# SpaceNexus Daily, Sunday, October 18, 2026: Falcon 9 and H3-24 launches are scheduled for October 19

> Falcon 9 with Bandwagon 5 and H3-24 with the Martian Moons eXploration mission are each scheduled to launch no earlier than October 19, Launch Library 2 lists both as go for launch.

- Canonical page: https://spacenexus.us/briefing/2026-10-18
- This Markdown version: https://spacenexus.us/briefing/2026-10-18.md
- Data as of: published 2026-10-18 06:03 UTC; records from 2026-10-17 06:00 UTC to 2026-10-18 06:00 UTC
- How the numbers are made: https://spacenexus.us/methodology#ai-content

## About this edition

- AI-generated briefing, AI voice. This briefing is AI-generated: an AI model wrote the script from SpaceNexus records and the sources listed, two independent AI passes checked every claim against those records and the web, and an AI voice reads it. No sponsor, advertiser or partner has any part in it.
- How it was checked: All 31 claims in the script were checked one by one against the SpaceNexus records listed below, by two independent AI fact-checkers that did not write it, one of them also searching the web; every number, date and time was matched to the records by code. It publishes only if every claim passes.

## Transcript

This is SpaceNexus Daily, for Sunday, October 18, 2026.

### Space stocks and money

In the trading session of Friday, October 16, the SpaceNexus Pure-Play Index of space stocks fell 1.2 percent, with 10 companies up and 25 down. The largest gain was GomSpace, up 21.1 percent, and the largest decline was AST SpaceMobile, down 8.5 percent. Fortastra raised $30 million in a Series A round, according to PR Newswire. Golbriak Space raised $4.47 million in a Seed round, according to Via Satellite. Cosmochute raised $1.5 million in a Pre-seed round, according to Indian Startup News.

Sources: [SpaceNexus Pure-Play Index (Yahoo Finance daily close)](https://spacenexus.us/markets-daily); [SpaceNexus Pure-Play Index (Yahoo Finance daily close)](https://spacenexus.us/company-profiles/gomspace); [SpaceNexus Pure-Play Index (Yahoo Finance daily close)](https://spacenexus.us/company-profiles/ast-spacemobile); [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fortastra-raises-30-million-in-series-a-funding-to-scale-maneuverable-spacecraft-for-on-orbit-security-302902001.html); [Via Satellite](https://www.satellitetoday.com/finance/2026/10/08/estonian-startup-golbriak-space-raises-4m-euro-in-seed-funding/); [Indian Startup News](https://indianstartupnews.com/funding/lunar-robotics-startup-cosmochute-raises-15-million-in-funding-led-by-accel-prosus-ventures-12679533); [NorthStar Earth & Space Enterprises, Inc. (SEC Form 20-F shell company report)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2080023/000121390026107591/ea0307750-20f_northstar.htm)

### Two launches on October 19

Two launches are scheduled for October 19. SpaceX's Falcon 9 is to fly Bandwagon 5 from Cape Canaveral no earlier than 10:30 UTC. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' H3-24 is to fly the Martian Moons eXploration mission from Tanegashima no earlier than 19:41:03 UTC. Launch Library 2 lists both as go for launch.

Sources: [Launch Library 2](https://spacenexus.us/launch/cmt21aooc05z01173u9gga61m); [Launch Library 2](https://spacenexus.us/launch/cml5wsu51006sdx9fe576auk1)

### Arqiva and Gulfsat agreement

SatNews reported that on October 16, British communications infrastructure and media services provider Arqiva announced a three-year managed satellite services agreement with Kuwait-based satellite operator Gulfsat.

Sources: [SatNews](https://satnews.com/2026/10/17/arqiva-secures-three-year-satellite-services-agreement-with-kuwaits-gulfsat/)

### Conditional TSX approvals

SpaceQ reported that in the week ended October 16, Maritime Launch Services and NorthStar Earth & Space each won conditional approval to list on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Sources: [SpaceQ](https://spaceq.ca/the-weekly-close-october-16-2026/)

### European satellite trade costs

New Space Economy reported that European satellite manufacturers face trade costs through several transactions: exporting completed spacecraft, importing components, buying manufacturing equipment, and moving hardware between production and launch sites.

Sources: [New Space Economy](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2026/10/17/how-the-trade-war-changes-european-satellite-costs/)

### Jobs board count

The SpaceNexus jobs board lists 10,143 job postings, about 9,000 distinct roles, as of October 18. 820 of the postings were posted in the last 7 days.

Sources: [SpaceNexus jobs board](https://spacenexus.us/jobs)

Full details and sources are at spacenexus.us.


## Sources

- [SpaceNexus Pure-Play Index (SpaceNexus Pure-Play Index (Yahoo Finance daily close))](https://spacenexus.us/markets-daily)
- [GomSpace (GOMX.ST) (SpaceNexus Pure-Play Index (Yahoo Finance daily close))](https://spacenexus.us/company-profiles/gomspace)
- [AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) (SpaceNexus Pure-Play Index (Yahoo Finance daily close))](https://spacenexus.us/company-profiles/ast-spacemobile)
- [Fortastra funding (PR Newswire)](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fortastra-raises-30-million-in-series-a-funding-to-scale-maneuverable-spacecraft-for-on-orbit-security-302902001.html)
- [Golbriak Space funding (Via Satellite)](https://www.satellitetoday.com/finance/2026/10/08/estonian-startup-golbriak-space-raises-4m-euro-in-seed-funding/)
- [Cosmochute funding (Indian Startup News)](https://indianstartupnews.com/funding/lunar-robotics-startup-cosmochute-raises-15-million-in-funding-led-by-accel-prosus-ventures-12679533)
- [NorthStar Earth & Space funding (NorthStar Earth & Space Enterprises, Inc. (SEC Form 20-F shell company report))](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2080023/000121390026107591/ea0307750-20f_northstar.htm)
- [Falcon 9 Block 5 | Bandwagon 5 (Dedicated Mid-Inclination Rideshare) (Launch Library 2)](https://spacenexus.us/launch/cmt21aooc05z01173u9gga61m)
- [H3-24 | Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) (Launch Library 2)](https://spacenexus.us/launch/cml5wsu51006sdx9fe576auk1)
- [Arqiva Secures Three-Year Satellite Services Agreement with Kuwait’s Gulfsat (SatNews)](https://satnews.com/2026/10/17/arqiva-secures-three-year-satellite-services-agreement-with-kuwaits-gulfsat/)
- [Two space companies receive conditional TSX approval (SpaceQ)](https://spaceq.ca/the-weekly-close-october-16-2026/)
- [How the Trade War Changes European Satellite Costs (New Space Economy)](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2026/10/17/how-the-trade-war-changes-european-satellite-costs/)
- [SpaceNexus jobs board (SpaceNexus jobs board)](https://spacenexus.us/jobs)

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