Space News for Sunday, September 27, 2026

Next crew bound for the space station arrive in Florida

Original Publication Date: 2026-09-26 19:36

Four astronauts of NASA’s SpaceX Crew‑13 arrived at Kennedy Space Center on September 26 after a delay caused by an oxidizer leak in their Dragon spacecraft. The crew—Canadian Joshua Kutryk, Russian Sergey Teteryatnikov, and NASA pilots Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney—took T‑38 jets to the launch site and thanked the teams that fixed the issue. They are slated to launch no earlier than 11:10 a.m. EDT on October 1, following a flight‑readiness review and engine test at KSC. Watkins, commander, said the arrival marks both the culmination of a year‑long training and the beginning of their mission to join Expedition 75 on the International Space Station.

SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell Files SEC Intent to Sell $52 Million in Executive Equity

Original Publication Date: 2026-09-27 00:34

On September 25, 2026, SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell filed a notice with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing announced the company’s intent to sell up to a specified number of its common‑stock shares in a secondary offering. This move reflects SpaceX’s ongoing efforts to raise capital while maintaining transparency with investors.

NASA Selects Far-Infrared PRIMA Telescope as Initial Billion-Dollar Astrophysics Probe Explorer Mission

Original Publication Date: 2026-09-27 00:24

NASA announced on September 23, 2026 that the Probe far‑Infrared Mission for Astrophysics (PRIMA) has been selected as the inaugural mission of its new Probe Explorer astrophysics program. The agency’s decision authorizes the far‑infrared observatory to launch, giving it the capability to study the universe’s coldest and most distant objects. PRIMA will focus on the formation of stars, galaxies, and the interstellar medium in the early cosmos. This marks a significant step forward in NASA’s efforts to unlock the mysteries of the universe.

U.S. Space Force Schedules 2027 On-Orbit Servicing Missions With Astroscale U.S. and Starfish Space

Original Publication Date: 2026-09-27 00:15

During a September 23 webinar, Colonel Scott Carstetter of Space Systems Command announced plans for two commercial space missions aimed at enhancing military logistics and mobility. The first mission will deploy a satellite designed to support battlefield communications, while the second will test a commercial launch vehicle for rapid resupply of space assets.