Er werd deze week uiteraard uitgebreid teruggeblikt op Flight 13 van Starship. De mogelijke berging van het Ship is een leuk extraatje voor het vluchtverhaal. Minder goed gaat de redding van SWIFT omdat LINK in de problemen is gekomen. En op het einde van deze maand wordt een nieuwe ruimtetelescoop gelanceerd. Dat en nog veel meer in het Nieuws Uit De Ruimtevaart van deze week.

Bij de foto: Tijdens de nacht van 24 op 25 juli begon Starship aan zijn 13de testvlucht. Eentje die – op de terugkeer van de Booster na – zowat perfect verliep. En als toemaatje is er een kans dat het Ship na zijn splashdown nog gered kan worden. Foto: SpaceX.

De lanceringen van de afgelopen week.

25.07.2026 – SpaceX lanceert Starlink-satellieten – Group 17-51 (VSFB).
Spaceflight Now: SpaceX Falcon 9 launches Starlink satellites from West Coast.

Filmpjes:
SpaceX via X: Watch Falcon 9 launch 24 Starlink satellites to orbit from California.
SciNews: SpaceX Starlink 409 launch and Falcon 9 first stage landing, 25 July 2026.

29.07.2026 – Chinese Lange Mars 7A lanceert Tianlian 3.
China in Space: First Next Generation Tiangong Relay Deployed Toward Geostationary Orbit [Long March 7A Y29].
GMA News: PhilSA confirms rocket launch from China, debris expected.

Filmpje:
CCTV: China Launches New Data Relay Satellite.
SciNews: Long March-7A launches TianLian-3 01.

30.07.2026 – Chinese Lange Mars 6A lanceert TJSW-27A/B.
ECNS: China launches communication technology experimental satellites.
China in Space: New TJSW Spacecraft Pair Blasts Off From Taiyuan [Long March 6A Y18].
Space News: China launches secretive TJS-27 pair, orbits next-gen Tianlian relay sat.

Filmpjes:
CCTV: China Launches New Communication Technology Test Satellites.
SciNews: Long March-6A launches TJSW-27A /B.

30.07.2026 – SpaceX lanceert NROL-95 (CCSFS).
NRO: NRO Successfully Launches NROL-95 Mission Through National Security Space Launch Program.
NRO: NROL-95.
SpaceCom: SpaceX launches secret US spy satellite from Florida.
Spaceflight Now: SpaceX launches classified payload for National Reconnaissance Office.

Filmpjes:
SpaceX via X: Watch Falcon 9 launch the NRO_gov and USSF_SSC’s NROL-95 mission from pad 40 in Florida.
SciNews: NROL-95 launch and Falcon 9 first stage landing.

01.08.2026 – SpaceX lanceert Starlink 17-52 (VSFB).
SpaceX: SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites to orbit from California.
Spaceflight Now: SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg SFB.

Filmpjes:
SpaceX via X: Watch Falcon 9 launch 24 Starlink satellites to orbit from California.
SciNews: SpaceX Starlink 410 launch and Falcon 9 first stage landing, 1 August 2026.

Te verwachten lanceringen.

30.08.2026 – De lancering van de Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
NASA: NASA to Host Media Briefing on Roman Telescope, Launching Next Month.
NASA: Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Mission Preview News Conference (July 29, 2026).
NASA: NASA’s Roman Telescope to Carry 1.35 Million Names to Deep Space.

SpaceCom: NASA fuels its next-gen Roman Space Telescope for August launch.
Space News: Roman Space Telescope on track for late August launch.

SpaceCom: NASA's Roman Space Telescope could reveal black holes ripping up stars. It's set to launch Aug. 30.

Filmpje:
NASA: NASA's Roman Space Telescope's Transport from Goddard to Kennedy.
NASA: NASA's Roman Space Telescope Hardware Highlights: Winter/Spring 2026.
NASA Goddard: Why Roman Could Change Everything We Know About The Universe.

Weldra eerste lancering Chinese Pallas.
China in Space: Pallas-1 Expected to Debut in August, Developer Raising Funds.

Raketnieuws.

