The key race: Falcon flew the station cargo mission, and no next Starship flight is posted
On October 13, 2026 at 6:33 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched Dragon's 35th cargo mission, CRS-35, from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral. SpaceX said Dragon docked with the station on October 15 at 10:27 a.m. ET after about 52 hours. That Dragon was on its fourth flight, and the booster was on its eighth flight and landed at Landing Zone 40. SpaceX's launches page lists CRS-35 as ongoing, with a return in November 2026, and lists Crew-13's return in April 2027.
The same launches page lists a Falcon 9 Starlink mission from Vandenberg SLC-4E on October 12 and USSF-481, also Falcon 9 from SLC-4E, on October 15, with a droneship landing. It lists SDA's fourth Tranche 1 mission on October 10. Upcoming Falcon 9 windows on that page are Bandwagon-5 from SLC-40 on October 19, 6:30-7:30 a.m. ET, and Starlink missions from SLC-4E on October 20 and October 24. Starship Flight 14 is listed on September 28 from Starbase Pad 2 and marked expended. No Starship flight appears in the upcoming table.
Who flew and who slipped: Zhuque-2's tenth flight, and Neutron's debut moved to 2027
On October 14, 2026 at 19:40 Beijing time, a Zhuque-2E Y4 lifted off from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone. CNSA said it placed 10 satellites, Guoxing Yuhang Xingshidai-39 and Xingshidai-44 through 50 plus Guangchuan-03 and Guangchuan-04, into their planned orbits and that the flight was a complete success. CNSA called it the 10th flight of the Zhuque-2 series. It was another orbital flight of that expendable methalox vehicle.
The same day, Rocket Lab said Neutron's inaugural launch is now expected in 2027. The October 14 press release calls that an adjusted schedule and does not name a month. It points to an investor presentation for further detail. A 2027 debut means Neutron does not add a medium-lift flight in the fourth quarter of 2026.
What decides the next Starship step: scoping for a higher rate, with the current license unchanged
On October 14, 2026 the FAA published a notice of intent to prepare a programmatic environmental impact statement for more Starship-Super Heavy operations at Starbase. The notice says the current authorization is up to 25 launches and 50 landings a year at Boca Chica, 25 for Starship and 25 for Super Heavy. The study ceiling is up to 456 launches and 912 landings a year. Phase 1 in the notice is up to 100 launches and 200 landings, on any day. Phase 2 is the 456-launch case, on weekdays, described as a mature program within several years. Comments are due November 30, 2026. A draft statement comes later.
The notice's no-action case would leave the license as it is. Scoping does not itself raise the authorized rate, and the launches page does not pair this notice with a Flight 15 date. The demonstrated Starship orbital flight on that page remains Flight 14 on September 28, marked expended.
What to watch through the next quarter
Watch whether the posted Falcon 9 windows of October 19, 20, and 24 fly, and whether a Starship mission is added to the upcoming list. Watch the FAA docket FAA-2026-12808 through November 30, 2026. Until a later license action, the notice leaves Starbase at 25 launches and 50 landings a year. Watch whether Rocket Lab names a month for the 2027 Neutron debut. Watch whether the next Zhuque-2 series flight follows the October 14 success. CRS-35 is listed to come home in November 2026.
