Launch Preview: Falcon 9 to launch USSF missions, China to launch internet satellites

Date:
Mon, 02 Nov 2026 22:21:38 +0000

Description:
Eight launches are expected this week, from launch sites in the United
States, China, New The post Launch Preview: Falcon 9 to launch USSF missions, China to launch internet satellites appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .

FULL STORY ======================================================================

Eight launches are expected this week, from launch sites in the United
States, China, New Zealand, and South Korea. China is scheduled to launch
four missions on Chang Zheng 2C, Chang Zheng 12, Ceres 2, and Kinetica 2 rockets, alongside an orbital Mir launch from South Korea. Rocket Lab is scheduled to launch Electrons 99th mission from New Zealand, and Falcon 9 is scheduled to launch two classified missions for the U.S. Space Force.



Electron | The Sea God Surveys

The first launch of the week was Rocket Labs Electron on Nov. 2 from Launch Complex 1A (LC-1A) at the Mhia Peninsula in New Zealand. The vehicle launched during a two-hour and twenty-minute window, with liftoff at 16:41 UTC.

Electron launched on an easterly trajectory to deliver the QPS-SAR-20 satellite to low-Earth orbit (LEO) for the Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (IQPS). The mission was the 99th overall mission for Rocket Lab and the 20th of 2026. Mission success! Payload deployment confirmed from Electron's Kick Stage for the latest QPS-SAR satellite by @QPS_Inc our tenth launch for their constellation with 100% mission success. pic.twitter.com/WYvTc9IXQs

Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) November 2, 2026



Kinetica 2 | SpaceSail Polar Group

The weeks first international launch is a Kinetica 2 from Site 140 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The vehicle will launch on a southerly trajectory during a 28-minute launch window, with a planned liftoff time of 00:10 UTC. Kinetica 2 will deliver communications satellites to polar orbit for the SpaceSail Polar Group.

The mission will be the second overall flight for Kinetica 2, following its debut launch in March 2026.

Mir | Demo Flight

The fourth mission of the week is expected to launch from the ADD Offshore launch platform on Jeju Island, South Korea. The Mir vehicle will launch during a four-hour launch window beginning at 05:00 UTC on Nov. 4. Mir will follow a southeasterly trajectory to deliver an unknown payload to LEO.

Mir is a four-stage vehicle powered by solid rocket propellants and can deliver 500 kg to LEO. The mission will be the vehicles second overall.

Falcon 9 | USSF-432

The first Falcon 9 mission of the week is expected to launch from Space
Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The vehicle will launch on a southerly trajectory during a four-hour window beginning at 5:14 PM PST (01:14 UTC on Nov. 5). Falcon 9 will deliver
a classified payload for the United States Space Force (USSF) to LEO.



Falcon 9s first stage, B1095, will be on its eighth flight, previously supporting the GPS III SV10 and seven Starlink missions. SpaceXs autonomous droneship Of Course I Still Love You will recover the booster downrange in
the Pacific Ocean. Falcon 9 will be on its 702nd overall mission and 119th of 2026.

Chang Zheng 2C | Unknown Payload

A Chinese Chang Zheng 2C (CZ-2C) is set to launch on Thursday, Nov. 5, from Launch Complex 3 (LC-3) at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China. The vehicle will launch during a 24-minute window beginning at 15:52 UTC, with a planned liftoff time of 16:00 UTC. CZ-2C will launch on a southeasterly trajectory to deliver an unknown payload to an unknown orbit.

The two-stage vehicle developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has a liftoff thrust of 2,962 kN and can deliver up to 2,850 kg to LEO. The vehicles first stage is powered by four YF-21C engines fueled by dinitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH). The second stage features a single YF-24E engine also utilizing the same propellants.

The mission will be the 89th overall mission for CZ-2C and the fifth mission of 2026.

Chang Zheng 12 | SatNet LEO Group

A Chang Zheng 12 (CZ-12) launch from Commercial Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) at
the Wenchang Space Launch Site in China is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5.
The vehicle will launch during a 29-minute launch window beginning at 21:10 UTC, with an expected liftoff time of 21:15 UTC. CZ-12 will launch on a southeasterly trajectory to deliver nine SatNet LEO Group satellites to LEO. CZ-12 is transported to its launch site for a previous mission. (Credit: Hainan International Commercial Aerospace)

Chang Zheng 12, developed by CASC, is a two-stage medium-lift vehicle with a liftoff thrust of 5,000 kN. The 62-m-tall vehicle can deliver 12,000 kg to
LEO and 6,000 kg to Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). The first stage is powered
by four YF-100K engines fueled by liquid kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen, while the second stage is powered by two YF-115 engines using the same propellants.

The mission will be the 10th overall CZ-12 mission and the sixth of 2026.

Ceres 2 | Unknown Payload

The final Chinese launch of the week will see a Ceres 2 vehicle developed by Galactic Energy launch from Site 95A at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
in China on Friday, Nov. 6. The vehicle will launch on a southerly trajectory during a 22-minute launch window beginning at 23:28 UTC to deliver an unspecified payload to an unknown orbit.

Ceres 2 is a four-stage launch vehicle fueled by solid rocket propellants and can deliver 2,000 kg to LEO. The vehicles inaugural launch in January 2026
was unsuccessful, and this mission will serve as the vehicles return to flight.

Falcon 9 | USSF-xxx (R-5)

The final launch of the week will see Falcon 9 launch another classified mission for the United States Space Force. Though its specific mission name designation has not yet been released, the mission is scheduled to launch on Sunday, Nov. 8, during a four-hour launch window opening at 7:17 PM PST
(03:17 UTC on Nov. 9). Falcon 9 will follow a southeasterly trajectory into LEO from SLC-4E at Vandenberg.

The booster supporting this mission is not yet known, but will land downrange on Of Course I Still Love You following stage separation. This mission will
be Falcon 9s 703rd overall mission and the 120th of 2026, as well as the
262nd overall orbital launch attempt worldwide in 2026.

(Lead Image: Falcon 9 launches from Florida. Credit: Julia Bergeron for NSF)



The post Launch Preview: Falcon 9 to launch USSF missions, China to launch internet satellites appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/11/launch-preview-110226/


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Science News (1337:1/100)