Japanse H3 lanceert volgende ispace-maanlander – 2028 – Ultra.
Space News: H3 to launch next ispace lunar lander mission.
De betrokken persconferentie vind je hier.

Blue Origin mag New Glenn testen op NASA’s Stennis. Heropbouw LC-36 volop bezig.
Zie ook het Nieuws Uit De Ruimtevaart van vorige week..
Space News: Blue Origin to test New Glenn upper stages at Stennis.
NSF: Blue Origin continues rebuilding LC-36, prepares testing alternatives for New Glenn second stage. 

RocketLab krijgt Space Force contract voor 12 suborbitale lanceringen – HASTE.
Zie ook het Nieuws Uit De Ruimtevaart van vorige week.
RocketLab: Rocket Lab Awarded Record $266M Missile Defense Contract with U.S. Space Force for Suborbital Launches.
Air & Space Forces: Space Force Picks Rocket Lab for Suborbital Launches from Alaska.
SpaceCom: Rocket Lab to start launching missile-defense missions from Alaska under $266 million Space Force deal.

Nieuwe iQPS-lanceringen voor RocketLab.
RocketLab: Rocket Lab Secures Multi-Launch Deal with iQPS for Three Dedicated Missions.
Space News: Rocket Lab wins another launch contract from Japan’s iQPS.

SpaceX krijgt 18 lanceringen toegewezen via NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1.
Space News: SpaceX wins $1.6 billion in launch orders for military satellite networks.
Breaking Defense: SpaceX wins $1.6B to launch Space Force ‘sensing and targeting’ sats.
Teslarati: SpaceX scores another massive Pentagon deal to support military satellites.

Hop Aero, een suborbitale “pakjes”transporteur.
Payload: Hop Aero Wants to Deliver Cargo via Rocket.

Stoke Space en de Zenith-raketmotor.
Een berichtje op Twitter: The first three of our flight one engines are designed, built, and ready for testing.

Uitbreiding Vandenberg SFB.
Sat News: Space Force awards All Points $250 million to expand satellite processing at Vandenberg.

Wet Dress Rehearsal voor Europese Themis.
ESA: Major rehearsal takes Themis one step closer to flight.
ESA: Themis during wet dress rehearsal.
European Spaceflight: ArianeGroup Completes Themis Wet Dress Rehearsal.

Geen suborbitale Maia-lancering. Eerste orbitale eind 2027.
European Spaceflight: MaiaSpace Ditches Suborbital Test Flight Plans.

Vertraging voor RFA One.
Rocket Factory Augsburg via Twitter: “We encountered an issue with the vehicle”.

Duitsland wil een eigen (militair) lanceercomplex.
European Spaceflight: Germany Considers Dedicated Launch Facility for its Armed Forces.

Een overzicht van Europese lanceerders – Nu en in de nabije toekomst.
Payload: Payload Field Guide: European Launchers.

Nieuwe lanceerpaden in China.
China in Space: Two New Wenchang Launch Pads Move Towards Completion.

De herbruikare Lange Mars 10B.
PanDaily: China Reusable Rocket Launch Costs Drop by Two-Thirds: CZ-10B Net Recovery Success Marks Reusable Rocket Era as Space Economy Reaches Trillion-Yuan Inflection Point.

Rusland voorziet nog 9 Proton-lanceringen vanuit Baikonur.
TASS: Roscosmos plans to continue cooperation on Baikonur — head.

Bemande ruimtevaart / Ruimtestations.

Het is nog even wachten op Starliner-1.
Space News: Boeing still working with NASA to schedule next Starliner flight.
Space News: NASA still assessing Starliner-1 flight opportunities.
Ars Technica: Actually, Starliner might fly into space this year.
Space Policy Online: Still No Date for Starliner’s Next Flight.
NSF: Boeing’s Starliner set for potential 2026 cargo run to ISS.

ISS – Bemanning Soyuz MS-28 weer op Aarde.
De eerste artikels en filmpjes vond je vorige week al in het Nieuws Uit De Ruimtevaart.
TASS: Soyuz MS-28 carrying two Roscosmos cosmonauts, NASA astronaut undocks from ISS.
NASA: NASA Astronaut Chris Williams, Crewmates Return from Space Station.
NASA: NASA Astronaut Chris Williams Returns to Earth.
NASA: NASA Astronaut Chris Williams to Discuss Space Station Mission.
Space Policy Online: Soyuz MS-28 Back Home After 8 Months on ISS.

