🚀 Space Pulse · 2026-09-25 22:01 UTC

SPACE PULSE

Friday, September 26, 2026 — 22:00 UTC Edition

⚡ TL;DR

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has confirmed all ground stations are ready to receive its high-volume science data stream, with full science operations on track to begin by early 2027. ^[1] A busy 24 hours mixes telescope milestones, a classified SpaceX launch imminent, fresh geomagnetic activity, and Côte d'Ivoire becoming the 75th Artemis Accords signatory. ^[2]

🚀 LAUNCHES

USSF-385 TOMORROW

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 is Go for Launch carrying classified USSF-385 payload, lifting off no earlier than 2026-09-26 at 11:56 UTC; mission is likely a batch of classified LEO satellites on the Starshield bus given stage drop zones matching prior Starlink Group 15 profiles. ^[3]

NROL-97 NEXT WEEK

• SpaceX Falcon Heavy is Go for Launch carrying NROL-97, a classified National Reconnaissance Office payload, with liftoff targeted for 2026-10-02 at 03:53 UTC. ^[4]

SDA TRANCHE 1 TRANSPORT LAYER A ON THE HORIZON

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 will carry the US Space Force Space Development Agency's Tranche 1 Transport Layer A constellation satellites, one of six PWSA Tranche 1 missions, currently scheduled for 2026-10-31. ^[5]

🔭 DISCOVERIES

HUBBLE REVEALS CHAOTIC CORE IN NGC 4698

• NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has imaged spiral galaxy NGC 4698, finding a hidden chaotic structure beneath its serene appearance; the galaxy hosts spiral arms curling through a thin disk of stars, gas, and dust similar in form to the Milky Way. ^{[6] [7]}

TODAY'S APOD: OMEGA CENTAURI

• NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for September 25, 2026, features globular star cluster Omega Centauri, one of the largest and most massive globular clusters orbiting the Milky Way. ^{[8] [9]}

NISAR CAPTURES VOLCANIC ERUPTION TIME-LAPSE

• The joint NASA-India NISAR satellite recorded a time-lapse video of lava spreading from the northern crater of Krasheninnikov volcano on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, a volcano apparently reawakened by the July 30, 2025 magnitude-8.8 offshore earthquake. ^[10]

HURRICANE POLO EXPLOSIVE INTENSIFICATION

• NASA Earth Observatory reports that Hurricane Polo underwent explosive intensification off the Pacific coast of Mexico, combining multiple atmospheric and oceanic ingredients to become one of the strongest storms the eastern Pacific basin has ever recorded.

NRAO HIGHLIGHTS RADIO ASTRONOMY RENAISSANCE

• The NSF's National Radio Astronomy Observatory has been featured in a new International Telecommunication Union article describing a new golden age of radio astronomy now underway, with NRAO leading major advances in the field.

🛰️ MISSIONS

ROMAN TELESCOPE GROUND NETWORK CONFIRMED READY

• NASA confirmed all ground stations supporting the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope are ready to receive its high-volume data once science operations begin by early 2027, a key operational readiness milestone. ^[1]

CYGNUS XL COMPLETES ISS REBOOST

• Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL spacecraft fired its thrusters today, September 25, 2026, successfully boosting the International Space Station's orbital altitude.

JAXA ASTRONAUT SUWA MAKOTO VEHICLE ASSIGNMENT ANNOUNCED

• JAXA announced the space vehicle assignment for astronaut Suwa Makoto's upcoming ISS expedition, with details released September 25, 2026.

SPACEX CREW-14 CREW NAMED FOR SPRING 2027 ISS MISSION

• NASA announced that Kayla Barron (commander) and Chris Birch (pilot) will lead the four-person Crew-14 mission to the ISS no earlier than spring 2027, joined by a JAXA astronaut, representing three space agencies.

DAVINCI PROBE SURVIVES VENUS HEAT TEST

• NASA's DAVINCI descent probe engineering model passed a thermal survival test running August 28 through September 10, 2026, demonstrating it can endure the extreme temperatures of Venus's atmosphere during its future descent mission.

