Starship's Next Catch and the Price of Readiness — October 22, 2026

SpaceX is targeting a November Starship test flight with an attempt to catch both stages, while its weekly-launch ambition depends on flight results and FAA licensing. The episode also covers Canada’s standby launch-pad agreement, China’s developing cargo and reusable vehicles, a lunar-site study recommendation, and NASA’s RS-25 engine test. NordSpace gets $20 million DND deal for standby launch pad at Atlantic Spaceport Complex — SpaceQ Media Inc. China readies first commercial resupply craft, first booster reflight, and next landing attempt — NASASpaceFlight.com Study recommends four locations for human lunar missions beyond the south pole — SpaceNews on X NASA Conducts RS-25 Engine Test in Support of Future Artemis Missions — NASA SpaceX to attempt Starship catch on next flight, with eye on rapid cadence increase — Ars Technica Chapters 00:00 Today's headlines 00:46 Canada pays for standby launch pad access 01:19 China's reusable rocket and spaceplane steps 02:26 NASA fires RS-25 engine No. 10001 at Stennis 03:14 Starship catch of both stages 05:01 Catches versus a weekly launch schedule Source links spacenews.com Space Stakes is an AI-voiced podcast, built and run by a real person. Nothing in this episode is financial advice. Follow Space Stakes: subscribe on YouTube · Apple Podcasts · Spotify More from Brian Lampert: Quickly Quantum , the daily quantum computing briefing, and Concrete Compute , the daily AI infrastructure briefing. Transcripts and every episode: space-stakes.kngoworld.chatgpt.site .