Filmpjes:
Roscosmos: Het sluiten van de luiken.
Roscosmos: Vertrek Soyuz MS-28.
Roscosmos: Landing.
SciNews: Soyuz MS-28 undocking and departure.
SciNews: Soyuz MS-28 hatch closure.
SciNews: Soyuz MS-28 landing.
NASA: NASA Astronaut Chris Williams Returns to Houston – July 27, 2026.

NASA Astronaut voor Soyuz MS-30.
NASA: NASA Assigns Astronaut Deniz Burnham to First Space Station Mission.

ISS – Nieuwe ruimtewandelingen op komst.
NASA: NASA to Cover Three US Spacewalks, Host Preview News Conference.
De persconferentie kan je hier herbekijken.

Twee animaties:
NASA: U.S. Spacewalk 97 Animation.
NASA: U.S. Spacewalk 98 Animation.

ISS – De blogentries.
ISS Blog: Expedition 74 Trio Returning to Earth Soon in Soyuz on NASA+.
ISS Blog: Expedition 74 Trio Returns to Earth Inside Soyuz.
ISS Blog: Commander Jessica Meir and Crew Check Spacesuits, Prep for Spacewalks.
ISS Blog: Crew Conducts Futuristic Workouts, Advanced Eye Exams During Spacewalk Preps.
ISS Blog: Spacewalk Preps, Bioprinting, and Exercise Research Top Station Schedule.
ISS Blog: Crew Ends Week with Spacesuit Checks and Science, Lab Hardware Maintenanc.

Meer nieuws uit het ISS.
TASS: Cosmonaut Kud-Sverchkov recalls his work as TASS correspondent onboard ISS.

ISS National Lab: Improving Heat-Removal Systems in Space.
ISS National Lab: The New Alchemy of Space: Why We Cannot Leave Public Private Partnerships Behind.
ISS National Lab: An Unexpected Space Discovery May Improve Vaccines for Older Adults.
ISS National Lab: How Space Is Opening a Window Into the Brain.

The Space Review: Preserving the legacy of the ISS.
Aerospace America (01/07): Should the ISS be extended beyond 2030?

Filmpjes:
NASA: NASA Astronaut Discusses Life in Space with Naval Academy Alumni Magazine – Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
ESA: Food Processor, a culinary robot in orbit.
ESA shorts: This is how astronauts run in space.

Commerciële ruimtestations – Starlab.
Via Satellite: SES Space & Defense Wins Space Station Connectivity Deal With Starlab.
Satellite Pro ME: Starlab selects SES Space & Defence for always-on space station connectivity.

Nieuws uit het Chinese ruimtestation – CSS.
PanDaily: China First Science Lab Module Wentian Completes Four Years in Orbit: 17.9-Meter Research Platform Enables Over 1,400 Days of Space Science Experiment.
China in Space: Shenzhou-23 Mission Passes Two-Month Mark Aboard Orbiting Lab.

Filmpjes:
CCTV: Shenzhou-23 Crew Carry out Research in Biology, Microgravity, Equipment Maintenance.

Naar de Maan (en Mars).

Artemis III.
NASA (filmpje): Artemis III SLS Spacer Work Continues!
Douglas Messier: Artemis III: Not Your Grandfather's Apollo 9 Mission.

Artemis – Lunar Gateway.
EsaStar: Lunar Link Repurposing Mission – Phase 1 Study.
Space News: ESA opens call to repurpose Gateway communications module.

Artemis – Moon Base.
NASA Watch: Jared Isaacman: Building Moon Base Faster: Lessons From a 90-Day Sprint.

Universe Today: Scientists Map Moon Regolith to Aid Lunar Bases.
GeekWire: Interlune builds on partnership with equipment company to lay the groundwork for moon infrastructure.
Inside Outer Space: Moon Machinery Partnership for Lunar Base Work.