BEPICOLOMBO MERCURY ARRIVAL PUBLIC CONTEST LAUNCHED

• ESA has opened a public contest inviting people to craft a welcoming message — drawing, song, poem, or other art form — for BepiColombo's arrival at Mercury, with a winner receiving a trip to ESA mission control for the event.

ARTEMIS ACCORDS REACH 75 SIGNATORIES

• Côte d'Ivoire signed the Artemis Accords on September 24, 2026, during a ceremony in Abidjan, becoming the 75th nation to commit to peaceful and transparent space exploration principles. ^[2]

ESA SELECTS THREE EARTH EXPLORER MISSION CANDIDATES TO ADVANCE

• ESA has moved three Earth Explorer mission candidates forward in its selection process, continuing the agency's program of dedicated Earth science research satellites.

NASA SPLICE LANDING SYSTEM TESTED AT ARMSTRONG

• NASA's Safe and Precise Landing Integrated Capabilities Evolution system, known as SPLICE, was flown on an Alta-X drone near Armstrong Flight Research Center on August 27, 2026, as part of preparations for precision lunar and planetary landings.

CREW-13 HEALTH STUDIES UNDERWAY ON ISS

• During the ongoing SpaceX Crew-13 mission, ISS astronauts are supporting biomedical investigations including a new study on how spaceflight affects blood flow and clotting, and tests of manual dexterity performance.

JAXA MMX LAUNCH ON H3 F10 SCHEDULE STANDS

• JAXA's Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft remains scheduled for launch aboard H3 Flight No. 10, per the agency's August 20, 2026 announcement, targeting a journey to Phobos and Deimos.

DEEP SPACE FOOD CHALLENGE WINNERS ANNOUNCED

• NASA awarded the top $300,000 prize in its Deep Space Food Challenge Mars to Table competition to Chinyere Ukeje of Philadelphia for the Adaptive Nourishment Infrastructure food system concept designed for deep space missions.

☀️ SPACE WEATHER

G1 GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING ACTIVE TODAY

• NOAA SWPC issued a G1-Minor geomagnetic storm warning on September 25 at 08:35 UTC, with K-index of 5 expected from 08:35 UTC through 12:00 UTC, with onset conditions confirmed.

K4 ACTIVITY PRECEDED THE G1 WARNING

• A geomagnetic K-index of 4 alert was issued at 03:00 UTC on September 25 after the threshold was reached at 02:57 UTC, with a separate K4 warning valid through 18:00 UTC also in effect earlier in the day.

CURRENT CONDITIONS: MILD BUT WATCH FOR AURORA

• The combined K4 and K5 activity on September 25 means high-latitude observers at geomagnetic latitudes above roughly 50 degrees North or South may see aurora; no significant impact on spacecraft or power grids is expected at G1 scale.

📎 Sources

1. NASA’s Roman Team Confirms Ground Stations Receiving Data — NASA Science
2. NASA Welcomes Côte d’Ivoire as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory — NASA Science
3. Falcon 9 Block 5 | USSF-385 — Launch Library 2
4. Falcon Heavy | NROL-97 — Launch Library 2
5. Falcon 9 Block 5 | SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer A — Launch Library 2
6. Hubble Spots Chaotic Secret in Galaxy — NASA News Releases
7. Hubble Spots Chaotic Secret in Galaxy — NASA Science
8. APOD: 2026 September 25 – Globular Star Cluster Omega Centauri — NASA News Releases
9. APOD: 2026 September 25 – Globular Star Cluster Omega Centauri — NASA Science
10. US-India Satellite Captures Time-lapse Video of Volcanic Eruption — NASA News Releases

Curated from official sources — NASA/ESA/JAXA/ESO/NOAA/arXiv/Launch Library. Informational only.
Serial 20260925-22-v91 · 2026-09-25 22:01 UTC · pulse.uzylab.com