SPACEX LAUNCHES FIRST STARLINK DEPLOYMENT MISSION SINCE PROBLEM STRIKES SATELLITE - SpaceX launched its first Starlink mission since one of its satellites in orbit was knocked out of action in an incident on Dec. 17. Liftoff of the Starlink 6-88 mission happened at 1:48 a.m. EST (0648 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The rocket flew on a south-easterly trajectory after a nearly two-hour delay, likely due to poor weather conditions. More (Source: - Jan 5)
SPACE DEBRIS LED TO AN ORBITAL EMERGENCY IN 2025. WILL ANYTHING CHANGE? - Earth is surrounded by human-made debris that orbits our planet. The problem is worsening every year, and 2025 was no different. Space debris experts say nearly 130 million pieces of orbital junk are zipping around our planet: high-speed leftovers from rocket stage explosions, abandoned satellites, as well as bits and pieces of junk from space hardware deployments. Some of this meandering mess is the result of the deliberate demolition of spacecraft by way of anti-satellite weapons testing. More (Source: Space.com - Jan 4)
AFTER HALF A DECADE, THE RUSSIAN SPACE STATION SEGMENT STOPPED LEAKING - A small section of the International Space Station that has experienced persistent leaks for years appears to have stopped venting atmosphere into space. The leaks were caused by microscopic structural cracks inside the small PrK module on the Russian segment of the space station, which lies between a Progress spacecraft airlock and the Zvezda module. The problem has been a long-running worry for Russian and US operators of the station, especially after the rate of leakage doubled in 2024. This prompted NASA officials to label the leak as a “high likelihood” and “high consequence” risk. More (Source: Ars Technica - Jan 3)
SPACEX OPENS 2026 WITH LAUNCH OF COSMO-SKYMED EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITE FOR ITALY - SpaceX rang in the new year with a Falcon 9 rocket launch Friday evening from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Aboard was a 1,700-kg (3,748 lb) Earth observation satellite with dual civilian and military use for the government of Italy. The Cosmo-SkyMed Second Generation Flight Model 3 (CSG-FM3) satellite is the third out of four such satellites set to deploy into low Earth orbit. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jan 3)
STARLINK INITIATES ORBITAL LOWERING OF 4,400 SATELLITES TO MITIGATE DEBRIS RISKS - In a statement released via X, Michael Nicolls, Vice President of Starlink Engineering, announced a significant reconfiguration of the Starlink constellation, confirming plans to lower approximately 4,400 satellites from 550 km to 480 km throughout 2026. The maneuver, which affects nearly half of the operator’s active fleet, is designed to enhance space safety regimes as solar activity begins to wane. More (Source: SatNews - Jan 2)
LAUNCH PAD ISSUE DELAYS AGAIN FALCON 9 LAUNCH OF ITALIAN EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITE - SpaceX delayed its final planned Falcon 9 flight of the year for a second night running due to a launch pad issue at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. “To allow more time to perform ground system checkouts, standing down from today’s launch of the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation mission,” SpaceX said in a social media post. “A new target launch date will be shared once confirmed.” More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jan 1)
RUSSIA QUIETLY CHANGED ITS SPACE STATION PLANS. HERE’S WHAT THAT MEANS - The International Space Station (ISS) is due to close down by 2030, and Russia, one of its main partners, is designing its own replacement orbital laboratory. After a decade of planning to place its future space station into a high-latitude polar orbit for Arctic observation, Russian authorities have changed their minds. Instead the Russians have decided to stick with the familiar ISS orbit—the same 51.6-degree inclination used by the Soviet Mir space station nearly 40 years ago. More (Source: Scientific American - Dec 31)
BURN OR BURY? STUDY BACKS SATELLITE ‘NON-DEMISE’ DESIGN TO LIMIT OZONE DAMAGE - New findings indicate that the current "Design for Demise" protocol for satellites is creating a secondary environmental crisis in the upper atmosphere. Year after year, dying satellites perform a final, fiery dive toward Earth. But each satellite leaves behind an invisible chemical trail that is quietly hampering the ozone layer. More (Source: Yahoo - Dec 31)
CONTROVERSIAL SATELLITES LAUNCHING IN 2026 WILL REFLECT LIGHT TO EARTH - A controversial scheme will begin to reflect sunlight to Earth with satellites next year, so that dark places can be temporarily lit for visibility or energy production. But astronomers are sceptical about the plan’s efficacy and possible scientific consequences. US company Reflect Orbital, which aims to provide “sunlight on demand”, intends to launch its first satellite as soon as early 2026, beaming sunlight to 10 locations as part of an initial “World Tour”. More (Source: New Scientist - Dec 31)
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