2026 – Spaceflight Now

Avio launches pair of climate monitoring European spacecraft to study plants, oceans and atmospheric changes

September 15, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The mission, with the shorthand VV30, is the second launch of a Vega-C rocket managed solely by Avio without Arianespace. Liftoff from Ensemble de Lancement Vega at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana happened at 10:21 p.m. local time (9:21 p.m. EDT / 0121 UTC / 3:21 a.m. CEST).

Launch preview: Avio to launch spacecraft to monitor plant health and ocean conditions

September 14, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The mission, with the shorthand VV30, is the second launch of a Vega-C rocket managed solely by Avio without Arianespace. Liftoff from Ensemble de Lancement Vega at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana is scheduled for 10:21 p.m. local time (9:21 p.m. EDT / 0121 UTC / 3:21 a.m. CEST).

SpaceX launches 700th Falcon rocket, carries final 3 O3b mPOWER satellites to orbit for SES

September 13, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The launch marks the 400th orbital flight from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff is scheduled during an 87-minute window that opens at 2:49 p.m. EDT (1849 UTC).

SpaceX launches classified payload for the U.S. Space Force

September 9, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The mission, dubbed USSF-153 mission, launched an undisclosed number of satellites for the U.S. Space Force. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 8:42 a.m. PDT (1142 a.m. EDT / 1542 UTC).

SpaceX launches 80th Starlink mission of 2026

September 5, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

SpaceX decided to shift all Starlink missions flying on Falcon 9 rockets to the West Coast as it pushes towards the debut of its Starship-Super Heavy in Florida. Liftoff of the Starlink 15-24 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 7:26 a.m. PDT (10:26 a.m. EDT / 1426 UTC).

SpaceX launches Starlink mission from West Coast

September 1, 2026 Steven Young

Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California occurred at 1:42 a.m. PDT (4:42 a.m. EDT / 0842 UTC).

Roman Space Telescope, NASA’s next ‘great observatory,’ launched

August 29, 2026 William Harwood

Using a donated Hubble-class mirror originally built for a spy satellite, NASA’s Roman Space Telescope launched Sunday on a $4.3 billion mission to open a new window on the universe. Liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy came at 7:26 a.m. EDT (1126 UTC).

Year: 2026