Welcome Back to Weekly Dose of Space! This week saw six launches worldwide, with the majority carrying Starlink satellites. News from the week had demolition work taking place at Cape Canaveral as well as New Glenn moving toward its second flight, and the White House possibly moving against SpaceX. As always, we'll also look ahead to what the worldwide launch schedule might look like next week.

Launches This Week

Twenty-six Starlink satellites were delivered to low Earth orbit by a Falcon 9 flying from Space Launch Complex 4E, in California. Supporting this mission was booster B1088 flying for the seventh time, and landing downrange on the drone ship 'Of Course I Still Love You'.

Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40, in Florida, carrying twenty-three more Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. Booster B1083 supported this mission for its twelfth flight, landing on the drone ship 'Just Read The Instructions' downrange.

Falcon 9 during first-stage flight for the Starlink Group 12-24 mission. ©SpaceX
Falcon 9 during first-stage flight for the Starlink Group 12-24 mission. ©SpaceX

June 11th - Electron for 'The Mountain God Guards'

Rocket Lab launched its Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1A on the Māhia Peninsula, carrying a synthetic aperture radar satellite to low Earth orbit, on behalf of iQPS. The satellite is part of a planned thirty-six satellite constellation that can image a chosen part of the Earth every ten minutes.

Deployment of iQPS' satellite from Electron's kick-stage following its launch from New Zealand, via Rocket Lab on Twitter.

Another twenty-six Starlink satellites headed to low Earth orbit atop of a Falcon 9 flying out of Space Launch Complex 4E. Supporting this mission was booster B1081, flying for the fifteenth time with a landing on the drone ship 'Of Course I Still Love You' downrange.

Twenty-three more Starlink satellites rode into low orbit Earth atop of a Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40. Booster B1078 supported this mission for its twenty-first flight, with a landing on the drone ship 'A Shortfall Of Gravitas' downrange.

Falcon 9 lifting from Space Launch Complex 40 for the Starlink Group 12-26 mission. ©SpaceX
Falcon 9 lifting from Space Launch Complex 40 for the Starlink Group 12-26 mission. ©SpaceX

June 14th - Long March 2D with Zhangheng-1-02

A Long March 2D blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center carrying the Chinese-Italian Zhangheng-1-02, also known as China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite 02, to sun-synchronous orbit. The satellite is expected to provide natural disaster monitoring and prediction, as well as space environment monitoring and forecasting.

The Long March 2D Y42 vehicle during first-stage flight, with pre-launch thermal protection covers falling away.
The Long March 2D Y42 vehicle during first-stage flight, with pre-launch thermal protection covers falling away.

In Other Space News

White House reviewing SpaceX contracts

Reuters is reporting that the White House has directed the Department of Defense and NASA to collect details on the approximately 22 billion United States Dollars in government contracts bound for SpaceX, following a public feud between President Donald Trump and his major backer Elon Musk.

According to the report, the White House ordered the agencies to scrutinize Musk’s contracts to prepare possible retaliation against the businessman and his companies, while Pentagon officials are simultaneously considering whether to reduce the role that SpaceX may play in 'Golden Dome'. Nothing firm has been decided with SpaceX's government contracts yet, with Reuters being informed that the review is intended for quick retaliation against Musk should the need arise.

At present, SpaceX operates the only U.S. spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts to the International Space Station while being deeply involved with American intelligence gathering capabilities.

SLC-37 falls to make way for Starship

Launch infrastructure for the Delta IV rocket being demolished, via Michael Seeley on Twitter.

On June 12th, launch infrastructure at Space Launch Complex 37, used to support United Launch Alliance's Delta IV rockets, fell from the Cape Canaveral skyline thanks to explosives installed by Space Launch Delta 45. The infrastructure at the launch pad supported its final launch back in April 2024 for the last flight of Delta IV Heavy.

Plans for Space Launch Complex 37 will see SpaceX take over the launch complex, making it the company's third in Florida, for its Starship-Super Heavy launch vehicle. Two launch pads are planned to be built in support of 76 launches per year.

SpaceX is currently expanding its Starship-Super Heavy operations in Florida, with the construction of a production facility for the vehicle underway. Completion of facilities at Cape Canaveral is set for 2026 at present.

New Glenn set for second flight in August

Blue Origin's Chief Executive Officer, Dave Limp, shared on June 9th that the company is aiming to fly New Glenn's second mission in August of this year, following the vehicle's debut flight in January. Sharing the launch target, Dave Limp wrote:

"New Glenn’s second mission will take place NET August 15th. Following in the footsteps of our first booster, we’ve chosen the name  “Never Tell Me The Odds” for Tail 2. One of our key mission objectives will be to land and recover the booster. This will take a little bit of luck and a lot of excellent execution. We’re on track to produce eight GS2s this year, and the one we’ll fly on this second mission was hot-fired in April."

It's currently unknown what payload will be atop of New Glenn in August but Ars Technica is reporting that NASA's ESCAPADE mission to Mars could be onboard.

Last year, Blue Origin's leadership expected New Glenn to fly eight times in 2025 and is now likely to fall short of that goal, while still producing enough second-stages for those flights.

What to Expect Next Week

June 16th - Atlas V with KA-02

United Launch Alliance is preparing to launch Amazon's second group of twenty-seven Kuiper satellites to low Earth orbit via an Atlas V from Space Launch Complex 41 to build the space-based internet mega-constellation.

SpaceX is planning to launch another batch of Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4E atop of Falcon 9.

Another Falcon 9 is planned to launch more Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40.

June 19th - Angara A5 with an unknown payload

An Angara A5 may launch from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome carrying a currently unknown satellite into Earth orbit.

Yet another batch of Starlink satellites are planned to head to low Earth orbit atop of a Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40.

June 20th - Long March 3B/E with a currently undisclosed payload

A Long March 3B/E may launch from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center carrying a currently unnaocued payload to geostationary transfer orbit.

June 20th - Falcon 9 with Transporter-14

SpaceX is preparing to fly its fourteenth Transporter sun-synchronous orbit small satellite rideshare mission with a Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 4E.