# The Moon Plan Resets, AI Pays for Rockets, and a New Way to Stop Hepatitis B Edition 0 · Weekend Report · Sunday, October 25, 2026, 12:45 PM ET · Singularity Nightly Covers Saturday, October 17, 2026, 12:00 AM ET to Saturday, October 24, 2026, 12:00 PM ET Edited by Dennis W. Davis. AI-assisted; see How We Make This: https://singularitynightly.com/how-we-make-this/ > Our first edition: the week of Oct. 17 to 24 in AI, space, medicine, defense, policy and tokenized money, with what each story means for you. Welcome to Singularity Nightly. When I was a boy, I dreamed of one day having a robot for a friend. Today the AI I work with every day knows me better than most people do, and the same kind of AI is learning to walk, carry and cook in robot bodies. That boyhood dream is coming true, and it is only one of them. Medicines are curing diseases that used to be life sentences. Trips to space are getting cheaper. The world of The Jetsons is being built right now, one breakthrough at a time. You may be wondering about our name. Think of a snowball rolling down a hill. The more snow it picks up, the bigger it gets, and the bigger it gets, the faster it picks up more. Technology now works the same way. Smart computers help scientists make discoveries, and those discoveries help build even smarter computers. Scientists and science fiction writers gave a name to the moment that snowball rolls so fast that life changes faster than anyone can predict: the singularity. Many people who study it believe we are now in its early days. So do we. That is the Singularity in our name. The Nightly part is simple: we bring it to you every weeknight. The trouble is that it is all happening so fast that most people cannot keep up. That is why this publication exists. Every weeknight at 8:00 PM ET, we close out the day: what happened, linked to where it came from, and what it could mean for you, in plain English. And we look at all of it with wonder, because there is so much to be amazed by. To begin, here is the whole past week in one place. *Dennis W. Davis, Editor-in-Chief* ## In 60 Seconds - NASA moved the next crewed Moon landing to 2028 and will first test its two landers close to Earth in 2027. - A new kind of drug lets some people with hepatitis B stop daily treatment, and a personalized cancer vaccine passed a major trial. - AI programs anyone can download are now nearly as capable as the best paid ones, which helps keep AI cheap. - Humanoid robots are moving from demos toward real factory jobs, with Tesla and Agility Robotics both reporting progress. ## Lead Signal **NASA resets the Moon plan: a 2027 test in Earth orbit, a crewed landing in 2028** ![The SLS rocket lifting off from its launch pad with clouds of exhaust](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/artemis-ii-launch-1920.jpg) *Artemis II lifts off from Kennedy Space Center, April 1, 2026. Credit: NASA/Brandon Hancock* On Oct. 23, NASA [changed what Artemis III will be](https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/nasa-partners-accelerate-lander-development-for-2028-moon-missions/). Instead of landing astronauts on the Moon, the mission becomes a 2027 test in low Earth orbit in which the Orion crew capsule meets and docks with test versions of both commercial landers: SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon. The first crewed landing of the program is now targeted for 2028. The change puts the two landers in a direct race. NASA says it will pick which one lands first based on which is ready, and the winner is in line to carry the first Americans to the lunar surface since 1972. SpaceX is already working toward that: it targets Starship Flight 15 for no earlier than Nov. 8, with plans to try catching both the booster and the ship, [according to NASASpaceflight](https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/10/spacex-flight-15-16-milestones/). Those are company targets, and Starship dates often move. The week also showed how much money now flows behind the rockets. SpaceX's [first quarterly report](https://s21.q4cdn.com/184289198/files/content_files/SpaceX-Reports-Third-Quarter-2026-Results.pdf) as a public company listed $14.6 billion in revenue for July to September, up 161%, with $7.6 billion of it from its AI business. > **Why it matters:** NASA is choosing to test the hardest part of a Moon landing, two spacecraft meeting and docking, close to home first, where problems are easier to fix. For you, that means the next Moon landing is a little further off than the old plan said, but more likely to work when it happens. It also means private companies, not just NASA, are now building the vehicles that take people to the Moon, and the race between them is what could one day make a trip to space something ordinary people can buy a ticket for. More than half a century after the last Moon landing, people are going back. ## The Ticker - [LAUNCH] Seven orbital launches this week, all successful, from the