM-3 rocket is set to launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre carrying the GSAT-7R communication satellite to geostationary transfer orbit on behalf of the Indian Navy.

November 3rd - Long March 7A with a to-be-annouced payload

A Long March 7A is preparing to fly from the Wenchang Space Launch Site into an orbit higher than low Earth orbit with a currently unannounced payload.

November 4th - Ariane 6 with Sentinel-1D

Arianespace is planning to launch the Ariane 6 rocket from the Guiana Space Centre into sun-synchronous orbit carrying the Sentinel-1D weather satellite.

November 5th - Electron for 'The Nation God Navigates'

Rocket Lab's Electron is set to fly from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B on the Māhia Peninsula, in New Zealand, into low Earth orbit with a synthetic aperture radar satellite on behalf of iQPS.

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

NET November 5th - Zhuque-3 for its debut flight

If the Shenzhou-20 mission returns to Earth on November 5th, LandSpace may be cleared to launch its partially reusable Zhuque-3 launch vehicle for the first time out of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The first-stage booster may also softly touchdown downrange on a landing pad.

Another batch of Starlink satellites is set to head into low Earth orbit atop of a Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 4E.

Even more Starlink satellites will be launched into low Earth orbit via Falcon 9 from Launch Complex 39A.