SpaceX has scheduled four orbital launches for the week. The Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station is set for October 1 from Cape Canaveral, utilizing a Falcon 9 rocket and the Crew Dragon Grace spacecraft. The crew includes Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney, Joshua Kutryk, and Sergey Teteryatnikov, who will join Expedition 75 for a six-month stay.
On the same day, a Falcon Heavy will launch the classified NROL-97 payload for the National Reconnaissance Office from Kennedy Space Center. The mission involves the expenditure of the center booster, while the two side boosters will perform return-to-launch-site landings. This launch marks the 109th Falcon 9 mission of 2026.
Two additional Falcon 9 missions are planned from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The Transporter-18 rideshare mission will carry 130 payloads, including the Terra Nova satellite, on October 1. This flight will utilize booster B1082 for its 25th mission. All four launches this week feature return-to-launch-site recovery profiles.
The final mission of the week is scheduled for October 5, carrying 21 payloads for the Tranche 1 Transport Layer A constellation for the Space Development Agency. This launch will be the 117th for SpaceX in 2026 and the 727th overall for the company. Globally, it represents the 237th orbital launch attempt of the year.
