This Week in Orbit: 2026-08-23
This week, the space community witnessed a diverse array of developments. NASA's Curiosity rover resumed its scientific operations on Mars, as detailed in its latest blog update covering Sols 4982–4987.
Week Overview
This week, the space community witnessed a diverse array of developments. NASA's Curiosity rover resumed its scientific operations on Mars, as detailed in its latest blog update covering Sols 4982–4987. Meanwhile, a significant fleet of 17 spacecraft provided new insights into solar eruptions, a phenomenon critical to understanding space weather and its potential impacts on Earth. In other news, NASA announced funding for 18 futuristic spaceflight concepts, including the ambitious idea of launching 10,000 tiny 'femtosats' to Saturn. These developments underscore the ongoing innovation and exploration in space science.
Launch Activity
Adverse weather conditions have delayed the launch of China's Chang'e 7 mission, which aims to explore the Moon's south pole. This mission is part of China's broader lunar exploration programme, which has seen significant success in recent years. Despite the delay, anticipation remains high for this historic mission. No other launches were recorded this week, as per the Orbital Radar launch schedule.
Orbital Events
Several close approaches were monitored this week, with the most notable being the near-zero kilometre approach between INTELSAT 1002 and MEV-2. Such events highlight the growing congestion in Earth's orbit, with active close approaches being tracked numbering 21. The Tianhui series of satellites also experienced multiple close encounters, with the closest being a mere 0.64 km between Tianhui 2-02A and Tianhui 2-02B. These events can be further explored using the Orbital Radar debris map.
Space Weather
Space weather conditions remained stable this week, with all metrics indicating a 'green' status. The solar wind speed was recorded at 399 km/s, and the geomagnetic activity, measured by the Kp index, remained low. These conditions are favourable for satellite operations and human activities in space. For real-time updates, the Orbital Radar space weather page provides comprehensive data.
Notable Satellites
The number of active satellites in orbit stands at 18,611, with Starlink contributing 10,975 to this total. Of these, 9,829 are operational, while 336 are in the process of deorbiting. The Starlink tracker on Orbital Radar offers detailed insights into the status and movements of these satellites. Additionally, the Hubble Space Telescope, which has travelled over 4 billion miles since its launch in 1990, continues to be a vital tool for astronomical research.
Looking Ahead
As we look to the future, NASA is focusing on next-generation cargo landers, which are pivotal for establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon. These developments are part of the Artemis programme, aimed at returning humans to the lunar surface. Additionally, the potential for commercial space stations is prompting changes in NASA's astronaut training hub, reflecting the evolving landscape of human spaceflight. Stay updated with upcoming missions via the Orbital Radar launch schedule.