Seoul Economic Daily: NASA Moon Base Chief: Korea a Key Partner, Roles to Take Shape Within 3 Months.
The Korea Times:  NASA seeks Korea's role in Moon Base project.

Naar de Maan en Mars.
The Space Review: Affordability for Artemis.
The Space Review: To win the Moon, divide the labor.

PhysOrg: Martian space suits will need to be 40% lighter.
The Mars Society: Why Future Mars Bases Will Need Industrial-Strength Power Infrastructure [Blog].

Teslarati: Elon Musk updates the SpaceX timeline for Mars.

China naar de Maan.
Global Times: China completes first in-orbit test of 400V space power system, paving way for future high-power spacecraft missions including manned lunar exploration.

Starship – Na Flight 13.
SpaceX: Starship's Thirteenth Flight Test.
SpaceCom: SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites to orbit in wake of Starship test flight.
SpaceCom: Starship in space! See highlights of SpaceX megarocket's epic Flight 13 test launch.
NSS: Starship Flight 13: Engineering in Action.
SpaceCom: SpaceX Starship still floating 5 days after flight .
SpaceCom: SpaceX's Starship seen in space by next-gen Starlink satellite.

NSF: Ship 40’s flawless flight promotes next mission catch potential.
Teslarati: Elon Musk sheds two new bits of detail on Starship after 13th test launch.

YahooTech: NASA Heat Shield Experts Warn Starship Shielding Could Be a 'Dead End'.
Ars Technica: Experts warn current Starship heat shield tech is a “dead end” for rapid reuse.

NSF: Starbase Pad 1 Retrofits Progress as Block 3 Flights Start.

The Space Review: Starship may become useful before it becomes reusable.

NASA: NASA, SpaceX Advance Wind Tunnel Tests for Starship Rocket.

Filmpjes:
NSF: The Angles You Didn't See - Starship Flight 13.
Spaceflight Now: SpaceX's Starship Flight 13: What happened and what comes next?
Marcus House: Massive Surprises From Starship Flight 13!
Engineering Today: SpaceX Starship Flight 13: Why Lucky 13 Changes Everything for SpaceX – A New Era Begins.
WAI: Massive Reveal From SpaceX's Starship Flight 13!
WAI: Starship Flight 13 Recap! What Worked, What Failed & What’s Next?
NSF: Ship 40 Survived! SpaceX Prepares for an Ambitious Flight 14 | Starship Update.
Video from Space: SpaceX Starship's epic splashdown from drone and rocket cams – Still floating 5 days later!
NSF: Starbase Catches up after Flight 13 | SpaceX Starbase.
WAI: Starship Rescue Mission! How SpaceX will save Ship 40 from the waves!

Op ontdekking door het zonnestelsel.

Op 5 augustus slaat een Falcon 9 2de trap te pletter op de Maan.
SpaceCom: A SpaceX rocket will crash into the moon next week, and scientists aren't sure what to expect.
Inside Outer Space: Moon Plume: Saga of a Spent SpaceX Rocket Stage Impact.

Ruimteafval tussen de Aarde en de Maan – De risico’s.
Universe Today: The Risks of Debris Between the Earth and the Moon for Future Exploration.
The Science Times: Earth-Moon Space Debris Could Threaten Future Lunar Missions, Scientists Warn.

Meer nieuws uit de (inter)planetaire ruimte.

Zon:
Astrum (filmpje): We’ve Seen the Sun’s Inner Corona For the First Time – PROBA3.
ESA: Earth and Proba-3’s Coronagraph play hide and seek.

Venus:
SciTechDaily: Something Is Still Moving Beneath Venus’s Scorching Surface.

Aarde:
ESA: Fires rage near Bordeaux, France.
ESA: Raging wildfires near Madrid, Spain.
NASA: Smoke Blankets Oregon.
Science Alert: Concerning Map Suggests The Worst May Be Yet to Come For Devastating European Fires.
ESA: How Sentinel-1 measured movement of Venezuela quakes.
NASA: Sizing Up the Sargassum Belt.
Via Satellilte: Planet Labs Wins One-Year Agricultural Data Contract with the Scottish Government.

