EXPEDITION 74 GEARS UP FOR FIRST SPACEWALK OF 2026 - The Expedition 74 crew is gearing up for the first spacewalk of 2026 this week that will see two astronauts prepare the International Space Station for a new set of roll-out solar arrays. The orbital residents also had time on Monday to conduct microgravity research, pack a U.S. cargo craft, and maintain communications and life support systems   More
(Source: NASA - Jan 6)

SPANISH COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE DAMAGED DURING MANEUVERING – IT WAS LAUNCHED LAST FALL - The Spanish satellite SpainSat NG II was damaged during a maneuver to reach its final orbit. According to the operator Hisdesat, the device collided with “space debris” at an altitude of about 50,000 kilometers, which happened after its launch on October 23, reports Defence Turk. Hisdesat immediately activated its contingency plan to guarantee the continuity of services to the Spanish Ministry of Defense and NATO allies. The company emphasized that its commitments to customers remain in effect.   More
(Source: militarnyi.com - Jan 6)

THE NEXT FRONTIER IN SPACE IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK – WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF VERY LOW EARTH ORBIT SATELLITES - There are about 15,000 satellites orbiting the Earth. Most of them, like the International Space Station and the Hubble Telescope, reside in low Earth orbit, or LEO, which tops out at about 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface. But as more and more satellites are launched into LEO – SpaceX's Starlink internet constellation alone will eventually send many thousands more there – the region's getting a bit crowded.   More
(Source: Space.com - Jan 5)

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)

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