This Week in Space Tech: Oct. 6 to 12, 2025
A busy week of launches, big checks for reusable rockets, and policy moves shaping the next year of space operations.
Welcome to This Week in Space Tech. From fresh Starlink flights and Blue Origin’s return to science hops, to a half-billion dollar raise for Stoke and a major defense-tilted acquisition, here are the headlines that mattered.
Launches and on-orbit moves
SpaceX flew two Starlink missions within 24 hours, one from Florida on Oct 6 and another from Vandenberg on Oct 7, adding dozens of broadband satellites to orbit.
Blue Origin’s New Shepard returned to suborbital service on Oct 8 with mission NS-36, carrying research and tech demos and landing both booster and capsule in West Texas.
China’s commercial player Orienspace launched Gravity-1 from a sea platform on Oct 10, marking the rocket’s second flight and reinforcing China’s growing private-sector lift capability.