Space News for Saturday, October 31, 2026

SpaceX closes out October with Halloween eve Falcon 9 launch, 700th Falcon 9 launch to date

Original Publication Date: 2026-10-30 22:46

SpaceX’s Starlink 15‑18 mission lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Oct. 30, 2026, marking the 700th Falcon 9 launch and adding 27 new broadband satellites to the constellation. The Falcon 9 booster, tail number 1093, landed on the droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” just 8½ minutes after liftoff, marking the 675th Falcon booster landing. This flight was SpaceX’s 11th and final orbital launch of October as the company gradually winds down the Falcon program to focus on its Starship development. SpaceX plans to shift to regular Starship orbital missions in 2027, potentially flying weekly or even twice weekly as reusability improves.

Turkey aims for first Moon-orbiting mission in 2027

Original Publication Date: 2026-10-30 15:50

Turkey is preparing to launch its first lunar mission, TLM‑1, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 in the second quarter of 2027, positioning the country as the ninth sovereign nation to operate a payload on the Moon. The 3.6‑ton orbiter, built largely from domestic components, will carry four science instruments and three imaging systems to study lunar radiation, meteorite impacts, and surface conditions in a 100‑km polar orbit.

NASA Releases MAX POWER Key Events for Media, Participants

Original Publication Date: 2026-10-30 19:31

NASA’s Freedom 250 F‑5 aircraft, piloted by Administrator Jared Isaacman, performed a flyover during the national anthem at the Cleveland Browns‑Carolina Panthers game on September 27, 2026. In late November, NASA will host its MAX POWER aerospace expo at the Kennedy Space Center, showcasing the quiet supersonic X‑59, Moon rovers, the Roman Space Telescope, and more. The three‑day event, from November 6‑8, includes live air shows, astronaut meet‑and‑greets, a Moon Base news conference, and opportunities for media and the public to engage with NASA leaders and experts. For details and to watch live coverage, visit nasa.gov/maxpower.

NASA Explores Potential Commercial Servicing for Hubble Telescope

Original Publication Date: 2026-10-30 14:51

NASA has issued a Request for Information to commercial partners to explore ways to extend the Hubble Space Telescope’s life, including boosting it to a higher orbit, performing new servicing upgrades, or arranging a controlled re‑entry. The agency stresses that keeping Hubble operational would yield more discoveries and deepen our understanding of the universe, and the RFI deadline is Monday, November 30. Hubble’s altitude is slowly dropping due to atmospheric drag, and without propulsion it is expected to re‑enter the atmosphere between 2033 and 2034, so any mission must be completed by 2032. The initiative reflects NASA’s commitment to leveraging commercial space capabilities to preserve this iconic national and international scientific asset.

SpaceX Completes Three Static Fires in Three Days for Flight 15

Original Publication Date: 2026-10-30 21:53

SpaceX has just completed an unprecedented eight‑day sprint, finishing engine tests for Starship Flight 15, conducting extensive cryo‑proof and catch trials on Ship 43, and firing all 33 Raptor engines in a 15‑second static test.

Telesat Stays Quiet on C$2.4B GEO Debt Due in December

Original Publication Date: 2026-10-30 12:00

Telesat faces a looming $2.4 billion debt payment due December 6, with its legacy GEO satellite business in distress and revenue falling 21 %. The company has received two rescue proposals from a lender group, offering up to $1.7 billion in new equity and $1.5 billion in loans, but has yet to negotiate terms.

Happy Halloween! SpaceX launches 27 Starlink satellites to orbit from California

Original Publication Date: 2026-10-31 05:24

SpaceX celebrated Halloween with an early‑morning launch from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base, sending 27 Starlink satellites into low‑Earth orbit. The Falcon 9 booster B1093, now on its 18th flight, successfully landed its first stage on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” about eight and a half minutes after liftoff. The upper stage deployed the satellites roughly an hour later, adding to the world’s largest satellite network.

