News – Spaceflight Now

February 4, 2026

Breaking News

[ February 3, 2026 ] NASA waves off February launch for Artemis II moon mission; now targeting early March Mission Reports
[ February 1, 2026 ] SpaceX experiences Falcon 9 upper stage anomaly following Starlink deployment Falcon 9
[ February 1, 2026 ] Countdown underway for critical moon rocket fueling test Monday Mission Reports
[ January 30, 2026 ] Cold weather delays earliest Artemis 2 launch opportunity Falcon 9
[ January 30, 2026 ] SpaceX launches overnight Starlink flight as it unveils new ‘Stargaze’ space situational awareness system Falcon 9

NASA waves off February launch for Artemis II moon mission; now targeting early March

February 3, 2026 William Harwood

Artemis 2 commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, in pre-flight medical quarantine at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, had hope to fly to Florida Tuesday to begin final preparations for launch. Instead, they will remain in Houston and rejoin family, friends and co-workers.

SpaceX experiences Falcon 9 upper stage anomaly following Starlink deployment

February 1, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The Starlink 17-32 mission was the first Starlink mission in February. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 7:47:11 a.m. PST (10:47:11 a.m. EST / 1547:11 UTC).

Countdown underway for critical moon rocket fueling test Monday

February 1, 2026 William Harwood

The countdown began Saturday evening and will continue through the start of a simulated launch window opening at 9 p.m. EST Monday. The test started two days late because of predicted arctic weather along Florida’s Space Coast.

Cold weather delays earliest Artemis 2 launch opportunity

January 30, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The agency is looking at Feb. 11 as the earliest date for launching the SpaceX Crew-12 mission. However, it hinges entirely on the status of Artemis 2 and whether or not it has launched.

SpaceX launches overnight Starlink flight as it unveils new ‘Stargaze’ space situational awareness system

January 30, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The Starlink 6-101 mission was SpaceX’s 13th and final launch of the month. Liftoff from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station happened at 2:22 a.m. EST (0722 UTC).

SpaceX launches 11,000th Starlink satellite to date on Thursday

January 29, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

SpaceX currently has more than 9,500 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit. Liftoff of the Starlink 17-19 mission from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 9:53:20 a.m. PST (12:53:20 p.m. EST / 1753:20 UTC).

SpaceX launches GPS 3 satellite following switch from ULA Vulcan rocket

January 26, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

This was the third launch of a GPS satellite in as many years. Liftoff of the GPS 3-9 mission from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station launched at 11:53:16 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 27 (0453:16 UTC on Jan. 28).

SpaceX launches 25 Starlink satellites to polar, low Earth orbit

January 25, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The Starlink 17-20 mission was the seventh Starlink mission this year. Liftoff from pad 4E happened at 9:30 a.m. PST (12:30 p.m. EST / 1730 UTC).

Eastern Range ready for same day fueling of Space Launch System, Vulcan rockets

January 23, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

Florida’s Space Coast is preparing for a future that could see in excess of 350 launches annually.

SpaceX launches first West Coast Starlink mission of 2026

January 21, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The Starlink 17-30 mission sent the batch of satellites into a polar low Earth orbit. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 9:47:29 p.m. PST (12:47:29 a.m. EST / 0547:29 UTC).