The Weekly Rocket Report #44
09/22/2025-09/28/2025
Ricky Whitmore
Space Writer
Hello and welcome back to The Weekly Rocket Report, we have a super busy week to discuss so lets just jump right into the launches.
The week starts out with Falcon 9 launching NROL-48. This is yet another launch of the constellation of recon satellites built in partnership between Northrop Grumman and SpaceX. Following separation the rocket’s booster returned to the launch site, landing at LZ-4.
Later Monday night came a launch from Rocket Lab. This was a suborbital launch from the Wallops launch facility, there is little to no information about the payload. The mission was simply called “Jenna”. Interestingly, I was in Ocean City MD about 40 miles north of Wallops so I got to see this launch in person, which was super cool.
Electron launches “Jenna”. Photo Credit: Me.
Wednesday morning China got into the action, launching a Jielong 3 from the Chinese coast. The rocket was carrying Geely Constellation Group 6, part of a communication satellite constellation for their Geely’s driverless automobiles.
A few hours later Falcon 9 launched IMAP and others from the Cape. IMAP is a NASA payload designed to study the heliosphere the barrier of solar energy that surrounds our solar system. The rocket was also carrying SWFO-L1, designed to study solar storms and GLIDE, designed to study hydrogen and UV light in the Earth’s exosphere. Following stage separation the first stage returned to Earth landing on the drone ship “Just Read The Instructions”.
Falcon 9 launches IMAP & Others. Photo Credit: SpaceX.
Thursday we saw the first Starlink Mission of the week, Starlink Group 10-15. Falcon 9 successfully launched 28 satellites to orbit and the first stage landed down range on the drone ship “A Shortfall Of Gravitas”.
Same day, same place, less than 4 hours later, different company, different rocket, different internet satellites, I love the modern space age. Atlas V 551 blasted off from the Cape carrying 27 satellites as part of KA-03 for Amazon’s Project Kuiper.
Atlas V launches KA-03. Photo Credit: United Launch Alliance.
The next day, back to Falcon 9, out to Vandenberg, for more internet satellites. Starlink Group 17-11 blasted off with 24 satellites. Following stage separation the first stage booster landed back down range on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You”.
Back to China where Long March 4C launched Fengyun-3H. This is a second generation meteorology satellite for the Chinese government.
Another launch from China, this time from Taiyuan Launch Center. Long March 6A carried SatNet LEO Group 11 to orbit.
Long March 6A launches SatNet LEO Group 11. Photo Credit: https://x.com/CNSpaceflight.
Sunday night saw to launches back to back, the first of which was Falcon 9. Falcon carried 28 satellites as part of Starlink Group 11-20. The payloads were deployed successfully and the rocket’s booster returned to Earth, landing down range on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You”.
The final launch of the week was Long March 2D launching Shiyan 30 01-02. This pair of satellites is claimed by the Chinese to be for Earth observation technological testing and validation.
There you are my friends, a very busy week to discuss, love seeing as many launches as can possibly be crammed into a week. Looking ahead to next week I see another suborbital Electron, as well as New Shepard and another Falcon launch of Kuiper sats. We’ll of course to be back here to break it all down next week on 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)