A busy week in space exploration is set to unfold with eight launches scheduled globally, featuring missions from SpaceX, NASA, and organizations in Russia and China. These launches will include a mix of scientific payloads and satellite deployments.
Key Missions Launching This Week
The week’s activities will kick off with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which will launch two satellites for SES-owned O3b Networks on July 21, 2025, at 5:12 PM EDT (21:12 UTC) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The mission, consisting of mPOWER 9 and mPOWER 10, has a total payload mass of 3,400 kg. After liftoff, the Falcon 9 booster, designated B1090, will land on the autonomous droneship, Just Read The Instructions, in the Atlantic Ocean.
Following this, NASA’s TRACERS mission is scheduled to launch on July 22, 2025, at 11:13 AM PDT (18:13 UTC) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This mission will deploy two satellites, each weighing 400 kg, into a Sun-synchronous orbit. These satellites will study magnetic reconnection in Earth’s atmosphere, alongside several rideshare payloads, marking it as the 90th Falcon 9 mission of 2025.
On July 24, 2025, another Falcon 9 will take off from Cape Canaveral, this time to deploy Starlink Group 10-26 satellites into low-Earth orbit. This launch will follow closely on the heels of the O3b mission, highlighting SpaceX’s rapid turnaround capabilities.
International Launches and Scientific Endeavours
In international news, a Chinese Hyperbola 1 rocket is expected to launch on July 25, 2025, at 04:10 UTC from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. The payload remains undisclosed following a previous launch failure, which saw the rocket unable to reach orbit due to a fourth-stage malfunction.
Russia will also participate in the week’s launches with its Soyuz 2.1b rocket, set to launch the Ionosfera-M 3 and 4 satellites on July 25, 2025, at 05:54 UTC from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. This mission aims to complete the Ionosfera constellation, designed to study the Earth’s ionosphere and its effects on geomagnetic and solar storms.
Additionally, the Vega C rocket will launch five payloads from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana on July 26, 2025, at 02:03 UTC. Among these is the MicroCarb satellite, which will accurately measure atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
Gilmour Space is also making headlines as it attempts to launch its Eris rocket on July 21, 2025, at 21:30 UTC from Bowen Orbital Spaceport in Australia. This launch marks an important milestone as it aims to be the first orbital launch from Australian soil using a domestically built vehicle.
As these missions unfold, they represent a significant moment in global space exploration, showcasing international collaboration and advancements in satellite technology. The outcomes of these launches may contribute valuable data for advancing scientific understanding and technological capabilities in space.
