The Weekly Rocket Report #43
09/15/2025-09/21/2025
Ricky Whitmore
Space Writer
Hello my friends and welcome to the return of The Weekly Rocket Report! Sorry for the delay, I was away for an extended weekend, and during this extended weekend I got to see a rocket launch! I’ll get to that later, for now, let’s go over the launches.
The week begins with a launch from China, where Long March 2C carried SatNet test satellites to orbit. Unlike most SatNet launches this batch was not numbered, though it is still believed that this batch was an addition to the larger SatNet constellation of communication satellites.
Moving on, different country, still internet satellites. Starlink Group 10-61 roared off the pad at Cape Canaveral Thursday morning, riding Falcon 9 to orbit. The 28 Starlink satellites were deployed successfully and the first stage booster returned to Earth, landing down range on the drone ship “Just Read The Instructions”.
Later Thursday morning we saw a launch from everyone’s favorite Texas rocket, New Shepard! NS-35 lifted off from the Texas desert, uncrewed, carrying 40 scientific payloads for various including NASA, Johns Hopkins, and many colleges and universities. Both the booster, and the capsule landed safely to be reused.
New Shepard launches NS-35. Photo Credit: Blue Origin.
Friday came another launch from Falcon 9, this time from Vandenberg. Starlink Group 17-12 launched 24 satellites into orbit, and the first stage returned to Earth landing on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You”.
The final launch of the week was Sunday morning, and it came yet again from Falcon 9. Starlink Group 10-27 lifted off from SLC-40 carrying 28 more Starlink satellites to orbit. Following stage separation the rocket’s booster landed back on the drone ship “A Shortfall Of Gravitas”.
Falcon 9 launches Starlink Group 10-27. Photo Credit: SpaceX.
And with that we have covered all of last week’s launches. I spent the extended weekend in Ocean City Maryland for a kite festival, which is why this is late getting out. While I was there I was treated to a rocket launch from Wallop’s Island, about 40 miles south. This was one of the suborbital test campaign missions from Electron, the ones that Rocket Lab refuse to say anything about. The mission was officially called “Jenna” and it was super cool to see the fireball streaking through the sky up and out over the water. This is the second time I’ve seen a rocket launch from Ocean City, the first was an Antares launch, many years ago. Thought I would share that story with everyone, if any more details come out about the launch I will discuss it next week, either way I will see you all next week for the Weekly Rocket Report!
As always feel free to write to me at rickyew2112@gmail.com, or find me on X @Rickyew2112
Sic Itur Ad Astra
(Thus They Journey to the Stars)