Busy week in space with nine launches from multiple rockets across the globe

This week marks an ambitious launching schedule featuring nine space missions using seven different rockets, underscoring a bustling period in the aerospace sector. Among the highlight launches is the second flight of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, along with three missions from SpaceX involving the Falcon 9 rocket. The array of launches includes vehicles such as the Ariane 62, Atlas V, Chang Zheng 7A, Kinetica-1, and Electron, with sites spread across China, French Guiana, New Zealand, and multiple locations within the United States.

The Chang Zheng 7A rocket commenced this week’s launch sequence on Monday, November 3, at 03:47 UTC, taking off from Launch Complex 201 at China’s Wenchang Space Launch Site. This mission successfully placed the Yaogan 46 Earth observation satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit, marking the CZ-7A’s fifth flight this year and contributing to 255 global launch attempts in 2025.

On Tuesday, November 4, at 21:03 UTC, the Ariane 62 is set for its fourth flight from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. This mission aims to deploy the Sentinel-1D satellite, which will operate in a Sun-synchronous orbit. The two-stage Ariane 62, equipped with solid rocket boosters, is tasked with replacing the aging Sentinel-1A, and will work alongside its counterpart Sentinel-1C to enhance Earth surface monitoring through advanced radar capabilities.

Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket will conduct its 16th flight of the year on Wednesday, November 5, at 19:45 UTC, launching from the Māhia Peninsula in New Zealand. The mission will deliver the QPS-SAR-14 satellite into a low-Earth orbit, which is part of a larger group of small, high-performance satellites designed to provide high-resolution images regardless of weather conditions. The Japanese firm iQPS is overseeing the mission.

Also on November 5, SpaceX is scheduled to launch its first Falcon 9 mission of the week at 6:08 PM EST (23:08 UTC), deploying 29 v2 Mini Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster, B1094, will aim to land on an autonomous droneship following its ascent for refurbishment and reuse.

Later that evening, an Atlas V rocket will also be launched as part of a mission carrying the ViaSat-3 F2 communications satellite, slated for 10:24 PM EST (03:24 UTC on November 6). This mission utilizes the 551 variant of the Atlas V, which is among the most powerful configurations due to its additional solid rocket motors.

On Thursday, November 6, SpaceX is expected to execute its second Falcon 9 launch of the week from California, deploying another batch of 28 Starlink v2 Mini satellites. The booster for this flight, B1093, will attempt an eighth flight after successfully completing multiple past missions.

Additionally, the Kinetica 1 rocket is anticipated to launch on Friday, November 7, at 03:30 UTC from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China, although the specifics of the payload remain undisclosed.

The long-awaited second flight of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket is planned for November 7 at 2:51 PM EST (19:51 UTC). This launch will carry NASA’s ESCAPADE mission, which consists of two spacecraft designed to study Mars’ atmospheric dynamics. Blue Origin’s booster will attempt a recovery using the vessel Jacklyn, following the previous mission’s unsuccessful landing attempt.

Capping off the week, SpaceX will conduct its final Starlink mission, the Starlink Group 10-51, scheduled for November 8 at 3:30 AM EST (08:30 UTC) from Kennedy Space Center. This launch, using booster B1069, will deploy 29 additional Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.

As this week unfolds, the numerous launches across various continents highlight the robust and evolving landscape of global space exploration and satellite deployment initiatives.