Curiosity Drills at Cache Creek with Canadian Scientist Leading
Lucy Thompson, a senior research scientist at the University of New Brunswick, led the planning for Curiosity’s latest drill campaign at the “Basque Lakes” target in Gale crater during Sols 5022–5028. The rover acquired a post-drill test image of the site on Sept. 23, 2026 (Sol 5023) at 03:56:10 UTC using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), showing a circular brushed area with faint concentric ring marks in the reddish-brown soil.
Before landing, the Gale crater exploration area was divided into rectangular parcels named after small towns associated with significant geological features. Curiosity has long since climbed above the quads selected before landing, completing a 14-year, 38-kilometre (24.6-mile) trek that includes more than one kilometre (0.6 miles) of elevation gain. The team continues to cash in on targets well beyond the original plan, analysing bedrock and soil samples to build out the geological history of the crater.
SMILE Delivers First Images, Begins Science Operations
The joint European Space Agency and Chinese Academy of Sciences Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) mission has released its first images following a multi-month commissioning period after its May launch on a Vega-C rocket. The mission officially began science operations this week.
SMILE’s Ultraviolet Imager (UVI) captured its first footage showing an auroral substorm, while the Soft X-ray Imager (SXI) produced its first test image revealing the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant. The dual-instrument approach allows the mission to study the interaction between the solar wind and Earth’s magnetosphere on a global scale — a first for any space physics mission. The commissioning period validated both instruments before the science phase opened.
Sombrero Galaxy’s Hidden Tidal Streams Surface in Deep Image
Today’s Astronomy Picture of the Day features a deep image of M104, the Sombrero galaxy, revealing structures invisible in shorter exposures. While the galaxy is famous for its dark dust brim circling the disk galaxy’s centre, this much longer exposure brings up a bright, hazy stellar halo extending well past the central disk.
Within that halo, a diagonal ring and tidal streams are visible — fresh evidence that M104 had a violent past shaped by collisions and mergers of smaller galaxies. Light from the Sombrero galaxy takes about 30 million years to reach Earth, and the galaxy fully spans about 150,000 light years across.
Provider: SpaceX Date: October 6, 2026 Time: 8:17 AM UTC Vehicle: Falcon 9
Tranche 1 Transport Layer A is one of six missions by the United States Space Force Space Development Agency (SDA) for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) Tranche 1 Transport Layer constellation, which will provide assured, resilient, low-latency military data and connectivity worldwide to the full range of warfighter platforms from Low Earth Orbit satellites.
The constellation will be interconnected with Optical Inter-Satellite Links (OISLs) which have significantly increased performance over existing radio frequency crosslinks. It is expected to operate over Ka band, have stereo coverage and be dynamically networked for simpler hand-offs, greater bandwidth and fault tolerance.
This launch carries 21 satellites manufactured by Northrop Grumman.
NeonSat-2 to 6
Provider: Korea Aerospace Research Institute Date: October 7, 2026 Time: 3:23 AM UTC Vehicle: Nuri
NeonSat-2 to 6 are part of the South Korean government’s Earth observation micro-satellite constellation NeonSat (New-space Earth Observation Satellite). The NeonSat constellation is the first satellite system developed by the government using a mass-production approach for precise monitoring of the Korean Peninsula.
Unknown Payload
Provider: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Date: October 9, 2026 Time: 7:25 PM UTC Vehicle: Long March 12
Details TBD.
Starlink Group 15-25
Provider: SpaceX Date: October 10, 2026 Time: 11:00 PM UTC Vehicle: Falcon 9
A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation – SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.
Dragon CRS-2 SpX-35
Provider: SpaceX Date: October 13, 2026 Time: 10:33 AM UTC Vehicle: Falcon 9
35th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station operated by SpaceX. The flight will be conducted under the second Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA.
Cargo Dragon 2 brings supplies and payloads, including critical materials to directly support science and research investigations that occur onboard the orbiting laboratory.
SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer A ×
Mission Details
TypeGovernment/Top Secret
OrbitPolar Orbit
TargetEarth
Tranche 1 Transport Layer A is one of six missions by the United States Space Force Space Development Agency (SDA) for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) Tranche 1 Transport Layer constellation, which will provide assured, resilient, low-latency military data and connectivity worldwide to the full range of warfighter platforms from Low Earth Orbit satellites.
The constellation will be interconnected with Optical Inter-Satellite Links (OISLs) which have significantly increased performance over existing radio frequency crosslinks. It is expected to operate over Ka band, have stereo coverage and be dynamically networked for simpler hand-offs, greater bandwidth and fault tolerance.
This launch carries 21 satellites manufactured by Northrop Grumman.
Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.
The Falcon 9 first stage B1103 will land on Landing Zone 4 after its 6th flight.
NeonSat-2 to 6 ×
Mission Details
TypeEarth Science
OrbitSun-Synchronous Orbit
TargetEarth
NeonSat-2 to 6 are part of the South Korean government’s Earth observation micro-satellite constellation NeonSat (New-space Earth Observation Satellite). The NeonSat constellation is the first satellite system developed by the government using a mass-production approach for precise monitoring of the Korean Peninsula.
Launch Provider: Korea Aerospace Research Institute
The Long March 12 carrier rocket is a Chinese medium-lift launch vehicle currently under development by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, using kerosene and liquid oxygen as propellant. It will be capable of placing at least 10 tonnes of payload in low Earth orbit and at least 6…
Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.
The Falcon 9 first stage B1088 will land on ASDS OCISLY after its 20th flight.
Dragon CRS-2 SpX-35 ×
Mission Details
TypeResupply
OrbitLow Earth Orbit
TargetEarth
35th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station operated by SpaceX. The flight will be conducted under the second Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA.
Cargo Dragon 2 brings supplies and payloads, including critical materials to directly support science and research investigations that occur onboard the orbiting laboratory.
Agencies Involved
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Government)
Program: Commercial Resupply Services
Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) are a series of flights awarded by NASA for the delivery of cargo and supplies to the International Space Station.The first CRS contracts were signed in 2008 and awarded $1.6 billion to SpaceX for twelve cargo Dragon and $1.9 billion to Orbital Sciences for eight Cygnus flights, covering deliveries to 2016. The Falcon 9 and Antares rockets were also developed under the CRS program to deliver cargo spacecraft to the ISS.
The International Space Station programme is tied together by a complex set of legal, political and financial agreements between the sixteen nations involved in the project, governing ownership of the various components, rights to crewing and utilization, and responsibilities for crew rotation and resupply of the International Space Station. It was conceived in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan, during the Space Station Freedom project as it was originally called.
Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.
The Falcon 9 first stage will land back at the launch site after its flight.
Spacecraft: Cargo Dragon C211
Third Cargo Dragon 2
Specifications
SerialC211
TypeCapsule
StatusActive
DestinationISS
Height7.2 m
Diameter3.7 m
Maiden Flight2020-12-06
Payload Capacity6,000 kg
Return Capacity3,000 kg
Time in Space275 Days, 8 Hours, 1 Minute
Missions Flown3
Turnaround228 Days, 2 Hours, 49 Minutes
Fastest Turnaround228 Days, 2 Hours, 49 Minutes
History
Cargo Dragon 2 is an updated version of the original Dragon spaceship designed to service the International Space Station with first flights conducted in 2020.
In contrast to Dragon 1 it docks to the International Space Station instead of being berthed by the Canada Arm.
Capability
Cargo Earth Orbit Logistics
Details
Cargo Dragon 2 is a autonomous spaceship capable of bringing science to and from the International Space Station with large pressurized and un-pressurized sections to support a variety of missions.
Flight Life
Able to fly for up to one week of free flight or two years docked.
Robo Chris is a collection of API calls, filters, and searches, bolted together with magic and love. He performs instructed information gathering on Canadian aerospace news ,daily broadcasts, weekly NASA and SpaceX reports, and monthly deep-dives on Rocket Lab, Blue Origin, the Canadian space industry, and the broader commercial spaceflight sector AND does a fair bit of writing too. Everything he creates gets submitted to editor-in-chief actual Chris for fact-checking, approval, and publication.
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