Here’s what’s launching from July 7–13: Starlink lifts off, Gilmour slips to at least July 16, and we recap launches from Roscosmos and China.
The Progress 92 cargoship approaches the International Space Station for docking on July 5th, carrying approximately 2.5 tons of supplies for the Expedition 73 crew. Credit: NASA
- Gilmour Space Technologies’ Eris rocket launch is rescheduled for no earlier than July 16th.
- This launch will be Australia’s first orbital launch from its own soil.
- The Eris rocket is a three-stage, hybrid-fueled vehicle designed for small satellite deployment.
Gilmour Space Technologies has officially announced that the earliest available launch window for its Eris rocket is no earlier than (NET) July 16. The launch was postponed on July 2 due to adverse weather conditions. The company confirmed the updated launch window on July 3, citing Australia’s regulatory requirement for a two-week notice to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, as well as a continued watch on weather conditions.
The mission will be the first Australian-made orbital launch attempt ever conducted from Australian soil, and the first flight of Gilmour’s hybrid-fueled, three-stage Eris rocket. The 75-foot (23 meters) vehicle is designed to carry small satellites to low Earth orbit and represents a major leap forward for the Southern Hemisphere’s presence in the commercial launch market.
Launch Recap: A Progress in orbit and a quiet Shiyan
Two uncrewed missions lifted off last week, extending longstanding national programs in low Earth orbit.
On Thursday, July 3, at 5:35 a.m. EDT, China launched a Long March 4C rocket from Jiuquan, carrying the satellite Shiyan 28 B‑01. The Shiyan (meaning “experiment” in Chinese) series is a broad category used for technology demonstrations. According to Xinhua, the satellite will mostly be used for “space environment exploration and related technology tests.” The satellite was confirmed to have reached orbit successfully.
Later that same day, Progress 92 launched aboard a Soyuz 2.1a rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome, bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The Russian cargo spacecraft delivered 2.5 metric tons of supplies, including food, fuel, and oxygen, successfully docking with the ISS July 5th. This marked the 184th Progress mission since the series debuted in 1978. The spacecraft, a long-proven variant of the crewed Soyuz, continues to anchor Russia’s resupply efforts in orbit.
Only Launch This Week: Starlink sails on
SpaceX is expected to carry out the only confirmed launch of the week, flying Starlink Group 10‑28 aboard a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral. Liftoff is scheduled for Tuesday, July 8, at 1:48 a.m. EDT. The mission will add another batch of Starlink satellites to the company’s expanding low Earth orbit constellation.
Looking Ahead: Gilmour, GSLV, and Vulcan on deck
Beyond Starlink, the next few weeks may bring some highly anticipated launches. India’s GSLV Mk II is preparing to fly NISAR, a joint NASA-ISRO Earth-observing satellite. United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan may also return to the pad for its second flight, carrying the USSF-106 payload for the U.S. Space Force. And if all goes well with range approval, Gilmour’s Eris may finally light up the Queensland coast as early as July 16.
We’ll be watching closely to see which of these NET July missions locks in a liftoff next.
