The Space Race - Weekly Roundup Oct 15th

Hi, dear space fans! 

What an incredible week! From SpaceX catching a Starship booster mid-air (Yay! They did it!) to NASA launching a mission to explore the oceans of Europa, it's been non-stop awesomeness. There's just so much happening! Check out all the updates below and get inspired! 😊 

🟤 Europa Clipper Blasts Off to Explore Jupiter’s Ocean Moon!

NASA's Europa Clipper has launched on an exciting mission to Jupiter’s moon, Europa, where it will investigate the potential for life in the vast ocean beneath its icy surface. The spacecraft will travel 2.9 billion kilometers, arriving in 2030.

Read more 👉🏻 Liftoff! NASA’s Europa Clipper Sails Toward Ocean Moon of Jupiter

🦾 SpaceX Catches Super Heavy Booster!

On October 13th, SpaceX successfully launched its fifth Starship and made history by catching the Super Heavy booster mid-air using mechanical arms attached to the launch tower. This milestone moves SpaceX closer to rapid reusability for future missions.

Read more: SpaceX launches fifth Starship, catches Super Heavy booster

🌕 Thales Reaches Major Milestone for Lunar Gateway Module

Thales Alenia Space has completed crucial static load testing for NASA's HALO module, a key component of the upcoming lunar Gateway space station. This milestone brings the module closer to launch, where it will help sustain astronauts for missions on the Moon.

Read more: Thales Complete Key Testing Milestone for Lunar Space Station Module

🛰️ Vast Reveals Final Design for Haven-1 Space Station

Vast has unveiled the final design for Haven-1, a commercial space station set to launch in 2025. Featuring private quarters, modular spaces, and advanced sleep systems, Haven-1 aims to enhance astronaut comfort and functionality for long-term missions.

Read more: Vast Unveils Final Design for Haven-1 Space Station

🐉 Dragon Gains Propulsive Landing Capability After Years of Development

SpaceX has added a propulsive landing capability to the Dragon spacecraft, using its SuperDraco thrusters in case of a parachute failure. Initially planned for Dragon 2 over a decade ago, this upgrade brings back a key feature for emergency landings, enhancing crew safety during missions.

Read more: Dragon receives long-planned propulsive landing upgrade after years of development 

☄️ Meteorites May Hold Clues to Life's Origins on Earth

Scientists have analyzed zinc in meteorites to trace the origins of Earth's essential volatile elements, such as water. Their study reveals that "unmelted" planetesimals, which avoided losing these key compounds, provided the necessary building blocks for life to emerge on Earth, offering new insights into planetary habitability.

Read more: How did the building blocks of life arrive on Earth? Zinc fingerprints in meteorites offer clues 

🇯🇵🇦🇪 Japan’s H3 Rocket to Launch UAE’s Asteroid Mission

The UAE Space Agency has chosen Japan’s H3 rocket to launch its Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA) in early 2028. The MBR Explorer spacecraft will fly by six asteroids before reaching its target, Justitia, in 2034, deploying a lander to explore its surface.

Read more: Japan’s H3 to launch Emirati asteroid mission

🇪🇸 PLD Space Reveals New Rockets and Crew Capsule

Spanish space company PLD Space has unveiled three new modular rockets—Miura Next, Miura Next Heavy, and Miura Next Super Heavy—alongside its Lince crew capsule. These rockets, with propulsive recovery capabilities, will cater to future space missions, while Lince is designed for both cargo and crew trips to the ISS.

Read more: PLD Space Unveils Three New Rockets and a Crew Capsule

🇨🇳 China’s Reusable Shijian-19 Satellite Returns After 2-Week Mission

China's Shijian-19 reusable satellite safely landed after two weeks in space, conducting experiments on plant and microbial breeding, space technologies, and more. Launched on Sept. 27, this mission marks China's latest step in advancing reusable space technologies, contributing to crop research and international collaborations.

Read more: Shijian-19 reusable satellite lands after 2 weeks in space

💸 Boeing to Incur More Charges for Starliner Program

Boeing expects up to $400 million in additional charges for its CST-100 Starliner commercial crew program, part of a broader $2 billion in third-quarter charges. Starliner, which faced issues during its first crewed flight, continues to experience cost overruns as Boeing remains committed to resolving problems.

Read more: Boeing plans more commercial crew charges

📹 Our latest videos

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

• What Happened When NASA Launched A Monkey Into Space

• SpaceX Will Catch Starship This Week!

• How The Soviets Invented The Space Station

🚀 Upcoming Rocket Launches

Another busy launch week! Mark your calendars!

• Tuesday, October 15th: Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) - Starlink Group 10-10 mission. Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

• Tuesday, October 15th: Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) - Starlink Group 9-7 mission. Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

• Tuesday, October 15th: Long March 6A (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation) - Unknown Payload. Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China

• Wednesday, October 16th: Long March 4C (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation) - Unknown Payload. Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China

• Thursday, October 17th: Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) - Starlink Group 8-19 mission. Location: Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

• Sunday, October 20th: Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) - Starlink Group 6-61 mission. Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

And that’s all for this week! Stay tuned for more updates :)

Juan from The Space Race team