Moonbound Teams, Orbital Housekeeping, and a Starlink Boost from the West Coast

Earlier today, Japan’s HTV-X1 cargo spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station and began its final descent through Earth’s atmosphere. Carrying several tons of waste and obsolete hardware from the orbital laboratory, the uncrewed vehicle executed a controlled, destructive reentry—ensuring that nothing hazardous reached the ground. Developed by JAXA as the successor to the venerable Kounotori (HTV) series, HTV-X1 introduced significant upgrades, including enhanced autonomous rendezvous capabilities and a more efficient propulsion system. Its successful mission marks a quiet but critical milestone in space logistics: keeping the ISS clean, safe, and functional. While much of the aerospace spotlight focuses on new rockets and flashy landers, these “orbital garbage trucks” are indispensable. Canada, with its long history of supporting ISS operations through Canadarm2 and Dextre, shares an interest in reliable resupply and waste disposal systems—especially as plans for future commercial space stations take shape. The HTV-X program is expected to support both the ISS and, eventually, Japan’s contributions to the Lunar Gateway.

SpaceX Launches Fresh Starlink Batch from Vandenberg

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At 12:34 a.m. PST (0834 UTC), SpaceX successfully launched 28 Starlink satellites aboard a brand-new Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This mission—part of the ongoing effort to expand and refresh the Starlink megaconstellation—delivered its payload to low Earth orbit before the first stage returned for a pinpoint landing on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions stationed in the Pacific. Notably, this was the maiden flight for this particular booster, adding to SpaceX’s growing fleet of flight-proven rockets. From a Canadian perspective, these launches matter: Starlink already provides internet access to remote and rural communities across Canada, including Indigenous and northern regions where traditional infrastructure is impractical. With the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission recently streamlining approvals for satellite-based broadband, more Canadians may soon benefit from this expanding orbital network. And while we may not get many clear views of Falcon 9 launches from the West Coast, our nighttime skies are increasingly dotted with the silent, steady march of these reflective satellites—both a marvel and a reminder of how crowded low Earth orbit is becoming.

Citations

• “Thales Alenia Space Finalises Industrial Team for ESA’s Argonaut Lunar Lander” – https://europeanspaceflight.com/thales-alenia-space-finalises-industrial-team-for-esas-argonaut-lunar-lander/
• “HTV-X1 Release & Reentry” – https://ll.thespacedevs.com/2.2.0/event/352/
• “Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 28 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg on brand new Falcon 9 rocket” – https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/11/23/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-28-starlink-satellites-from-vandenberg-on-brand-new-falcon-9-rocket/