SpaceX Triple Launch Surge
SpaceX successfully completes three orbital launches within thirteen hours across multiple active vehicle fleets.
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Key Points
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The Crew-13 mission carried NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov to the International Space Station.
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Transporter-18 included a prototype satellite for Google’s Project Suncatcher AI constellation.
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NROL-97 was the first National Reconnaissance Office deployment assigned to a Falcon Heavy; SpaceX ended its launch livestream shortly after liftoff at the agency’s request.
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The three-launch run matched a previous SpaceX milestone: in March 2025, the company launched three missions within 12.5 hours.
SpaceX launched three separate orbital missions in less than 13 hours, showcasing the company's rapid-fire launch capability. The three-flight blitz included a Falcon 9 crew mission to the International Space Station, the Transporter-18 rideshare carrying roughly 130 payloads, and a midnight Falcon Heavy launch for the classified NRO-97 national security mission Interesting Engineering.
The launches marked the second time SpaceX has executed three orbital flights within 13 hours. Among the payloads were satellites from Indian space startups, including a thermal-imaging system developed by SatLeo Labs and integrated into Dhruva Space's LEAP-2 mission Times of India.
Crew-13 Carries Four Astronauts to Space Station
The first launch delivered NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov aboard a Falcon 9 rocket bound for the International Space Station. The crew mission kicked off SpaceX's marathon launch day Interesting Engineering.
Transporter-18 Deploys 130 Payloads and Indian Tech
SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare mission lifted off carrying approximately 130 small satellites and technology demonstrations, including hardware from multiple Indian space startups. The mission delivered a prototype satellite for Google's Project Suncatcher AI constellation and a thermal-imaging payload from SatLeo Labs Times of India.
Indian companies Dhruva Space and TakeMe2Space reached orbit aboard the Falcon 9 as part of the rideshare. The launch lifted off at 12:02 a.m. GMT on October 2 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California The Hindu.
Falcon Heavy Deploys First NRO National Security Payload
The third launch sent a Falcon Heavy rocket skyward with the classified NROL-97 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. This marked the first time a Falcon Heavy carried an NRO payload Interesting Engineering. SpaceX ended its launch livestream shortly after liftoff at the agency's request, keeping mission details secret.
SpaceX Repeats Its Own Three-Launch Record
The 13-hour launch surge matched a previous SpaceX achievement from March 2025, when the company launched three orbital missions within 12.5 hours. All three of SpaceX's active rocket models—Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship—flew within days of each other. Reports indicated Starship reached orbit for the first time during the recent test flight Interesting Engineering.
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