This Week in Space Tech: Oct. 27 to Nov. 2, 2025

Welcome to This Week in Space Tech. From Halloween liftoffs to a rare seven-engine static fire and fresh capital for European small-sat makers, this week packed real signal for operators and startups alike. ## Launches and in-space milestones SpaceX flew two Starlink missions midweek, from California and Florida, then closed October with the year’s 100th Starlink flight out of Vandenberg. The Oct 29 Cape mission carried 29 V2 Minis. The Oct 31 California mission carried 28 and marked SpaceX’s 15th orbital launch in October. China launched Shenzhou-21 with three astronauts to Tiangong on Oct 31 for a six month stay, keeping pressure on low Earth orbit operations. On Nov 1, SpaceX’s Bandwagon-4 rideshare lifted 18 payloads to mid-inclination orbit, including Vast’s Haven Demo pathfinder for its private station plan and satellites for customers such as Korea’s ADD and Exolaunch. ## Test campaigns Blue Origin completed a fully integrated static hot fire of New Glenn at LC-36 on Oct 30. All seven BE-4s ran nominally for 38 seconds as the company targets the ESCAPADE Mars launch window. ## Policy and regulation The US FCC used its Oct 28 open meeting to approve proceedings that would overhaul satellite licensing into a new Part 100 regime and explore greater use of upper microwave spectrum. The agency pitched an expedited, criteria-based “licensing assembly line” to cut timelines. Former NASA administrators Charlie Bolden and Jim Bridenstine urged the agency on Oct 30 to reassess the Artemis lander architecture, arguing for simpler paths to a timely lunar landing. It underscores the live policy debate around Starship timing and alternatives. ESA announced Oct 28 it will establish a permanent presence in Tokyo to deepen ties with JAXA and Japan’s fast-growing startup scene, a notable bridge for cross-border commercial work. ## Startups and funding Bulgaria’s EnduroSat raised about 104 million dollars led by GV and the European Innovation Council Fund to scale small and mid-size satellite production at a new Sofia Space Center. ## Human spaceflight milestones The International Space Station marked 25 years of continuous human presence on Nov 2. A generation of crewed operations has shaped how agencies and industry think about commercial stations that may follow.

This Week in Space Tech: Oct. 27 to Nov. 2, 2025

Launches and in-space milestones

Test campaigns

Policy and regulation

Startups and funding

Human spaceflight milestones

Companies Mentioned

SpaceX

Blue Origin

EnduroSat

Vast Space

Exolaunch