Global Launch Log: Every Orbital Launch and Result — 2026-10-25
China successfully completed its 673rd Long March mission with a "one rocket, six satellites" launch, while SpaceX resumed operations following a rare weather scrub. The global launch cadence remains high, with nine rockets scheduled for the week from five countries, and SpaceX preparing for a historic double-rocket catch test.
Global Launch Log: Every Orbital Launch and Result — 2026-10-25
Top developments
China completes 673rd Long March mission
On October 24 at 03:25 Beijing time, China launched six remote sensing satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center using a Long March 4B rocket. This "one rocket, six satellites" mission marked the 673rd flight of the Long March series, with all satellites successfully entering their predetermined orbits. The satellites, identified as Yaogan-53 07-09 and Yaogan-56 19-21, are primarily intended for scientific experiments, land resource surveys, and disaster prevention.
SpaceX returns to flight after rare scrub
SpaceX successfully launched the Bandwagon-5 Falcon 9 mission on October 20 after a previous scrub caused by weather conditions affecting booster recovery. The 32-payload rideshare mission had been delayed from Monday, October 19, to Tuesday morning. This week also saw SpaceX's CRS-35 Dragon mission deliver new solar arrays to the International Space Station, contributing to a week of four orbital launches with four successes.
Busy week for global launch providers
Nine rockets were scheduled to launch during the week of October 20 from California, Florida, New Zealand, Japan, and China. The manifest included H3, Falcon 9, and Electron rockets, highlighting the continued diversity and frequency of global launch activities. Rocket Lab’s Electron also lifted off from the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand on October 21.
SpaceX aims for double Starship catch
Elon Musk announced that SpaceX will attempt the first-ever double rocket catch of both Starship stages during the megarocket's next test flight, expected in November. This maneuver is described as a "profound technology milestone".
Local view
Chinese media highlights remote sensing capabilities
Chinese state media and local outlets emphasized the utility of the newly launched Yaogan satellites for "scientific experiments, land resource surveys, agricultural product estimation, and disaster prevention". The successful launch was widely celebrated in domestic news as a testament to the reliability of the Long March series.
Russian media marks Baikonur tragedy anniversary
Russian outlets commemorated the 66th anniversary of the Nedelin catastrophe at Baikonur Cosmodrome, noting the strict tradition of no launches on October 24. This day of mourning for rocket scientists contrasts with the active launch schedules of other spacefaring nations.
Context & numbers
Launch statistics
As of late October 2026, there have been 247 recorded orbital launches this year, maintaining an overall historical success rate of 92.9% across 7,431 launches since 1957. SpaceX flew 165 Falcon 9 launches in 2025, setting a high bar for the current year's commercial cadence.
On the radar
- Upcoming Manifest: The next few weeks feature Electron launches for BlackSky Gen-3 missions and Amazon Leo (Kuiper) batches on Vulcan and Ariane 6, with dates in late November and December.
- Starliner Return: NASA is targeting late 2026 for Boeing Starliner's uncrewed comeback flight, following the 2024 mission anomalies.
- Vulcan Grounding: ULA's Vulcan remains grounded following a February anomaly, with SpaceX's Falcon 9 temporarily absorbing national security missions.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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