U.S., China, Japan and New Zealand. [source](https://ll.thespacedevs.com/2.3.0/launches/previous/?net__gte=2026-10-17&net__lte=2026-10-24&limit=50) - Why it matters: rockets now fly almost daily somewhere on Earth, which is what keeps satellite internet, GPS and weather data running. - [LAUNCH] Japan's H3 rocket sent the MMX probe toward Mars on Oct. 19; it plans to land on the moon Phobos no earlier than December 2028 and bring samples home in 2031. [source](https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/jaxas-mmx-enroute-to-mars-to-return-samples-of-phobos/) - Why it matters: a piece of a Martian moon could reach scientists on Earth within five years. - [ORBIT] A Falcon 9 rideshare flight on Oct. 20 carried 32 payloads, including two capsules designed to make products in orbit and bring them back. [source](https://spaceflightnow.com/2026/10/18/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-starfall-reentry-capsule-31-customer-payloads-on-bandwagon-5-rideshare-mission/) - Why it matters: factories in space could one day make certain medicines and materials that are hard to make under gravity. - [ORBIT] Falcon 9 lifted 27 Starlink internet satellites from California on Oct. 23 after three scrubs; its booster flew for the 36th time. [source](https://spaceflightnow.com/2026/10/20/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-27-starlink-satellites-on-falcon-9-rocket-from-vandenberg-sfb-5/) - Why it matters: a rocket that flies 36 times works more like an airplane than a firework, which is the main reason launches have gotten cheaper. - [ORBIT] Perseverance passed 45 km driven on Mars, a record for any vehicle on another world. [source](https://science.nasa.gov/blog/tracks-along-the-longest-drive-on-another-world/) - Why it matters: that is about 28 miles, crossed by remote control from roughly 140 million miles away. - [ORBIT] NASA ended the Swift space telescope's mission after 22 years of watching cosmic explosions. [source](https://science.nasa.gov/missions/swift/nasas-swift-mission-ends/) - Why it matters: older science satellites are being retired as new ones take over. - [AI] Moonshot AI's Kimi K3.1 Pro scored 55 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, fourth best overall; its makers say open weights ship by Nov. 4. [source](https://artificialanalysis.ai/articles/kimi-k3-1-pro-launch-benchmarks) - Why it matters: when a model anyone can download comes close to the best paid ones, AI tools get cheaper for everyone. - [AI] OpenAI's newest models went into preview on Google Cloud, so businesses there can now pick OpenAI, Anthropic or Google models in one place. [source](https://openai.com/index/openai-models-google-cloud/) - Why it matters: more competition between AI providers usually means lower prices in the apps you use. - [AI] OpenAI described a two-month effort to fix two critical security flaws in PHP, software that runs a large share of websites; an AI model helped find one of them. [source](https://openai.com/index/coordinated-disclosure-of-critical-vulnerabilities/) - Why it matters: AI is now finding serious security holes; this time defenders found them first, and patches are out. - [AI] Anthropic opened a research preview of Claude Duet, an assistant that works on tasks on its own in a browser. [source](https://claude.com/resources/articles/claude-duet) - Why it matters: AI is moving from answering questions to doing errands and chores on a computer for you. - [AI] DeepSeek released V4.1 Flash as open weights on Oct. 17 and opened web search tools for developers. [source](https://api-docs.deepseek.com/news/news261017) - Why it matters: Chinese labs keep releasing free models that compete with U.S. ones, which pressures prices worldwide. - [AI] Inception launched Mercury 3, a model that writes text in a different way than most chatbots and claims more than 1,000 words of output per second. [source](https://www.inceptionlabs.ai/blog/introducing-mercury-3) - Why it matters: faster AI means answers that feel instant, at lower cost. - [MED] FDA approved Hibsago, the first drug of its kind for chronic hepatitis B; in trials, 19% of patients kept the virus in check 24 weeks after stopping all treatment. [source](https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-its-kind-chronic-hepatitis-b-treatment) - Why it matters: most people with hepatitis B take pills for life; this offers some a chance to stop. - [MED] FDA granted accelerated approval to the immunotherapy Jemperli for a genetic subtype of rectal cancer; 68% of patients had no visible cancer after 12 months. [source](https://www.drugs.com/newdrugs/jemperli-dostarlimab-gxly-approved-us-first-only-immunotherapy-adults-msi-h-dmmr-locally-advanced-6918.html) - Why it matters: for these patients, a drug may replace surgery that can change daily life permanently. - [MED] Merck and Moderna reported that their personalized melanoma vaccine, given with immunotherapy, lowered the risk of the cancer