This Week in Launches: SpaceX Crew-7 launch week, along with many other missions

This week has proven to be one of the most eventful in recent memory, featuring a flurry of activities including two launches to the International Space Station, four SpaceX launches, and four distinct rockets. From the Crew-7 rotation mission by SpaceX, a specialized SmallSat mission by Rocket Lab, to a rare Japanese launch, this week is poised to be action-packed.

This Week’s Launches:

• August 21
  • SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink Group 7-1, 11:04 P.M. PT
    • SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
• August 22
  • SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink Group 6-11, 8:47 P.M. ET
    • SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
  • Roscosmos Soyuz 2.1a Progress MS-24, 9:08 P.M. ET
    • Site 31/6, Baikanour Cosmodrone, Kazakhstan
• August 23
  • Rocket Lab Electron We Love The Nightlife, 7:30 P.M. ET
    • LC-1B, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand
• August 25
  • SpaceX Falcon 9 Crew-7, 3:49 A.M. ET
    • LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
  • JAXA H-II A 202 SLIM & XRISM, 8:34 P.M. ET
    • LA-Y1, Tanegashima Space Center, Japan
• August 27
  • SpaceX Falcon 9 O3b mPOWER 5 & 6, 5:04 P.M. ET
    • SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

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SpaceX launching four times and four astronauts

SpaceX has planned a total of four launches across its three launch pads in Florida and California. The initial two missions are slated for standard Starlink deployments, encompassing a delayed mission from California carried over from the prior week, and a fresh mission from SLC-40 in Florida.

The highlight of the week is undoubtedly SpaceX’s impending launch of Crew-7 on Friday. This mission boasts one of the most diverse astronaut crews ever assembled for a SpaceX flight, with all four astronauts hailing from different space agencies. Notably, the mission will mark the first instance of a non-NASA astronaut serving as the pilot.

Presently, the Crew-7 astronauts are observing a mandatory quarantine period. Over the course of the week, LC-39A will buzz with activity as a series of rehearsals and tests unfold to ensure that all preparations are in place, both on the NASA and SpaceX fronts, for a successful launch.

SpaceX is set to conclude the week with a commercial launch from SLC-40 for O3b Networks. The Falcon 9 rocket will carry a pair of O3b mPOWER satellites to establish an orbit around Earth approximately 8,000 kilometers high.

Japan return to flight with the veteran H-II A rocket

Following a setback involving an in-flight failure of its new H3 rocket, Japan plans a return to flight operations using its more seasoned launch vehicle known as the H-II A. The H-II rocket is slated to transport two payloads, notably not minor communication satellites but rather two substantial missions.

First in line is the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), a lunar lander devised to execute precise landings. It is designed to achieve a landing accuracy within a mere 100 meters, a remarkable advancement compared to the kilometer-scale accuracies of the Apollo missions. Additionally, SLIM will be hosting a small rover designed for surface exploration through hopping.

The second mission, JAXA’s X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), is an X-Ray observatory intended to serve as the new premier observatory of its class stationed in low Earth orbit. XRISM’s objectives encompass tackling profound inquiries such as the universe’s formation, delving into galactic cores, and comprehending dark matter.

Rocket Lab to launch eighth mission of the year

Rocket Lab is resuming activity this week with a launch on behalf of Capella Space. This marks Rocket Lab’s third mission in support of Capella. Its first was in 2020 and was Capella’s first satellite in orbit, while the second mission occurred last March. The launch, titled “We Love The Nightlife,” initiates a sequence of four launches outlined in the contract between Capella and Rocket Lab, intended for the deployment of Arcadia, the latest satellite generation by Capella.

This impending launch constitutes Rocket Lab’s eighth mission of the year, just behind the company’s record for the highest number of flights within a single year. Rocket Lab is poised to breach the double-digit milestone for the first time, given its extensive roster of missions lined up on this year’s agenda.