The Space Race - Weekly Roundup Nov 5th

Hello, dear space fans! 

Exciting updates this week! Voyager 1’s communication reboot is underway, ESA and JAXA face delays on reusable rocket projects, and China’s Taikonauts return from Tiangong. Plus, Webb & Hubble capture a spooky galaxy — and much more!

Let’s dive in! 😊

🌕 NASA's New Potential Lunar Landing Sites

NASA recently announced nine potential landing sites near the Moon’s south pole for the Artemis III mission, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface. This historic mission will focus on scientific exploration of the lunar south pole's unique environment, including shadowed areas that may contain water ice. These landing sites will undergo thorough evaluation to ensure optimal conditions for science, communication, and crew safety.

Read more 👉🏻 NASA Announces Potential Sites for Artemis III Mission to the Moon

Japan Launches Defense Satellite on New H3 Rocket

Japan successfully launched a defense communication satellite on its new H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center. This satellite, Kirameki No. 3, will enhance communication for Japan’s Self Defense Forces, supporting rapid data sharing across land, sea, and air. This marks the third successful H3 launch following a previous failure, showcasing Japan’s growing space and defense capabilities amid regional tensions.

Read more 👉🏻 Japan successfully launches a defense satellite carried by a new flagship H3 rocket

🇨🇳 Chinese Taikonauts Land After 6 Months in Space

Three Chinese astronauts returned safely to Earth after six months aboard the Tiangong space station. Their capsule landed in Inner Mongolia, where the crew touched down early Monday morning, marking another milestone in China’s expanding space ambitions. During their mission, they handed over operations to a new crew who will conduct experiments, spacewalks, and enhance the station’s defenses. China aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030.

Read more 👉🏻 China space station crew returns to Earth after 6 months in space

📡 NASA Reestablishes Contact with Voyager 1!

NASA reconnected with Voyager 1 on October 24th after a brief communication gap, caused by an automatic shutdown of its primary transmitter. The spacecraft’s fault protection system likely activated to conserve power. Engineers now rely on an older, lower-power transmitter to assess Voyager’s status as they investigate the trigger for the issue. Despite its age, Voyager 1 continues its mission in interstellar space.

Read more 👉🏻 After Pause, NASA’s Voyager 1 Communicating With Mission Team

🇨🇳 China Selects Crewed Moon Rover Designs

China's space agency has chosen two designs for a crewed lunar rover, developed by CAST and SAST, for its planned Moon mission before 2030. The rover will support two astronauts on the lunar surface for exploration and research. This selection is a key step toward China's ambitious lunar goals, which include a crewed mission and a lunar base as part of its International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) initiative.

Read more 👉🏻 China selects 2 proposals for crewed moon rover

🇯🇵🇩🇪 JAXA & DLR Delay Reusable Rocket Tests

Both JAXA and DLR have postponed test flights for their reusable rocket projects, Callisto and ReFEx, until 2026. JAXA’s Callisto, developed with CNES and DLR, aims to pioneer reusable launch tech, while DLR’s ReFEx focuses on a winged rocket stage for smoother reentry. These projects underscore ongoing efforts in Europe and Japan to build sustainable and cost-effective space systems.

Read more 👉🏻 JAXA Confirms Inaugural Callisto Flight Test Has Slipped to 2026 and Launch of DLR Reusable Flight Experiment Pushed to Late 2026

🔥 NASA finds Cause of Orion Heat Shield Issue

NASA identified the root cause of unexpected erosion on the Orion heat shield from the Artemis 1 mission, though details remain undisclosed pending further testing. The findings aim to ensure astronaut safety on the Artemis 2 crewed mission, slated for 2025. With additional tests scheduled through November, NASA will soon decide on any necessary adjustments to address this challenge for future lunar missions.

Read more 👉🏻 NASA finds (but does not disclose) root cause of Orion heat shield erosion

🇪🇺 ESA Funds Tech for Refueling & Reusable Rockets

The European Space Agency (ESA) selected companies to develop in-orbit refueling technology and reusable rockets, advancing Europe’s space capabilities. Under the InSPoC initiative, companies like ArianeGroup will develop fuel storage tech to extend satellite lifespans. Meanwhile, the THRUST! and BEST! initiatives focus on reusable rockets with Rocket Factory Augsburg and Isar Aerospace creating sustainable launch solutions to boost space logistics.

Read more 👉🏻 ESA Selects Companies to Develop in-Orbit Fuel Storage and Refilling Tech and ESA Selects Four Companies to Develop Reusable Rocket Technology

🌌 Spooky Galaxy Duo Captured by Webb & Hubble

The James Webb and Hubble Space Telescopes have captured a haunting image of two interacting galaxies, IC 2163 and NGC 2207, which resemble a ghostly face with glowing eyes. The eerie image reveals shock fronts and intense star formation, highlighted by Webb's mid-infrared and Hubble's ultraviolet views.

Read more 👉🏻 Webb and Hubble examine spooky galaxy pair

🌈 NASA's SPHEREx will Unveil Colorful Cosmic Map

NASA's SPHEREx mission will soon create a comprehensive cosmic map in 102 infrared colors, capturing details of hundreds of millions of stars and galaxies. This pioneering telescope will analyze cosmic origins, galactic light history, and water's presence across the Milky Way, providing insights into planetary formation and universe expansion. Launching by 2025, SPHEREx promises an unparalleled, colorful view of the cosmos.

Read more 👉🏻 Why NASA’s SPHEREx Mission Will Make ‘Most Colorful’ Cosmic Map Ever

🤖 NASA's Mars Tech Now Boosts Factories

AI software initially developed by Neurala for NASA-funded Mars rover navigation now ensures quality control on Earth’s factory assembly lines. This adaptive vision inspection technology leverages existing cameras to monitor conveyor belt items in real-time. Originally designed for autonomous decision-making in harsh Martian terrain, the software’s quick learning capability allows manufacturers to efficiently detect quality issues, enhancing productivity and minimizing errors.

Read more 👉🏻 From Mars Rovers to Factory Assembly Lines

📹 Our latest videos

In case you missed them, here are the latest videos we've published on our YouTube channel

• NASA's New Space Station Has A Big Problem! (Axiom)

• Elon Musk Leaks Starship Flight 6 Update!

• Elon Musk Isn't Telling Us Something About Starship

🚀 Upcoming Rocket Launches

And yet another busy busy launch week! Nice! Mark your calendars! 🚀

Today! Tuesday, November 5th:

• Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M (Roscosmos, Russia) - Ionosfera-M 1 & 2. Vostochny Cosmodrome, Siberia, Russia

• Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) - Dragon CRS-2 SpX-31. Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

• Electron (Rocket Lab, New Zealand) - Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes. Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

• Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) - Starlink Group 6-77. Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Thursday, November 7th:

• Kinetica 1 (CAS Space, China) - Unknown Payload. Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China

• Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) - Starlink Group 9-10. Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

• Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) - Starlink Group 6-69. Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Saturday, November 9th:

• Long March 2C (CASC, China) - Unknown Payload. Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China

And that’s all for this week! 

Stay tuned for more space updates :)

Juan from The Space Race team