SpaceNexus Daily · Friday, October 23, 2026
Ars Technica reports 22 Starship launches estimated per Moon landing
Ars Technica reports the latest estimate is 22 Starship launches per Moon landing; European Spaceflight reported new ESA details on the Space Rider drop test.
AI-generated briefing, AI voice1 min 52 sDaily video from SpaceNexus records. No sponsors.
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How this briefing was checked
All 29 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. 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.
Transcript
This is SpaceNexus Daily, for Friday, October 23, 2026.
Space stocks and money
In the trading session of Thursday, October 22, the SpaceNexus Pure-Play Index of space stocks fell 3.1 percent, with 2 companies up and 33 down. The largest gain was NorthStar Earth & Space, up 11.9 percent, and the largest decline was Momentus, down 10.4 percent. Xona Space Systems raised $250 million in a Series D round, according to Payload Space.
The SpaceNexus Pure-Play Index is an equal-weighted summary of daily price moves that we compute for information. It is not an investable product, no fund tracks it, and it is not investment advice. Full disclaimer
Sources: SpaceNexus Pure-Play Index (Yahoo Finance daily close); SpaceNexus Pure-Play Index (Yahoo Finance daily close); SpaceNexus Pure-Play Index (Yahoo Finance daily close); Payload Space
Starship launches per Moon landing
Ars Technica reports that the latest estimate of Starship launches needed to support a single Moon landing is 22. According to Ars Technica, the number is driven by the many propellant transfers the lander requires.
Sources: SpaceNexus
Space Rider drop test details
European Spaceflight reported that the European Space Agency has provided new details about the failed Space Rider drop test. According to European Spaceflight, ESA confirmed that the vehicle's parafoil detached during deployment, and the full-scale test model returned to the ground more rapidly than planned.
Sources: European Spaceflight
Iceye and Nokia for Ukraine
Via Satellite reported that Iceye and Nokia are looking to develop a satcom capability for Ukraine, under a new letter of intent with the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
Sources: Via Satellite
Launches ahead
Rocket Lab's Electron is scheduled to launch the 3x HawkEye 360 mission from New Zealand no earlier than 07:00 UTC on October 23. SpaceX's Falcon 9 is scheduled to launch Starlink Group 15-15 from Vandenberg no earlier than 21:30 UTC. Long March 6A and 4B are also scheduled on October 23, and Long March 8A on October 25.
Sources: Launch Library 2; Launch Library 2; Launch Library 2; Launch Library 2; Launch Library 2
Jobs board
The SpaceNexus jobs board lists 10,208 job postings, about 9,000 distinct roles, and 649 of the postings went up in the last 7 days.
Sources: SpaceNexus jobs board
Full details and sources are at spacenexus.us.
Sources
- SpaceNexus Pure-Play Index (SpaceNexus Pure-Play Index (Yahoo Finance daily close)) · on SpaceNexus
- NorthStar Earth & Space (NSTR) (SpaceNexus Pure-Play Index (Yahoo Finance daily close)) · on SpaceNexus
- Momentus (MNTS) (SpaceNexus Pure-Play Index (Yahoo Finance daily close)) · on SpaceNexus
- Xona Space Systems funding (Payload Space) · on SpaceNexus
- Twenty-Two Starship Launches for One Moon Landing: The Refueling Number NASA Guards and What It Means for Artemis Architecture (SpaceNexus)
- ESA Provides New Details on Failed Space Rider Drop Test (European Spaceflight)
- Iceye and Nokia Look to Develop Satcom Capability for Ukraine (Via Satellite)
- Electron | We're Not Hawking Around (3x HawkEye 360) (Launch Library 2) · on SpaceNexus
- Long March 6A (Launch Library 2) · on SpaceNexus
- Long March 4B (Launch Library 2) · on SpaceNexus
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-15 (Launch Library 2) · on SpaceNexus
- Long March 8A (Launch Library 2) · on SpaceNexus
- SpaceNexus jobs board (SpaceNexus jobs board) · on SpaceNexus
Past briefings
- 2026-10-22SpaceX to attempt Starship catch on next flight, Ars Technica Space reports
- 2026-10-21Falcon 9 and Ceres-1S launches recorded as successes
- 2026-10-20MMX Mars moons mission lifts off on H3-24, recorded as a success
- 2026-10-19MMX targets October 19 launch from Tanegashima
- 2026-10-18Falcon 9 and H3-24 launches are scheduled for October 19
- 2026-10-17Tesla Roadster 'flies' on SpaceX thrusters, Space.com reports
- 2026-10-16Falcon 9 launches USSF-481; Launch Library 2 records success
- 2026-10-15Launch Library 2 records Zhuque-2E Block 2 launch as a success
- 2026-10-14Launch Library 2 records Dragon CRS-2 SpX-35 launch as a success
- 2026-10-13Dragon CRS-35 targets October 13 launch to the ISS
- 2026-10-12ESA chief outlines €10 billion crewed flight proposal, SatNews says
- 2026-10-09Crew-12 astronauts return after 237 days, Teslarati SpaceX reports
- 2026-10-07Nuri launches NeonSat-2 to 6; Launch Library 2 records success
- 2026-10-06Nuri targets October 7 launch, Falcon 9 targets October 8
- 2026-10-05SpaceX discloses Gen3 Starlink specifications, including 250 kW power payload
- 2026-09-30Crew-13 targets October 1 launch from Cape Canaveral
- 2026-09-29Starship Flight 14 reaches orbit, releases 26 Starlink V3, SpaceNexus reports
- 2026-09-28Starship reaches orbit on Flight 14, SpaceX reports