Maan:
Inside Outer Space: New CAPSTONE Cislunar Mission Okayed – Supporting Moon Operations.
Space News: NASA selects successor to CAPSTONE lunar mission.
SpaceCom: NASA is sending 2 probes to the moon to test complex 'three-body orbits'.
Douglas Messier: Lunar Outpost Europe to Contributes to Moonraker Mission.
Universe Today: Chang'e-6 Samples Provide an Ancient Record of the Moon's Far Side.
SpaceCom: BALLS on the moon: China set to launch Africa's 1st lunar science mission in 2029.

Mars:
NASA: Curiosity Status Blog: Curiosity Blog, Sols 4961-4967: Approaching a Break in the Rock Record?
NASA: NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover Discovers Field of Honeycomb Textures.
NASA (foto): NASA’s Curiosity Discovers a Field of Martian Polygons.
NASA (foto): NASA’s Curiosity Views a Sand-Capped Butte.
PhysOrg: More evidence Mars once had water emerges from old Spirit rover data.
NASA: Understanding How Martian Auroras Are Made.
Universe Today: Mars' Double Storm Problem.
The Planetary Society: The Cost of a PROMISE.
Space News: Sending repurposed Mars rover to the moon could cost more than $1 billion - PROMISE

Jupiter:
NSF: Juno reveals surprising subsurface tempertures at Io, remarkably smooth surface.

Saturnus:
NASA (shorts): Inside NASA's Dragonfly: Meet the Science Instruments.
Douglas Messier: NASA Funds Research Project on Sampling Saturn's Rings.
Cyber Tech Hub (filmpje): NASA’s Wild Plan to Send 10,000 Tiny Spacecraft Into Saturn’s Rings.

Planetoïde Torifune:
JAXA: Asteroid Explorer Hayabusa2 sets a new record for closest approach during a Solar System body flyby mission.
JAXA: Asteroid explorer Hayabusa2 achieves world-first laser ranging during asteroid flyby.
VRTNWS: Japanse ruimtesonde breekt record en vliegt op 400 meter van asteroïde.

Planetoïde Apophis:
The Planetary Society (filmpje): TERP RAPTOR: A student-built mission to asteroid Apophis - Planetary Radio.

Planetoïde Nysa:
SpaceCom: 1st three-headed asteroid found in our solar system — and it has a little moon.
Universe Today: The Asteroid That May Be Three Worlds.

Meer ruimtevaartnieuws.

Branden in Europa: Grondstations gered – Ruimtevaartindustrie Frankrijk rond Bordeaux in gevaar.
European Spaceflight: ESA Ground Station in Spain Cleared to Return to Service After Wildfire Threat.
De Standaard: Het vuur in Gironde bedreigt ook de ruimtevaartindustrie van Europa.

Problemen bij de redding van SWIFT.
Space News: Swift reboost mission encounters attitude control problems.
Ars Technica: Reaction wheel failures leave Swift rescue mission spinning in orbit.
Space Polcy Online: Swift Reboost Mission Encounters Setback.
SpaceCom: NASA launched this spacecraft to save a space telescope. Now, it needs saving too.
The Register: NASA's Swift rescue slips to late August as LINK battles its spin.
Ars Technica: Here’s how engineers plan to save the satellite sent to save NASA’s Swift mission.

Spacepage: NASA's reddingsmissie moet nu zelf gered worden.

NASA: NASA’s Swift Sees ‘Wandering’ Mega Black Hole Shredding Star.

Uitkijken naar 5 augustus – Een afgedankte Falcon 9 crasht op de Maan.
The Conversation: An abandoned SpaceX rocket is about to crash into the Moon. The real problem comes next.
EarthSky: A rocket will hit the moon on August 5: New animation here!
Spacepage: Op 5 augustus gaat een SpaceX rakettrap inslaan op het maanoppervlak.

Nog eens BOHR – Een commerciële satelliet op nucleaire stroom.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: How a small radioactive battery paves the way for transparent nuclear use in space.

SpaceX en zijn beursgang.
13.07 – BBC: The SpaceX IPO made history. One month on has it lost momentum?
15.07 – BBC: SpaceX share price drops below stock market debut.
20.07 – Teslarati: Elon Musk sends first warning to SpaceX short sellers.
21.07 – Space Capital (filmpje): Q2 2026 – $32 Billion Invested, SpaceX's Largest IPO Ever, and Launch+
23.07 – Teslarati: Google’s massive stake in SpaceX will shock you.
28.07 – CNBC: SpaceX stock-purchasing by Congress members fuels conflict concerns.

