🚀 Fire Arrow Global Spaceport & Launch Brief - 31 October 2025 to 19 November 2025

Tracking global launch and spaceport developments - concise, verified and forward looking.

🛰️ Launch Highlights

• 31 Oct      - Long March 2F | Shenzhou 21 - Jiuquan, China - success. Three      taikonauts launched at 15:44:46 UTC and docked with Tiangong about 3.5      hours later - a national record for fastest crewed rendezvous. The crew undocked and landed on 14 Nov. 

• 04 Nov      - Ariane 6 | Copernicus Sentinel-1D - Kourou, French Guiana - success.     Lift-off at 22:02 CET placed the C-band radar satellite into SSO, marking      Ariane 6’s third commercial flight.

• 05 Nov      - Falcon 9 | Starlink 6-81 - Cape Canaveral, USA - success. 29 V2      Mini satellites deployed after a night launch from SLC-40.

• 06 Nov      - Falcon 9 | Starlink 11-14 - Vandenberg, USA - success.     Further constellation build from the US west coast with evening lift-off  to SSO. 

• 10 Nov      - Falcon 9 | Starlink 6-87 - Cape Canaveral, USA - success.     Late-night launch continued Florida’s high cadence. 

• 13 Nov      - New Glenn | NASA ESCAPADE - Cape Canaveral, USA - success. Blue      Origin launched twin Mars probes and achieved the first landing of its      reusable first stage on the ocean barge Jacklyn - a heavy-lift milestone.     

• 17 Nov      - Falcon 9 | Sentinel-6B - Vandenberg, USA - success. Ocean      altimetry satellite for NASA and partners launched at 21:21 PT on 16 Nov      local - 05:21 UTC on 17 Nov - expanding sea-level monitoring continuity.      

Cadence note: Across this 20-day window there were multiple orbital missions across the US, Europe and China - capped by New Glenn’s debut delivery of a NASA payload and booster recovery, signalling intensifying heavy-lift competition. 

🏗️ Spaceport & Infrastructure Developments

• Europe      - OHB creates the European Spaceport Company. OHB      is consolidating launch site engineering and services - mobile and fixed pads, ground segment and mission control - to broaden European access      options and support emerging providers. 

• United      States - Financing levers for spaceports maturing.     Recent US guidance expands eligibility for tax-exempt private activity bonds to cover spaceport infrastructure - lowering capital costs for pads, processing and support facilities. Sector briefings indicate municipalities and PPPs are preparing to use this tool. 

• Japan      - HTV-X1 ground and range performance feeds forward to site operations.     Following the 26 Oct H3 F7 launch of HTV-X1, Tanegashima range operations data and cargo processing flows are being used to refine future  heavy-configuration cadence. 

• US      ranges - pad and integration capacity proved critical. A series of weather and schedule constraints around early to mid-November were mitigated by multi-pad flexibility at the Cape and growing west-coast      capacity at Vandenberg. 

💼 Industry & Policy Signals

• Operational resilience moves centre stage. New Glenn’s successful recovery,  combined with sustained Falcon 9 cadence and Ariane 6’s third commercial  mission, underlines that pad readiness, processing throughput and recovery  assets are now key differentiators - not just vehicle performance.

• European posture shifts from vehicle to access systems. OHB’s spaceport subsidiary points to a more holistic European approach - integrating ground infrastructure, maritime options and mission services to support Ariane 6 and microlaunchers. 

• US      finance policy continues to unlock projects. The ability to use tax-exempt bonds for spaceport assets is expected to accelerate state and regional programmes seeking sovereign or regional launch access. 

🌐 Fire Arrow Insight

• Cadence      remains the currency. Providers that can sustain weekly or near-weekly operations across multiple pads and coasts are setting market expectations for reliability and schedule assurance. 

• Heavy-lift  competition is real. New Glenn’s ESCAPADE delivery and booster landing adds credible choice in the heavy segment - a strategic shift for deep-space and large-mass customers. Reuters

• Access  equals ecosystems. Europe’s spaceport consolidation and US finance levers both reinforce end-to-end models - pads, integration halls,  recovery, logistics and visitor engagement - rather than stand-alone  launch pads. 

• Sovereign      access spreads. China’s fast crewed docking, Japan’s H3  cargo success and Europe’s Sentinel radar continuity highlight national  priorities to de-risk dependency and secure strategic autonomy. 

