Plus: Major layoffs at JPL
Welcome to our roundup of top SpaceNews stories, delivered every Friday! This week, SpaceX completed its 11th Starship flight test, Ariane 64's debut launch slips to 2026 and more.
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OUR TOP STORY
| | By Jeff Foust
SpaceX successfully completed the final flight of version 2 of Starship on Oct. 13, performing a series of in-flight tests as the company prepares to begin launching an upgraded version of the reusable rocket.
Starship lifted off from SpaceX's Starbase facility in South Texas at 7:23 p.m. Eastern and ascended on its planned suborbital trajectory. The Super Heavy booster, which previously flew on Flight 8 in March, tested an alternate engine configuration after stage separation, with five Raptor engines rather than three burning for one of the final phases. The booster made a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico offshore from Starbase as planned.
Starship, flying on a suborbital trajectory similar to previous missions, deployed eight Starlink mass simulators while in space. Later, it performed a brief relight of one of its six Raptor engines.
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CIVIL
| | While many have expressed concern about the ongoing federal government shutdown's immediate effects on agency employees and programs, much of the scientific community's attention remains on the proposed deep budget cuts for fiscal 2026. The Trump administration's proposal included a nearly 25% reduction in NASA's overall budget and almost a 50% cut to its science programs.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced it would lay off 550 employees this week, the latest round of job cuts at the space science center. In a brief statement released Oct. 13, JPL director Dave Gallagher said the layoffs, accounting for about 11% of its workforce, are necessary to restructure the lab amid uncertain budgets.
Oct. 13 marked the fifth anniversary of a signing ceremony where the United States and seven other countries — Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom — became the first to sign the Accords, which outline norms of behavior for space exploration.
| LAUNCH
| | The company announced Oct. 16 that the fourth and final Ariane 6 launch of 2025 will carry a pair of Galileo navigation satellites. Like the previous missions this year, that launch will use the Ariane 62, the version of the rocket equipped with two solid rocket boosters. That schedule means the debut of the Ariane 64, which features four solid rocket boosters, will slip into 2026.
The Air Force announced Oct. 14 that it completed an environmental impact statement addressing increased launch activity at Vandenberg and SpaceX's use of Space Launch Complex 6. SpaceX currently conducts Falcon 9 launches from Space Launch Complex 4 at the base.
Innovative Rocket Technologies' (iRocket) plans for a fully reusable satellite launcher got a boost from the first flight test of IRX-100, a short-range missile the startup hopes will generate near-term revenue to support its orbital Shockwave vehicle. | | |
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COMMERCIAL
| | Viasat is moving beyond its traditional role as a satellite broadband provider to build customized spacecraft for the U.S. military as the Pentagon looks to tap commercial technology for secure communications in orbit.
Commercial space station developer Axiom Space has replaced its chief executive after less than six months on the job. The company announced Oct. 15 that it hired Jonathan Cirtain as president and chief executive. He replaces Tejpaul Bhatia, who was named chief executive April 25.
Equatys, the U.S.-based Viasat and Emirati satellite operator Space42's shared space infrastructure joint venture for direct-to-device services, has gained its first mobile network partner as it seeks to challenge SpaceX's growing lead in the emerging market. |
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Sign up for our other newsletters First Up: The latest civil, commercial and military space news, curated by veteran journalist Jeff Foust. Delivered Monday to Friday mornings. Military Space: Veteran defense journalist Sandra Erwin delivers news and insights for the military space professional. Delivered Tuesday. China Report: Analysis of China's space activities and what it means as one of the United States' top competitors from correspondent Andrew Jones. Delivered every other Wednesday. SpaceNext AI: Exploring the intersection of space and artificial intelligence. Delivered Thursday. Video & Audio: Upcoming live programs, scheduled guests, and recent Space Minds podcast episodes, webinars and other events. Delivered Friday. Marketing Minute: Covering PR, marketing, and advertising trends, upcoming SpaceNews opportunities, and editorial insights for communications and marketing leaders. Delivered monthly. |
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