Mission Reports – Spaceflight Now

January 7, 2026

Breaking News

[ January 6, 2026 ] Dept. of the Air Force opens bidding for Space Launch Complex 14 at Vandenberg SFB News
[ January 4, 2026 ] SpaceX launches first Starlink deployment mission since problem strikes satellite Falcon 9
[ January 2, 2026 ] SpaceX opens 2026 with launch of Cosmo-SkyMed Earth observation satellite for Italy Falcon 9
[ December 27, 2025 ] Launch pad issue delays again Falcon 9 launch of Italian Earth observation satellite Falcon 9
[ December 26, 2025 ] Former ULA president and CEO Tory Bruno joins Blue Origin News

SpaceX launches first Starlink deployment mission since problem strikes satellite

January 4, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The Starlink 6-88 added 29 broadband internet satellites to the constellation of more than 9,300 in low Earth orbit. Liftoff from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station happened at 1:48 a.m. EST (0648 UTC).

SpaceX opens 2026 with launch of Cosmo-SkyMed Earth observation satellite for Italy

January 2, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The spacecraft was originally slated to launch nearly a week prior, but SpaceX ran into ground systems issues. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 6:09 p.m. PST (9:09 p.m. EST / 0209 UTC).

Launch pad issue delays again Falcon 9 launch of Italian Earth observation satellite

December 27, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

For the second night running SpaceX scrubbed the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Cosmo-SkyMed Second Generation satellite for Italy.

H3 rocket suffers upper stage anomaly, fails to correctly deploy navigation satellite

December 22, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The Dec. 22 launch was the fourth and final flight of an H3 rocket in 2025.

Astronauts, launch teams practice Artemis 2 countdown

December 21, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The run-through simulated day-of-launch activities, included suit up, ingress into the Orion spacecraft and a countdown that stopped just shy of T-0.

Rocket Lab launches 4 novel DiskSat satellites for U.S. Space Force, NASA

December 18, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The STP-S30 mission was moved up five months on the launch manifest for Rocket Lab. This was the 20th launch of an Electron rocket in 2025.

SpaceX flies Starlink mission using Falcon 9 booster flying for a 30th time

December 17, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The Falcon 9 rocket launching the Starlink 15-13 mission will fly on a south-easterly trajectory upon leaving pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Liftoff is for 7:27 a.m. PST (10:27 a.m. EST / 1527 UTC).

SpaceX launches Wednesday morning Starlink mission from Kennedy Space Center

December 16, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The Starlink 6-99 mission represents SpaceX’s 125th launch to date from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Liftoff is scheduled for 8:42 a.m. EST (1342 UTC).

Rocket Lab Electron rocket aborts liftoff at engine ignition

December 15, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The ‘Bridging the Swarm’ mission comes two days after the company launched its ‘RAISE and Shine’ flight for JAXA. Liftoff is scheduled for 1:55 p.m. NZDT / 0055 UTC on Dec. 16 (7:45 p.m. EST on Dec. 15).

ULA Atlas 5 launch puts Amazon’s 180th broadband satellite in low Earth orbit

December 15, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station occurred at 3:28 a.m. EST (0828 UTC), as the RD-180 engine on the booster roared to lift alongside five solid rocket boosters.