Short Takes – 9-19-25 – Space Geek Edition

Starship will soon fly over towns and cities, but will dodge the biggest ones. ArsTechnica.com article. Pull quote: “The FAA released a document Friday describing SpaceX's request to update its government license for additional Starship launch and reentry trajectories. The document is a draft version of a "tiered environmental assessment" examining the potential for significant environmental impacts from the new launch and reentry flight paths.”

New military satcom services program to focus on ‘maneuverable’ small GEO satellites. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “The document also highlighted a shift in the commercial satcom market, which has moved away from leasing raw transponder capacity toward managed services. That change, while commercially efficient, poses a challenge for the military, since many of its secure waveforms are incompatible with managed services.”

Cygnus cargo ship set to rendezvous with space station after delay. CBSNews.com article. Pull quote: “Sunday's launch was the third of at least four SpaceX flights purchased by Northrop Grumman while the company recovers from the transit setback and presses ahead with work to develop a new booster of its own.”

Northrop Grumman successfully resupplies ISS after overcoming software glitch. ArsTechnica.com article. Pull quote: “NASA announced on Wednesday that the [early engine shutdown] problem would prevent the spacecraft from reaching the ISS as scheduled. Engineers ultimately determined the engine's early shutdown was caused by onboard software designed to protect the spacecraft from a potential problem.”

Astra plans mid-2026 first launch of Rocket 4. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “The vehicle will initially be capable of placing about 750 kilograms into low Earth orbit for a price of $5 million. “That’ll be very competitive,” he said in an interview after the presentation, similar to what SpaceX charges for payloads of that size through its rideshare program. “At this point, I think that’s a nice target for us to have.””

A new report finds China’s space program will soon equal that of the US. ArsTechnica.com article. Pull quote: “Roll is the co-author of a new report, titled "Redshift," on the acceleration of China's commercial and civil space activities and the threat these pose to similar efforts in the United States. Published on Tuesday, the report was sponsored by the US-based Commercial Space Federation, which advocates for the country's commercial space industry. It is a sobering read and comes as China not only projects to land humans on the lunar surface before the US can return, but also is advancing across several spaceflight fronts to challenge America.”