returning, or death, by 42% in a Phase 3 trial. [source](https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/merck-co-and-moderna-post-phase-3-cancer-vaccine-data) - Why it matters: a vaccine built from a patient's own tumor is closer to becoming a standard cancer treatment. - [MED] FDA launched a neuroscience program whose first project aims to speed up treatments that prevent Alzheimer's. [source](https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-launches-new-program-advance-neuroscience-medical-product-development) - Why it matters: the focus is shifting from treating memory loss to stopping it before it starts. - [AIR] BETA Technologies received the first FAA certificate letting an electric air taxi fly demonstration trips for prospective customers; its first trip crossed Lake Champlain in 20 minutes. [source](https://www.suasnews.com/2026/10/beta-becomes-first-company-to-secure-landmark-faa-authorization-to-conduct-flight-operations-with-prospective-customers-in-electric-vtol-aircraft/) - Why it matters: it is a step toward air taxis, not a service you can book yet. - [AIR] Archer mapped planned air taxi routes linking Dallas and Fort Worth, Houston and Austin. [source](https://evtolinsights.com/archer-unveils-planned-electric-air-taxi-networks-for-texas-triangle/) - Why it matters: these are plans; they show where flights could start once the FAA signs off. - [DEF] The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin agreed on a 10-year framework to build 850 F-35 fighters for the U.S.; Congress still has to approve it. [source](https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2026-10-22-New-Framework-Agreement-for-Multiyear-F-35-Production-and-Sustainment) - Why it matters: long contracts usually lower the price per jet, which is taxpayer money. - [DEF] The Pentagon's drone competition ended with orders for 60,000 small attack drones from nine companies, according to Defence Blog. [source](https://defence-blog.com/u-s-orders-60000-attack-drones-from-nine-companies/) - Why it matters: militaries are shifting from a few expensive weapons to many cheap ones. - [POLICY] Homeland Security ordered DeepSeek's AI products removed from federal civilian agencies' systems. [source](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/20/2026-21447/notice-of-order-regarding-exclusion-and-removal-of-deepseek-products-from-federal-civilian-executive) - Why it matters: the government is treating some foreign AI apps as security risks; the order covers federal systems, not your phone. - [POLICY] Treasury proposed rules barring U.S. investment in advanced chips, quantum computing and certain AI in China and other countries of concern; comments are due Dec. 7. [source](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/26/2026-21786/outbound-investment-security-program-regulations) - Why it matters: it limits where American money can help build advanced technology abroad. - [TOKEN] The U.S. bank regulator OCC finalized its rule for stablecoins under the GENIUS Act; it takes effect Jan. 18, 2027. [source](https://occ.gov/news-issuances/news-releases/2026/nr-occ-2026-92.html) Not investment advice. - Why it matters: digital dollars issued by banks now have a clear federal rulebook, which is meant to make them safer to hold. - [TOKEN] Tokenized real-world assets, such as government bonds recorded on blockchains, reached $39.02 billion, not counting stablecoins. [source](https://app.rwa.xyz/) Not investment advice. - Why it matters: traditional investments are slowly moving onto blockchain systems that settle around the clock. - [WILD] Tesla said its first production-quality Optimus humanoid robots are coming off its Fremont, California lines; it gave no production rate. [source](https://teslanorth.com/2026/10/21/tesla-optimus-production-quality-fremont/) - Why it matters: humanoid robots are moving from demos toward real factory work, though no one can buy one from Tesla yet. - [WILD] Agility Robotics said it has more than $300 million in multi-year orders for its Digit humanoid and is expanding its Pittsburgh site. [source](https://www.agilityrobotics.com/content/agility-robotics-expands-pittsburgh-presence-to-support-growing-customer-deployments) - Why it matters: companies are paying real money for robots that move boxes and parts in warehouses. - [WILD] Commonwealth Fusion Systems signed an $85 million letter of intent with the Commerce Department for fusion-related chip research. [source](https://cfs.energy/news-and-media/commonwealth-fusion-systems-signs-85-million-letter-of-intent-with-the-u.s.-department-of-commerce) - Why it matters: fusion, the power source of the Sun, is still years from your power bill, but government money is backing the work. - [WILD] The Nuclear Regulatory Commission finalized a rule letting test data from government reactor demonstrations support commercial license applications. [source](https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/news-releases/2026/26-081) - Why it matters: it could shorten the path for new small nuclear plants, which AI data centers want for power. ## Watch [Video: All-In with IBM's Arvind Krishna and Palo Alto Networks' Nikesh Arora on when quantum computers could break today's encryption.