Europa en de (militaire) ruimtevaart.
28.07 – Inside GNSS: European Space Forum Breaks New Ground.
31.07 – Airbus:  Airbus awarded contract for SpainSat NG-III secure communications satellite.

De oorlog in Oekraïne.
TASS: SpaceX turns head as Ukraine uses Starlink for strikes against Russia — expert.

De oorlog rond Iran.
EurActiv: Commission confirms delay to EU satellite imagery over Iran war.
South China Morning Post: Chinese satellite imagery analysis challenges US-Iran war claims.

Space Force / Golden Dome / PWSA.
27.07 – ExecutivGov: 5 Active Space Force Contract Opportunities: From Missile Tracking to Space Comms.
27.07 – ExecutivGov: AFLCMC Takes Full Ownership of Military GPS Programs From Space Force.
28.07 – Lockheed Martin (filmpje): Tranche 1 Transport Layer: Delivering Real‑Time Connectivity.
31.07 – GovConWire: Space Force Awards 15 Spots on $981M Space Test, Training Contract.
01.08 – Space News: Space Force awards K2 Space $22.9 million for laser communications demonstration.

Satellieten inspecteren.
13.07 – Breaking Defense: Space tag: Jackal, Puma spacecraft to chase each other Victus Haze demo.
29.07 – Via Satellite: True Anomaly Details ‘Space Pursuit’ in Victus Haze Mission.
30.07 – Ars Technica: Space Force-backed mission does its best impression of Top Gun in orbit.

27.07 – Space News: Orbes unveils Exo-ORB and agreement with Symphony Space.
27.08 – Payload: ORBES Unveils Exo-ORB Maintenance Spacecraft.

22.07 – Space News: China’s Shijian-31 satellite is sweeping GEO using a unique orbit.

Constellaties – ODC’s.
27.07 – Space News: Intel debuts new chip for space computing.
27.07 – Via Satellite: Space-Based Data Centers: Inside the Race to Move Compute to Orbit.
28.07 – Via Satellite (filmpje): Space-Based Data Centers: Inside the Race to Move Compute to Orbit.
30.07 – Space News: Sophia Space and Caltech claim patent for space data centers.
30.07 – Space News: Rules of the road needed for orbital data center constellations.
30.07 – Secure World Foundation: Orbital Data Centers and Space Sustainability: Policy and Safety Implications.

Constellaties – Nieuws van Amazon.
27.07 – Via Satellite: Amazon Leo Files for 5,105 Satellites in Globalstar Spectrum for D2D.
28.07 – Payload: Amazon Joins the Direct-to-Device Race.
28.07 – De Standaard: Amazon wil meer dan 5.000 satellieten lanceren.

Constellaties – Allerlei nieuws.
27.07 – Space News: Amazon files application for direct-to-device satellite constellation.
27.07 – Via Satellite: SES Set to Receive $5.6B in Incentive Payments for C-Band Clearing.
27.07 – Ars Technica: Trump admin exempts SpaceX’s Starlink from FCC ban on foreign-made routers.
28.07 – Space News: Chinese startup raises funds for space situational awareness constellation, joining commercial SSA rush.
28.07 – Via Satellite: Eutelsat Details IRIS² MoU With Poland.
28.07 – Via Satellite: Virgin Media O2 Exec Explains Strategic Approach to Direct-to-Device With O2 Satellite.
30.07 – Satellite Today: Starlink’s Link Budget Comes up Short for the D2D Opportunity.

Constellaties – Gevolgen.
SpaceCom: Private companies could ruin the night sky for the entire world, and international law can't stop them.

Om af te ronden – Nog een beetje geschiedenis met het eerste telefoontje via TELSTAR.
VRT NWS: "Do you understand me?": eerste telefoontje via satelliet vond plaats in Mechelen, opname duikt op in VRT-archief.

Veel lees- en kijkplezier,

Koen