ROCKET LAB LAUNCHES ITS 1ST MISSION OF 2026, SENDING 2 SATELLITES TO ORBIT - Rocket Lab just launched its first mission of 2026. An Electron rocket carrying two satellites for the European company Open Cosmos lifted off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site today (Jan. 22) at 5:52 a.m. EST (1052 GMT; 11:52 p.m. local time in New Zealand). Electron's "kick stage" deployed the two spacecraft into a circular orbit 1,050 kilometers (652 miles) above Earth as planned about 70 minutes after liftoff.   More
(Source: Space.com - Jan 23)

SPACEX LAUNCHES FIRST WEST COAST STARLINK MISSION OF 2026 - SpaceX launched its first West Coast Starlink mission of the year to send its satellites into a polar low Earth orbit. The Starlink 17-30 mission adds 25 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites to the company’s megaconstellation. This was SpaceX’s sixth Starlink mission so far in 2026. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 9:47:29 p.m. PST (12:47:29 a.m. EST / 0547:29 UTC). The rocket flew on a southerly trajectory upon leaving the pad.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jan 23)

ISS ASTRONAUT SPOTS ARTEMIS 2 MOON ROCKET ON THE LAUNCH PAD FROM SPACE - The lone U.S. astronaut currently in space took a picture of NASA's first rocket designed for a human moon mission in more than 50 years. Artemis 2's rocket, called the Space Launch System, arrived at the launch pad Saturday (Jan. 17) — and may launch to the moon as soon as Feb. 6. From the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Chris Williams captured a view of the rocket coastside at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.   More
(Source: Space.com - Jan 23)

US SPACE FORCE AWARDS 1ST-OF-ITS-KIND $52 MILLION CONTRACT TO DEORBIT ITS SATELLITES - Starfish Space will make history next year, if all goes according to plan. The Washington-based company just scored a $52.5 million contract to deorbit satellites for the U.S. Space Force, the first deal ever signed for such end-of-life disposal services for a constellation in low Earth orbit (LEO). The agreement calls for Starfish Space to use one of its Otter spacecraft to haul down at least one satellite, and possibly more, from the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) network.   More
(Source: Space.com - Jan 22)

BEZOS' BLUE ORIGIN ANNOUNCES SATELLITE RIVAL TO MUSK'S STARLINK - Blue Origin, the rocket company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, says it will launch more than 5,400 satellites to create a new communications network. Named TeraWave, it will offer continuous internet access around the world, with the ability to move large amounts of data much more quickly than rival services. But even after launching thousands of satellites, Blue Origin would still have far fewer in orbit than Elon Musk's Starlink, which currently dominates the satellite internet market.   More
(Source: BBC News - Jan 22)

THE FIRST COMMERCIAL SPACE STATION, HAVEN-1, IS NOW UNDERGOING ASSEMBLY FOR LAUNCH - The sprawling International Space Station is due to be decommissioned less than five years from now, and the US space agency has yet to formally publish rules and requirements for the follow-on stations being designed and developed by several different private companies. Although there are expected to be multiple bidders in “phase two” of NASA’s commercial space station program, there are at present four main contenders: Voyager Technologies, Axiom Space, Blue Origin, and Vast Space.   More
(Source: Ars Technica - Jan 21)

WHAT THE FIRST MEDICAL EVACUATION FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION TELLS US ABOUT HEALTHCARE IN SPACE - For the first time in 25 years of continuous crewed operations, an astronaut has been medically evacuated from the International Space Station (ISS). The Crew-11 mission ended when a SpaceX Dragon capsule brought the four astronauts of Crew 11 home following a medical incident in early January 2026. To protect the crewmember’s privacy, NASA hasn't yet disclosed details about what happened – and this article won't speculate. But the evacuation raises a question worth exploring: how do astronauts stay healthy in space, and why is this early evacuation so unusual?   More
(Source: Space.com - Jan 20)

CHINA'S SHENZHOU-20 RETURN CAPSULE TOUCHES DOWN ON EARTH - The return capsule of the Shenzhou-20 spaceship, carrying no astronauts, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 9:34 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Monday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). On-site inspections confirmed that the return capsule's overall appearance was normal and that items inside were in good condition. The Shenzhou-20 spaceship return mission was a complete success, the CMSA said.   More
(Source: Xinhua - Jan 20)

SPACEX LAUNCHES SUNDAY SUNSET STARLINK MISSION FROM CAPE CANAVERAL - SpaceX continued the expansion of its Starlink internet network with the launch of 29 new satellites Sunday. Liftoff from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida happened at 6:31:40 p.m. EST (2331:40 UTC). A cold front pushing through the Florida peninsula presented some weather challenges, particularly at the opening of the window. Forecasters with the 45th Weather Squadron, based at Cape Canaveral, on Saturday predicted a 60-percent chance of acceptable conditions at the opening of the window.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jan 19)

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