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzk44lz-RGI) [Video: Figma CEO Dylan Field on All-In: why taste and design matter more as AI makes code cheap.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zj6uMv3kTA) [Video: Matthew Berman tries Kimi K3.1 Pro, the week's strongest new model, live.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fZ1rFcm1nA) ## The Desks ### AI Models **A free-to-download model closes in on the leaders** ![Illustration: a glowing open doorway in a dark server hall, with people of different ages walking toward it](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/open-model-doorway-1376.jpg) *Open models: anyone can download one and run it. Credit: Illustration: Singularity Nightly (AI-generated)* Kimi K3.1 Pro from China's Moonshot AI scored 55 on the [Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index](https://artificialanalysis.ai/articles/kimi-k3-1-pro-launch-benchmarks), an independent benchmark, placing it fourth overall and 3 points behind the top model. Its makers say the weights will be public by Nov. 4, which would make it the strongest open model. Artificial Analysis also measured its rate of made-up answers falling from 53% to 44% versus the prior version. > **Why it matters:** an "open-weights" model is one anyone can download and run on their own computers. When those nearly match the best paid models, every company building AI into its products gets a cheaper option, and those savings tend to reach you as lower prices or free features. It also means advanced AI is spreading faster than any one country or company can control. Disclosure: Singularity Nightly is drafted with help from Anthropic's Claude. We cover Anthropic like any other company. ### [LAUNCH] Launch and Orbit **SpaceX's first public report: AI now brings in more than rockets** ![A Falcon 9 booster descending on its engine flame toward the landing zone](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/falcon-9-landing-crew-13-960.jpg) *A Falcon 9 booster lands at Cape Canaveral after launching NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission, Oct. 1, 2026. Credit: NASA/John Kraus* SpaceX reported [$14.6 billion in revenue](https://s21.q4cdn.com/184289198/files/content_files/SpaceX-Reports-Third-Quarter-2026-Results.pdf) for its third quarter, up 161%, with $4.4 billion in profit, 13.6 million Starlink subscribers and 35 launches. Its AI segment alone brought in $7.6 billion. > **Why it matters:** the money from Starlink internet and AI computing pays for Starship, the giant rocket meant to carry people to the Moon and Mars. A company that earns this much can afford to keep testing, and failing, until its rockets work. ### Air Mobility **The first air taxi cleared to fly customers on demonstration trips** ![BETA Technologies' white ALIA electric aircraft parked on a flightline under clouds](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/beta-alia-eglin-2000.jpg) *BETA Technologies' ALIA at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, during Air Force testing in 2023. Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.* The FAA gave BETA Technologies' ALIA A250 [the first market-survey airworthiness certificate](https://www.suasnews.com/2026/10/beta-becomes-first-company-to-secure-landmark-faa-authorization-to-conduct-flight-operations-with-prospective-customers-in-electric-vtol-aircraft/) for an electric vertical takeoff aircraft. Its first flight under it covered 34 nautical miles from Plattsburgh, New York to Burlington, Vermont in 20 minutes. > **Why it matters:** this lets BETA show the aircraft to airlines and other buyers in real flights, a step before full certification. Paid passenger air taxi rides are still not available. When they come, a 90-minute drive could become a quiet 20-minute flight. ### Medicine **Hepatitis B patients get a chance to stop treatment** ![Illustration: a closed weekly pill organizer set aside on a kitchen table at sunrise, an older hand resting beside it, a glowing liver shape behind](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/hepatitis-b-pill-break-1376.jpg) *For some patients, the daily pills could one day stop. Credit: Illustration: Singularity Nightly (AI-generated)* The FDA approved [Hibsago (bepirovirsen)](https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-its-kind-chronic-hepatitis-b-treatment) from GSK, the first antisense medicine for chronic hepatitis B. It works by blocking the virus's genetic instructions. In trials, 19% of patients kept the virus controlled 24 weeks after stopping all treatment. > **Why it matters:** this is the kind of news we live for. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide live with hepatitis B, and most must take medicine every day for life to protect their liver. Hibsago will not work for everyone; about one patient in five responded this way. For those who do, it means freedom from a pill they were told they would need for the rest of their lives. **A personalized cancer vaccine passes a major test** ![Illustration: a glowing vial holding a fingerprint-like pattern, ringed by bright green immune cells](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/cancer-vaccine-vial-1376.jpg) *A vaccine made for one patient's own cancer. Credit: Illustration: Singularity Nightly (AI-generated)* Merck and Moderna reported Phase 3 results for their melanoma vaccine, which is designed from each patient's own tumor and given with the immunotherapy Keytruda. After two years, 82.2% of patients were free of recurrence versus 70.0% on Keytruda alone, [per Fierce Biotech](https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/merck-co-and-moderna-post-phase-3-cancer-vaccine-data). > **Why it matters:** a vaccine made from your own tumor, teaching your body to hunt your own cancer, sounded like science fiction ten years ago. Now it has passed a major trial. It uses the same mRNA technology as some COVID vaccines, but to teach the immune system to hunt one person's cancer. If regulators approve it, it would be among the first personalized cancer vaccines, and the approach could spread to other cancers. ### Defense **A decade of fighters and an order for 60,000 drones** ![An F-35A fighter jet climbing past a desert ridge](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/f-35a-nellis-2000.jpg) *A U.S. Air Force F-35A takes off at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, April 22, 2026. Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by William R. Lewis* The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin reached a [10-year framework](https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2026-10-22-New-Framework-Agreement-for-Multiyear-F-35-Production-and-Sustainment) for 850 U.S. F-35s at about 156 a year; no price was announced and Congress must approve. The same day, results of the Drone Dominance competition showed orders for 60,000 small attack drones from nine companies, [according to Defence Blog](https://defence-blog.com/u-s-orders-60000-attack-drones-from-nine-companies/). > **Why it matters:** the military is buying both ends at once: expensive stealth jets for decades ahead and huge numbers of cheap drones, the lesson of recent wars. Long contracts can lower costs for taxpayers, and drone technology built for defense often shows up later in civilian uses like delivery and inspection. ### Law and Policy **Stablecoins get their federal rulebook** ![Illustration: glowing coins flowing in orderly rows up the steps of a columned courthouse at dusk](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/stablecoin-courthouse-1376.jpg) *Digital dollars now come with federal rules. Credit: Illustration: Singularity Nightly (AI-generated)* The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency [finalized its rule](https://occ.gov/news-issuances/news-releases/2026/nr-occ-2026-92.html) for stablecoins under the GENIUS Act, effective Jan. 18, 2027. Separately, Treasury proposed [outbound investment limits](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/26/2026-21786/outbound-investment-security-program-regulations) on advanced chips, quantum computing and AI in countries of concern, with comments due Dec. 7. Congress is in recess until after the midterm elections. > **Why it matters:** rules decide how fast new technology reaches you. The stablecoin rule sets standards for digital dollars issued by banks, such as backing every coin with real reserves. The investment rule shapes which technologies American money can help build abroad. ### Tokenized Assets **$39 billion in real-world assets now live on blockchains** ![Illustration: a certificate and a small model house dissolving into glowing green blocks linked in a chain](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/real-world-assets-chain-1376.jpg) *Government bonds and other assets, recorded on blockchains. Credit: Illustration: Singularity Nightly (AI-generated)* Tokenized real-world assets reached [$39.02 billion](https://app.rwa.xyz/) excluding stablecoins, according to RWA.xyz, with [tokenized U.S. Treasuries](https://app.rwa.xyz/treasuries) at $14.64 billion across 119 products. The SEC's [exam priorities](https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026-109-sec-announces-fiscal-year-2027-examination-priorities) for next year name tokenization as an area it will watch. > **Why it matters:** "tokenizing" means recording ownership of something, like a government bond, on a blockchain so it can be traded at any hour and settled in minutes instead of days. It is still small next to traditional markets, and regulators are paying close attention. Not investment