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Space Tech: Launch, Moon Missions and Satellite Internet

News and explainers on rockets, NASA's Artemis program and China's lunar plans, commercial space stations, Starlink and rival constellations, and the business of space.

Latest in Space Tech

What we cover in Space Tech

Space Tech follows the hardware and the money behind getting to orbit and beyond. It covers heavy rockets such as SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's New Glenn. It follows NASA's Artemis program and China's lunar effort. It also covers privately built space stations and satellite internet constellations such as Starlink and Amazon Leo.

NASA flew astronauts around the Moon on Artemis II in April 2026, then reshaped the program. Artemis III is now a 2027 docking test in low Earth orbit. The first landing is planned for Artemis IV in 2028. China says it aims to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030. Both U.S. lunar landers depend on new rockets. Starship reached orbit for the first time on September 28, 2026, deploying 26 next-generation Starlink satellites. New Glenn has not flown since a May 28 test anomaly damaged its launch pad. Blue Origin said in June that it would return to flight by the end of the year.

Closer to Earth, SpaceX says it operates more than 11,000 Starlink satellites. The Verge counted 396 launched for Amazon Leo as of September 28. NASA says it wants to buy services from commercially owned space stations alongside other customers. The preliminary schedule for its Commercial LEO Destination Contract plans an award for spring 2027. That schedule was checked on October 6, 2026. Dates in this field slip often. Coverage here gives the current official target, the date it was checked, and the earlier targets it replaced.

Space Tech reference

Space Tech: common questions

When is Artemis III scheduled to launch?
NASA lists Artemis III for 2027. It had not published a specific launch date as of October 6, 2026. In a September 20 staff email reported by Mashable, Administrator Jared Isaacman called summer 2027 the best case. In that email he said the mission was about 90 days behind schedule. Artemis III is now a crewed docking test in low Earth orbit. Until February 2026 it was planned as a Moon landing. That landing was most recently targeted for no later than June 2027.
When is Artemis landing on the Moon?
NASA is targeting 2028 for the first Artemis Moon landing, on Artemis IV. It anticipates launching a second landing mission, Artemis V, the same year. Those targets were checked on October 6, 2026. They depend on Artemis III flying its docking test in 2027. They also depend on SpaceX and Blue Origin delivering their landers. Mashable reported that Administrator Jared Isaacman told staff in September that further delay could leave a single landing opportunity in late 2028.
When will Starship launch next?
As of October 6, 2026, SpaceX's launches page listed no upcoming Starship flight. Ars Technica reported on September 28 that the company had announced no official dates. But Ars Technica said a Federal Aviation Administration planning schedule indicated the next flight could lift off from Starbase, Texas, in October. The most recent flight was Flight 14 on September 28. It was the first to reach orbit and deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites.
How does Starlink work?
A Starlink dish exchanges radio signals with satellites orbiting about 550 km up. That is far closer than geostationary satellites at 35,786 km. SpaceX says this cuts latency to around 25 milliseconds. The satellites pass traffic to ground stations or to each other over laser links. SpaceX says the hardware is designed for rain and snow, though heavy rain or wind can slow the connection or, in rare cases, interrupt it.

Sources

  1. NASA Adds Mission to Artemis Lunar Program, Updates Architecture, NASA
  2. Artemis III, NASA
  3. Artemis II: NASA's First Crewed Lunar Flyby in 50 Years, NASA
  4. Moon to Mars | NASA's Artemis Program, NASA
  5. NASA's Management of the Human Landing System Contracts, NASA Office of Inspector General
  6. Artemis III delays could threaten landing on the moon in 2028, Mashable
  7. China Focus: China's lunar exploration program advances via successful tests of new rocket, spaceship, Xinhua
  8. Starship Flight 14, SpaceX
  9. SpaceX - Launches, SpaceX
  10. SpaceX's Starship goes orbital, deploying first next-gen Starlinks, Ars Technica
  11. New Glenn Return to Flight, Blue Origin
  12. Space Safety: The Need for Improved Data Sharing Between Operators in Low-Earth Orbit, Starlink (SpaceX)
  13. Starlink | Technology, Starlink (SpaceX)
  14. I live in an area with snow, heavy rain, wind, lightning, or extreme temperatures - can I still use Starlink?, Starlink Help Center (SpaceX)
  15. SpaceX preps next-gen Starlink as Amazon’s competitor stalls, The Verge
  16. Commercial Space Stations in Low Earth Orbit, NASA
  17. Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC), NASA Johnson Space Center