ORBIT

SpaceX is attempting the first-ever orbital launch of its Starship megarocket today, September 28, with the mission available to watch live. The test flight from Texas marks a major milestone for the vehicle that SpaceX intends to use for missions to the Moon and Mars. Space enthusiasts and industry watchers are closely following coverage of the attempt and its outcome.

SpaceX launched Starship on its first orbital flight test, a milestone for the company's biggest and most powerful rocket. The flight drew wide attention as a major step toward deep-space travel. Details about how the test unfolded remain limited, and reaction so far has focused on the significance of the launch itself.

The BBC reports that the UK military has been jamming satellites belonging to other nations as a defensive measure. The disclosure offers a rare glimpse into Britain's offensive and defensive space warfare capabilities. It is likely to raise questions about escalation risks in orbit and the rules governing interference with other countries' space assets.

SpaceX is launching its Starship rocket on its 14th test flight, with live coverage drawing a large global audience following the vehicle's progress toward orbit. The flight is part of SpaceX's rapid iteration programme testing the giant rocket's ascent, reentry and recovery ahead of future lunar and Mars missions. Viewers are tracking each milestone of the launch live.

SpaceX is conducting Flight 14 of its Starship rocket, described as the vehicle's first orbital launch, with a live broadcast from mission control drawing hundreds of thousands of viewers. The launch is another step in SpaceX's campaign to prove out the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage for future deep-space missions.

SpaceX carried out its Transporter-18 mission, the latest in its series of dedicated smallsat rideshare flights that carry dozens of satellites from multiple customers into sun-synchronous orbit on a single Falcon 9 launch. The Transporter missions have become a staple of the small satellite industry, and the new flight drew attention from space watchers tracking payloads and launch cadence.

Google has announced Project Suncatcher, a research initiative exploring the deployment of machine learning infrastructure in space. The plan involves placing solar-powered computing hardware, including TPUs, on satellites to take advantage of near-constant sunlight and reduce terrestrial energy demands for AI. The initiative remains in early testing stages, with prototype launches planned, and observers are debating its technical feasibility and costs.

An astronomer is tracking the gradual orbital decay of Starlink satellites to build what is being described as a 'planetary barometer', using how quickly the spacecraft sink toward Earth as a measure of density variations in the upper atmosphere. The idea highlights an unexpected scientific use for the huge satellite constellation, though it also renews debate about how the swarm of satellites affects astronomy.

SpaceX is preparing to launch the NROL-97 mission, a classified national security payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office. The mission is part of SpaceX's ongoing work carrying secret surveillance satellites into orbit for the US government, and space watchers are tracking the launch details and timing.

Google has unveiled Project Suncatcher, an initiative to move AI data centers into outer space, pairing it with plans to launch prototype satellites by early 2027. The idea is that solar-powered satellite constellations in orbit could supply near-unlimited solar energy for AI computing, sidestepping the land, water and power constraints that data centers face on Earth. Engineers say the biggest hurdles remain the harsh radiation environment, thermal management and launching enough hardware at scale.

Astronauts flying on NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station will support a range of research projects sponsored by the ISS National Lab. Announced via PR Newswire, the news highlights the science payload accompanying the crew rotation, continuing the pattern of commercial SpaceX flights delivering astronauts and experiments to the orbiting laboratory.

U.S. space weapons are the subject of renewed discussion, with commentary arguing that public assumptions about them are likely mistaken. The conversation suggests that what counts as a space weapon in reality differs from popular imagery of orbital lasers or missile platforms, touching on policy debates over militarizing space and America's military posture beyond Earth's atmosphere.

Joe Varner, writing for the Macdonald-Laurier Institute's Inside Policy, argues that Canada urgently needs a military space strategy to protect the Arctic. He contends that growing strategic competition in orbit has direct consequences for Canadian sovereignty and continental defence, and that Ottawa currently lacks a coherent plan for defending its northern and space-based assets.

The European Space Agency is explaining its Zero Debris Charter, an initiative aimed at tackling the growing problem of space junk in Earth's orbit. The charter sets out commitments for organisations to minimise debris from satellites and missions and to promote sustainable use of space. As more launches crowd orbit, interest in debris mitigation efforts continues to grow.

A new analysis argues that space is increasingly being militarized, with major powers treating orbit as a strategic domain alongside land, sea and air. The piece examines how satellites, anti-satellite weapons and space-based defense programs are turning the final frontier into a competitive military arena, raising concerns about arms races and the lack of binding international rules governing conflict beyond Earth.

The European Union has widened its approach to threats in space, aiming to better shield member states from growing risks such as attacks on satellites and other space-based infrastructure. The move reflects concern that European economies and security depend heavily on orbital systems, and comes as tensions over military activity in space increase globally.

The rapid acceleration of satellite constellation construction worldwide has exposed satellite monitoring as a weak link in the industry. As more satellites are launched into low Earth orbit, the ability to track, manage and monitor them has not kept pace, creating a bottleneck that industry observers say needs urgent attention to avoid congestion and safety risks in orbit.

NASA's Crew-13 mission is set to launch, with the flight potentially becoming the fastest US crewed journey to the International Space Station ever. The mission is being streamed live, and space watchers are following whether the capsule can beat previous rendezvous records on its way to the orbiting laboratory.

The Vaduz Space Dialogue 2026 conference is addressing radio spectrum management as a strategic space-policy asset, alongside arguments for a more federated European space framework. Space sector observers are following the Liechtenstein gathering for signals on how Europe might coordinate satellite spectrum use and governance more closely, as competition for orbital frequencies intensifies globally.

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense and the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) have agreed to use domestically developed launch vehicles to put military satellites into orbit. The move ties national security space programs to the country's homegrown rocket capability, reducing reliance on foreign launch providers. It is being closely followed by defense and space policy observers tracking Seoul's push for an independent space program.