📅 Upcoming Launches - Next 2 Weeks

19 Nov

Transporter-15   - Falcon 9 Vandenberg,   USA

Rideshare  to SSO - SpaceX public schedule lists 19 Nov PT window. 

Late Nov   - early Dec

Starlink   missions - Falcon 9 Cape   Canaveral & Vandenberg, USA

Continued  constellation cadence - additional batches expected per rolling schedule. Note - Precise times remain subject to range and weather constraints. Always check L-24 notices from providers and ranges.

Method and sources
This brief prioritises primary sources and established trade coverage - agency releases, operator mission pages and live coverage - to maximise confidence in dates, outcomes and infrastructure signals.

🔭 Fire Arrow Ltd
Supporting governments, investors and spaceport developers to deliver safe, licensed and commercially viable launch-capable facilities - from concept to first flight.

Period: 29 September - 23 October 2025

Tracking the pulse of global launch and spaceport development - from Scotland’s northern shores to the Pacific Rim. 🌍

🛰️ Launch Highlights

The last month saw one of the busiest windows of 2025, with nine global orbital launches across the United States, China, and New Zealand, plus another sub-orbital test of SpaceX’s Starship - a reminder that launch cadence and reliability now define the global hierarchy of providers.

Key missions:

• 3      Oct - Falcon 9 | Starlink - 28 satellites from 🇺🇸     Vandenberg SFB (SpaceX).

• 13      Oct - Falcon 9 | Amazon Project Kuiper KF-03 - 24 broadband satellites      from 🇺🇸 Cape Canaveral SFS; Amazon’s      second test mission.

• 14      Oct - Electron | Synspective “Owl New World” - Japanese SAR satellite      from 🇳🇿 Māhia; Rocket Lab’s 52nd      Electron launch.

• 15      Oct - Falcon 9 | Starlink - 28 LEO sats from 🇺🇸     Cape Canaveral SFS.

• 16      Oct - Long March 8A | SatNet Group 12 - 9 broadband satellites from 🇨🇳     Wenchang; marks CASC’s 600th Long March mission.

• 18-19      Oct - Falcon 9 | Starlink - 28 sats from 🇺🇸     Vandenberg SFB.

• 22      Oct - Falcon 9 | Starlink 11-5 - 28 sats from 🇺🇸     Vandenberg; SpaceX’s 550th Falcon 9 flight.

• 13      Oct - Starship IFT-11 | Sub-Orbital Test - from 🇺🇸     Starbase, Texas; booster splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, ship re-entry      in the Indian Ocean.

Cadence insight: Between 29 Sept - 23 Oct, an orbital launch occurred roughly every 2½ days, demonstrating sustained global demand for LEO access and satellite constellations.

🏗️ Spaceport & Infrastructure Developments

🔹 United States

• Cape      Canaveral & Kennedy Space Center:
      Aerial imagery (NASA Spaceflight, Sept 25) confirmed rapid expansion      across the Cape - Blue Origin’s New Glenn complex approaching pad      readiness, SpaceX enlarging payload processing bays, and new test      infrastructure from Relativity & Stoke Space.

• Blue      Origin Payload Processing Facility:
      $78 M US Space Force contract for a new integration centre; IOC 2028.

• Houston      Spaceport (Texas):
  Intuitive Machines expanded its presence by 116 000 sq ft for lunar      hardware and spacecraft manufacturing, reinforcing Houston’s position as      an integrated aerospace hub.

• Midland      TX:
      Received $5 M grant to construct a vertical launch pad near Balmorhea -      the first inland vertical facility in Texas.

🔹 Canada - Atlantic Spaceport Complex - Construction at Newfoundland & Labrador progressed through October; dual-pad design to support sub-orbital and orbital flights by late 2025.

🔹 India - ISRO Kulasekarapattinam (Tamil Nadu) - ISRO’s second spaceport remains on schedule for Q4 2026; earthworks > 60 % complete and EIA approvals secured.

🔹 China - Wenchang Spaceport (Hainan) - LC-1 supported the Long March 8A launch (16 Oct). The upgraded Aerospace Science & Education Centre reopened early Oct, linking public engagement and STEM tourism.