advice. ### Wildcard **Humanoid robots move toward real jobs** ![Illustration: a friendly humanoid robot carrying a crate in a warehouse while a human coworker nods](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/humanoid-robot-warehouse-1376.jpg) *Robots built in human shape, headed for warehouse and factory work. Credit: Illustration: Singularity Nightly (AI-generated)* Tesla said its first production-quality Optimus robots are coming off [high-volume lines in Fremont](https://teslanorth.com/2026/10/21/tesla-optimus-production-quality-fremont/), without a rate or ship date. Agility Robotics cited [more than $300 million in orders](https://www.agilityrobotics.com/content/agility-robotics-expands-pittsburgh-presence-to-support-growing-customer-deployments) for its Digit robot, and farm equipment maker AGCO [signed a Digit pilot](https://www.agilityrobotics.com/content/agco-and-agility-robotics-advance-smart-manufacturing-with-humanoid-robot-pilot-in-hesston-kansas-facility) at its Kansas plant starting in 2027. > **Why it matters:** humanoid robots are built in human shape so they can work in places designed for people, lifting, carrying and sorting. They will show up first in factories and warehouses, doing repetitive and tiring jobs. A robot in your home is still further away, but the robot helper so many of us dreamed about as kids is now being built on real assembly lines. ## Voices - Chamath Palihapitiya, on Moonshots with Peter Diamandis, argued that AGI may already be here and that a shortage of computing power is what limits its use. [listen](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chamath-agi-is-here-anthropics-%24100b-giveaway-elons/id1648228034?i=1000797496864) (opinion) - The All-In hosts debated whether heavy AI spending is producing real productivity gains, after Citadel's Ken Griffin warned of bubbles in AI. [watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6czo-C3FU7I) (opinion) - Moonshots' weekly roundup focused on SpaceX's AI growth, the SpaceX and Tesla merger talk, and concerns about AI agents being deceptive. [listen](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spacexs-ai-business-up-830-openai-agents-lie-and/id1648228034?i=1000797837457) (opinion) - Jordi Visser, on The Pomp Podcast, discussed tokenization reshaping investment funds and Bitcoin as a defensive asset. [listen](https://podscan.fm/podcasts/the-pomp-podcast/episodes/is-bitcoin-ready-to-rip-while-wall-street-breaks-jordi-visser) (opinion) - Moonshots with Salim Ismail, Emad Mostaque and Anousheh Ansari covered the falling cost of robot intelligence and new XPRIZE competitions. [listen](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/flying-tesla-car-robot-brains-halving-in-cost-every/id1648228034?i=1000796835453) (opinion) ## By the Numbers - 250: orbital launch attempts worldwide in 2026 through Oct. 23. [Launch Library 2](https://ll.thespacedevs.com/2.3.0/launches/previous/?net__gte=2026-10-17&net__lte=2026-10-24&limit=50) - 7 for 7: successful orbital launches this week. - 47: novel drugs approved by the FDA in 2026 as of Oct. 20. [FDA](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/novel-drug-approvals-fda/novel-drug-approvals-2026) - 58: top score on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, held by Claude Opus 5.5. [Artificial Analysis](https://artificialanalysis.ai/leaderboards/models) - $39.02 billion: tokenized real-world assets, excluding stablecoins. [RWA.xyz](https://app.rwa.xyz/) Not investment advice. - 13.6 million: Starlink subscribers. [SpaceX](https://s21.q4cdn.com/184289198/files/content_files/SpaceX-Reports-Third-Quarter-2026-Results.pdf) - 60,000: small attack drones ordered by the Pentagon. [Defence Blog](https://defence-blog.com/u-s-orders-60000-attack-drones-from-nine-companies/) ## Next Week's Watchlist - Mon Oct. 26: Treasury's outbound investment rule and the FCC's space licensing proposal publish in the Federal Register. - Mon Oct. 26 to Wed Oct. 28: von Braun Space Exploration Symposium, Huntsville, Alabama. - Tue Oct. 27, 12:45 AM ET: Falcon 9, Starlink 15-16, Vandenberg. - Thu Oct. 29 (no earlier than): ULA Vulcan carries the first 45 Amazon Leo internet satellites. - Thu Oct. 29: SK hynix and Intel quarterly results, a read on AI chip demand. - Fri Oct. 30, 1:00 PM ET (to be confirmed): India's GSLV launches the NVS-03 navigation satellite. - End of October: Mistral says weights for Mistral Large 4 will be released. - Sat Oct. 31, 9:00 AM ET: The Week No. 1, our first Saturday newsletter. - Coming up: Kimi K3.1 Pro weights by Nov. 4; Joby results Nov. 4; Starship Flight 15 no earlier than Nov. 8. --- Source: https://singularitynightly.com/editions/2026-10-25-weekend-report/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Cite: Singularity Nightly, "The Moon Plan Resets, AI Pays for Rockets, and a New Way to Stop Hepatitis B", Sunday, October 25, 2026, https://singularitynightly.com/editions/2026-10-25-weekend-report/. CC BY 4.0.