This Week in Orbit: 2026-05-24
This week, the space industry saw significant developments, including NASA's decision to expand its collaboration with SpaceX by adding more missions to the commercial crew contract. Meanwhile, SpaceX successfully launched its first Starship V3, marking a new chapter for the company's ambitious space exploration goals. In China, the Shenzhou 23 mission successfully delivered a new crew to the Tiangong space station, continuing the country's steady progress in building its presence in low Earth orbit. Blue Origin also concluded its investigation into the New Glenn launch failure, a step forward for the company's future launch plans.
Despite a quiet week in terms of new launches, significant attention was drawn to SpaceX's Starship V3, which lifted off for the first time. This vehicle represents the next evolution in SpaceX's fleet, designed to carry larger payloads and support deep space missions. The launch was closely watched by industry analysts and enthusiasts alike, as it sets the stage for future missions. Detailed launch schedules and vehicle specifications can be found on the Orbital Radar launch tracker.
Orbital Radar tracked several close approaches this week, highlighting the crowded nature of Earth's orbit. Notable close encounters included TIANHUI 5A and TIANHUI 5B, which came within 0.54 km of each other, and YAM-13 and OBJECT W, with a minimum distance of 0.43 km. These events underscore the importance of ongoing monitoring to prevent potential collisions. For a comprehensive list of tracked objects and their orbital parameters, visit the Orbital Radar satellite catalogue.
Unfortunately, space weather data was unavailable this week. Typically, space weather can influence satellite operations and communications, making it a critical area of study. For historical data and forecasts, the Orbital Radar space weather centre provides detailed analyses and predictions.
As of this week, there are 28,467 active satellites in orbit, with 17,047 classified as payloads. Among these, Starlink continues to dominate with 9,105 operational satellites. The debris environment remains a concern, with 8,902 pieces of tracked debris. The Orbital Radar debris tracker offers insights into the current state of space debris and its implications for satellite safety.
NASA's call for creatives to enhance mission storytelling and its major organisational reorganisation are expected to shape future public engagement and operational efficiency. Additionally, the Space Force's $437 million contract awards to Viasat and SES for a military satellite network signal a growing focus on secure communications. These developments will likely influence upcoming missions and strategic priorities. Upcoming visible passes of key satellites can be checked using the Orbital Radar pass predictor.