🔹 Europe

• Kourou      (French Guiana): Ariane 6 on track for 4 Nov launch of Sentinel-1D.

• Esrange      (Sweden): EU funding approved for polar-orbit pad expansion and      re-entry corridor development in support of ESA missions.

💼 Policy & Investment Signals

• US      Executive Order (1 Oct 2025): Mandates streamlined licensing and      faster environmental review for spaceports and launch sites.

• SPACEPORT      Act 2025: Raises FAA grant match to 75 % for commercial spaceport      projects.

• Tax-Exempt      Bond Eligibility: IRS now classifies spaceport infrastructure as      "qualified facilities," unlocking new municipal finance routes.

• US      Space Force NSSL Phase II: $1.14 B awarded (5 SpaceX / 2 ULA missions,      2027-2032).

• ESA      & ArianeGroup: new industrial frameworks to stabilise Ariane 6      supply chain and achieve 8-10 annual flights by 2027.

• Blue      Origin: confirmed plans for weekly sub-orbital launch cadence and      evaluation of additional US launch sites.

🌐 Fire Arrow Insight

The period underscores a structural shift from launch as a headline to launch as an economic system.

1. Cadence, capability and credibility are emerging as the core metrics of success.

2. Infrastructure Delivery - Visible progress at spaceports in the US, India and Canada signals an infrastructure race to match launch demand.

3. Policy Enablement - Governments are moving from regulation to enablement through financial and legislative reform.

4. Integrated Ecosystems - Facilities like Houston and Wenchang illustrate the shift from pads to aerospace campuses linking manufacturing, education and tourism.

5. Global Competition - Asia’s sovereign launch ambitions and Europe’s industrial re-equilibrium define the strategic contours of the 2020s.

6. Spaceports are no longer stand-alone projects - they are national economic platforms anchoring jobs, skills and technological sovereignty.

This week, Operations Director Stuart Fyvie was honoured to provide evidence to the UK House of Lords committee on Engagement with Space, sharing insights from his hands-on experience in UK and international spaceport development. The session explored why sovereign, sustainable launch is a strategic necessity, supporting national security, regional economies, skills development, and the UK’s global influence. At Fire Arrow, we believe now is the time to act decisively to secure the UK’s place in the future of space.

Fire Arrow was honoured to take part in the New Space Economy Congress in Barcelona, where our Technical Director, Stuart Fyvie, represented Scotland’s growing space sector. The event brought together international stakeholders to explore the full scope of the space economy, from advanced technology to social impact. As part of a regional showcase, Fire Arrow shared its experience supporting emerging space nations, highlighting new opportunities for collaboration and growth across Europe’s evolving launch landscape.

Fire Arrow’s Technical Director, Stuart Fyvie, and Commercial Director, Daniel Smith, recently represented the company at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC2024) in Milan. The event offered a valuable platform to strengthen global partnerships and explore new opportunities in spaceport development, infrastructure design, and feasibility planning. With exciting projects on the horizon, Fire Arrow continues to support the international spaceflight sector, taking ideas to orbit with confidence and capability.

We’re proud to congratulate our Commercial Director, Daniel Smith, on his appointment as Scotland’s first International Trade Envoy for Space. In this pioneering role, Daniel will champion new global business and investment opportunities to support the continued growth of Scotland’s commercial space sector. This recognition reflects not only Daniel’s deep expertise, but also his strong international network and commitment to advancing the industry on a global stage.

Fire Arrow had a productive and inspiring presence at Space-Comm Glasgow, where we deepened global connections and advanced our mission to take ideas to orbit. Our Managing Director, Dr Mick O'Connor, chaired a panel on launch capabilities, while Technical Director Stuart Fyvie joined a lively discussion on sustainable launch at AstroAgency’s SpaceBar. A key highlight was the signing of an Expression of Interest with Malaysia’s Gading Group Berhad, marking a major step in expanding spaceport development in Asia. As ever, we’re proud to be driving forward the future of global space infrastructure.

Fire Arrow played a key role in Scotland’s first flagship space trade mission to Malaysia, a landmark event focused on fostering international collaboration in the space sector. The two-day conference brought together government agencies, universities, and industry leaders from both nations to explore joint opportunities in launch services, satellite technology, and academic research. With nine commercial projects identified, the event marked a major step forward in developing strategic partnerships and unlocking new potential through shared expertise.