An aquanaut comes home: Returning to Earth from an undersea 'space station'

Original Publication Date: 2026-10-30 21:00

Dr. Michaela Musilova, an award‑winning astrobiologist and explorer, has led 40 simulated Moon and Mars missions and conducted research at NASA, ESA, CalTech and the Canada‑France‑Hawaii Telescope. Now president of the nonprofit XtremeFrontiers, she is spearheading Astro Seven Summits—a first‑of‑its‑kind project that blends climbs of the world’s highest peaks with NASA‑backed scientific studies, education and documentary filmmaking. Musilova also consults for global firms, advises museums such as the Smithsonian, and is one of only a handful to have led research on all seven continents. Her achievements have earned her spots on Forbes 30 Under 30, the Top 100 Women in Aerospace and Aviation list, and the Emerging Space Leaders Grant.

India launches next-gen navigation satellite to orbit (video)

Original Publication Date: 2026-10-30 20:29

India successfully launched its next‑generation navigation satellite, NVS‑03, into geostationary transfer orbit on a GSLV Mark II rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 2:21 p.m. ET today. The new satellite is the third in India’s NavIC constellation, designed to provide precise position, navigation and timing services across India and a 1,500‑kilometer region beyond its borders.

The rocket scientist who summoned demons: The true horror story of Jack Parsons

Original Publication Date: 2026-10-30 18:00

Jack Parsons, the pioneering rocket scientist who helped lay the groundwork for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, also delved into ceremonial magic, believing that supernatural forces could be invoked through ritual. In early 1946, Parsons and science‑fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard performed a series of elaborate rites known as the “Babalon Working,” aimed at summoning an elemental feminine goddess called Babalon to manifest in the physical world. The pair documented their experiments in a manuscript that later became known as The Book of Babalon, blending occult philosophy with their shared fascination for the unknown. While Parsons’s rocket work propelled America into the Space Race, his occult pursuits remain one of the most bizarre chapters in the history of American science and mysticism.

On this day in space! Oct. 30, 1964: NASA's weird Lunar Landing Research Vehicle takes 1st test flight to help Apollo astronauts land on the moon

Original Publication Date: 2026-10-30 14:46

On October 30, 1964, NASA’s Lunar Landing Research Vehicle—known as the “Flying Bedstead”—made its first flight at the Dryden Flight Research Center, with X‑15 pilot Joe Walker reaching a 10‑foot altitude and hovering for a minute. The four‑legged craft was a crucial training tool that let Apollo astronauts practice lunar landings and liftoffs in a controlled, Earth‑based environment.

Rare meteorite from Mars gives us a view into its ancient crust

Original Publication Date: 2026-10-30 18:13

NASA scientists have identified a third genuinely ancient Martian meteorite, Teghaza 001, which formed at least 4.1 billion years ago. The rock was recovered in 2022 from the Sahara Desert in Mali and joins only two previously known ancient Martian samples—ALH 84001 from Antarctica and the “Black Beauty” rock from northwest Africa. The discovery confirms that some Martian rocks are older than the 3‑billion‑year surface age inferred from crater counts. Researchers say the rarity of such old meteorites on Earth is due to impact filtering: only the strongest rocks survive the violent ejection from Mars.

Rocket Report: Winter is coming for Themis; Cowboy Space adds iron to the fire

Original Publication Date: 2026-10-30 11:00

American startup Cowboy Space unveiled its medium‑lift Big Iron rocket, named after a classic country song, but the company remains behind many competitors and had little hardware to show. Industry analysts warn that demand for launches is outpacing supply, putting pressure on new entrants like Cowboy Space. Meanwhile, Virgin Galactic’s new Delta‑class rocket plane has departed its Arizona factory for a test campaign at Spaceport America, aiming for suborbital flights. The company expects the first commercial flight of the new craft to take place early in the second quarter of 2027, though such dates are often tentative.