This Week in Space Tech: Sept. 1 to 7, 2025
A quick week: launches up, rules easing, Europe and startups.
Launches and on-orbit ops
SpaceX pulled off a coastal one-two, lofting 24 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg on Sep 2 local time using a brand-new Falcon 9 that landed on the droneship minutes later.
About eight hours later, another Falcon 9 flew from Cape Canaveral on Sep 3 with 28 Starlinks, with the booster also recovered at sea. The rapid cadence underscores how often SpaceX is flying its own network.
Policy and programs to watch
Regulators cleared a key hurdle that could let SpaceX more than double Falcon 9 launch cadence from Florida. The FAA finalized an environmental review that supports raising Cape Canaveral launches to as many as 120 per year and adds a new on-site landing zone, subject to follow-on licensing.