This Week in Launch: Polaris Dawn returns after five days in space

China is leading this week in launches, but SpaceX is set (already has by publishing this) to launch yet another major ESA mission over using domestic options. Rocket Lab will also make a showing this week with a… family-specific mission name.

This Week’s Launches

• September 17 (Tuesday)
  • SpaceX | Falcon 9 | Galileo FOC FM26 & FM32 | 6:51 P.M. ET
    • SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
• September 18 (Wednesday)
  • SpaceX | Falcon 9 | Starlink Group 9-17 | 7:36 A.M. PT
    • SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Station, California
  • Rocket Lab | Electron | Kinéis Killed The RadIoT Star | 7:02 P.M. ET
    • LC-1B, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand
  • CASC | Long March 3B | Unknown Payload | 9:00 P.M. ET
    • LC-2, Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China
• September 20 (Friday)
  • CASC | Long March 2D | Unknown Payload | 12:10 A.M. ET
    • LC-9, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China
  • ExPace | Kuaizhou 1A | Unknown Payload | 5:45 A.M. ET
    • Mobile Launcher Pad, Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China

News Roundup

United Airlines is adding Starlink internet to more than 1,000 planes in its international fleet next year. This is SpaceX’s largest Starlink deal to date for its aviation unit. With the massive increase of Starlink satellites launched into orbit, reviews of the reliability and speed of the service have skyrocketed. [SpaceNews]

AST SpaceMobile launched its first set of direct-to-cell satellites on a Falcon 9 last week. After a series of test satellites, the company launched five production satellites on a dedicated mission to begin building out its constellation. The satellites will provide service to cell phones in dead zones for emergency situations. [SpaceNews]

Japanese aerospace company iSpace will launch its next lunar lander no earlier than December 9. Featuring a rover and several other experiments, the lander will be the company’s second attempt to land on the Moon after a failed attempt in 2022. [Payload Space]

Polaris Dawn wraps up highly successful spaceflight

SpaceX and the Polaris Program wrapped up its Polaris Dawn mission on Sunday with an early morning splashdown just off the coast of Key West, Florida, of its Crew Dragon spacecraft. The location was brand new as the mission has been plagued by poor end-of-year weather around Florida since its first launch attempt nearly four weeks ago.

The five-day mission completed a new altitude record for non-lunar spaceflights and the first-ever commercial spacewalk. While the spacewalk was less exciting than what you see by NASA on the ISS, its milestone completion has paved a way for SpaceX’s further ability to operate independently of any national space program.

The crew, commanded by Jared Isaacman and consisting of Air Force pilot Kidd Poteet and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, conducted research across various disciplines. Alongside that, the crew participated in several public relations activities like reading books, speaking with kids, and Gillis even pulled out the violin for a short performance.

The mission was an overall success. With the first chapter in Polaris’ story complete, it can now move on to its second Falcon 9 flight, which is still a mystery to the public.