5 orbital launches are scheduled worldwide for this week. In China, a Chang Zheng 6A and Chang Zheng 7A are set to launch two unknown payloads into orbit. In the meantime, SpaceX has three Falcon 9 launches on the manifest from Florida and California, with two Starlink missions and a labeled mission for the Nationwide Reconnaissance Workplace.
Chang Zheng 7A | Unknown Payload
The primary launch of the week is a Chang Zheng 7A, scheduled to launch on Wednesday, July 29, from Launch Advanced 201 (LC-201) on the Wenchang Area Launch Web site in China. The three-stage car will launch inside a one-hour, 57-minute launch window starting at 11:42 UTC. The rocket is anticipated to comply with an easterly trajectory to an unknown orbit.
The 60.13-m-tall Chang Zheng 7A, developed by the China Aerospace Science and Expertise Company (CASC), is a three-stage medium-lift launch car. The rocket has 4 liquid-fueled boosters fueled by kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOX). The primary stage options two YF-100 oxidizer-rich staged combustion cycle engines fueled by RP-1 and LOX, whereas the second stage has 4 YF-115 engines additionally powered by RP-1 and LOX. An non-compulsory stage can also be obtainable, which options two YF-75 gas-generator-cycle engines powered by liquid hydrogen (LH2) and LOX. The rocket can carry as much as 12,000 kg to low-Earth orbit (LEO) and has a liftoff thrust of seven,128 kN.
This mission shall be Chang Zheng 7A’s seventeenth launch and third mission of 2026.
A Chang Zheng 6A launches from Taiyuan. (Credit score: CASC)
Chang Zheng 6A | Unknown Payload
The second worldwide launch of the week is a Chang Zheng 6A from Launch Advanced 9A (LC-9A) at Taiyuan Satellite tv for pc Launch Middle in China on Thursday, July 30. A twenty-minute window opens at 00:52 UTC with a deliberate liftoff time of 01:00 UTC. The rocket will launch on a southeasterly trajectory to an unknown orbit.
Chang Zheng 6A is a two-stage medium-lift launch car. The primary stage is powered by two YF-100 engines fueled by RP-1 and LOX, with the second stage using a single YF-115 engine fueled by the identical propellants. 4 FG-112 stable rocket boosters are hooked up to the primary stage. The 50-m-tall car is able to carrying 5,000 kg to LEO and has a complete liftoff thrust of seven,230 kN.
The launch would be the car’s seventh mission of 2026 and twenty sixth general.
Falcon 9 | Starlink Group 17-52
The primary SpaceX mission of the week is anticipated from Area Launch Advanced 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Area Power Base in California on Wednesday, July 29. Falcon 9 will launch on a southerly trajectory to a Solar-synchronous orbit (SSO) inclined by 97 levels, the place it is going to deploy a batch of Starlink v2 Mini satellites. The four-hour window begins at 7:00 PM PDT (02:00 UTC July 30).
SpaceX’s autonomous droneship Of Course I Nonetheless Love You will get better the booster, B1081, downrange within the Pacific Ocean. B1081 shall be on its twenty sixth flight after a 34-day turnaround, beforehand supporting NASA’s Crew-7 mission to the Worldwide Area Station (ISS), Transporter-10, Transporter-13, and 15 Starlink missions.
Falcon 9, {a partially} reusable two-stage car, can ship as much as 22,000 kg to LEO and eight,300 kg to geostationary switch orbit (GTO). The primary stage makes use of 9 Merlin 1D sea-level engines fueled by RP-1 and LOX, with the second stage’s single Merlin 1D vacuum-optimized engine fueled by the identical propellants.
Falcon 9’s second mission of the week, NROL-95, is anticipated to launch on Thursday, July 30, from Area Launch Advanced 40 (SLC-40) on the Cape Canaveral Area Power Station in Florida. A 12-minute launch window opens at 3:09 AM EDT, with Falcon 9 launching on a northeasterly trajectory to LEO to ship a labeled payload for the Nationwide Reconnaissance Workplace.
Following launch and stage separation, first stage booster B1096 will carry out a return-to-launch-site touchdown at Touchdown Zone 2 (LZ-2). B1096 shall be on its seventh flight, beforehand supporting the Amazon Leo (KF-01), IMAP & Others, NROL-77, GPS III SV09, CRS-34, and Starlink Group 6-87.
Falcon 9 | Starlink Group 17-53
The ultimate mission of the week is scheduled to launch from SLC-4E at Vandenberg on Sunday, August 2. Just like Starlink Group 17-52, Falcon 9 will launch on a southerly trajectory to an SSO inclined by 97 levels, with a four-hour launch window opening at 7:00 AM PDT (14:00 UTC). The car will ship 24 Starlink v2 Mini satellites for SpaceX’s web constellation.
Falcon booster B1063, flying on its thirty fourth mission, will land atop Of Course I Nonetheless Love You downrange within the Pacific Ocean. B1063 beforehand supported the Sentinel-6A, DART, Transporter 7, Iridium-9 & OneWeb #19, Tranche 0B, NROL-113, NROL-167, NROL-149, NAOS & Others, and 24 Starlink missions.
The mission would be the 673rd Falcon 9 mission and the rocket’s ninetieth launch of 2026. Moreover, this mission will mark the 182nd orbital launch try worldwide in 2026.
(Lead picture: Falcon 9 launch and touchdown in Florida. Credit score: Julia Bergeron for NSF)
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