Spaceflight Daily Report, Friday 18th September 2026

Image credit: NASA

International Space Station Activities

The crew of the International Space Station conducted routine research and maintenance to end the working week. Jessica Meir played a lunar landing simulation to test how microgravity affects cognitive function and orientation during such critical tasks. Andrey Fedyaev carried out general inspections and cleaning around the Russian segment. Sophie Adenot carried out exercise, sleep, and stress research. Anil Menon completed his soldering research for carrying out electrical repairs in space, then he and Jack Hathaway reset the workstation and cleaned the cupola windows. Meir and Menon also performed structural integrity checks of the station using ultrasound. Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina will be on duty this weekend for the docking of the Progress MS-35 cargo resupply mission, which launched on Wednesday and has been coasting to the station. They spent today preparing for its arrival. [Source: NASA]

NASA Buy Three More Crew Dragon Flights

NASA have awarded SpaceX a 946 million US dollar contract for three more Crew Dragon missions to the International Space Station; Crew-15, Crew-16, and Crew-17. This is in addition to the upcoming Crew-13 and Crew-14, as well as a handful of short private missions. This extends Crew Dragon ISS missions to 2030, leaving gaps in the schedule for a few other missions under the commercial crew program. NASA are expected to soon announce that at least two of those will be awarded to Boeing Starliner. [Source: NASA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Thursday 17th September 2026

Image credit: Roscosmos

Launch of Guowang Group 25

CASC/SAST launched a Long March 12 (Chang Zheng 12) from Wenchang in Hainan at 0032 UTC, or 0832 local time (CST). This was carrying SatNet LEO (Guowang) Group 25, a batch of nine satellites for the China Satellite Network Group's internet constellation. This was the 8th flight of the Long March 12, and the 10th flight of the Long March 12 family. [Source: SAST]

Launch of USSF-259

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg in California at 0107 UTC, or 1807 Wednesday evening local time (PDT), delayed from yesterday. This was carrying USSF-259, a classified mission carrying an unknown number of small satellites for the United States Space Force. More information about the number of satellites should become available in the coming days. This was the 689th flight of the Falcon 9, and the 13th flight of booster B1097, which successfully landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. [Source: SpaceX]

UPDATE: The number of skipped IDs in the US Space Force's publicly available satellite catelogue indicates there were at most 17 payloads aboard this flight. [Source: Space-Track.org]

Launch of SpaceTY-51 and 52

ExPace, a subsidiary of CASIC, launched a Kuaizhou-11 from Jiuquan in Gansu at 0240 UTC, or 1040 local time (CST). This was carrying Tianyi-51 and 52, a pair of synthetic aperture radar Earth observation satellites for the company SpaceTY. This was the 7th flight of the Kuaizhou-11. [Source: ExPace]

Unknown Launch from Plesetsk

Roscosmos launched a rocket from Plesetsk in Arkangelsk at approximately 1650 UTC, or 1950 local time (MSK), according to residents in the Volga district who were able to photograph its exhaust trail. It is likely to be a Soyuz rocket carrying a GLONASS navigation satellite, but there is no official confirmation yet. More details about this launch should become available in the coming days. [Source: afec7032]

UPDATE: Roscosmos have confirmed a Soyuz 2.1b was launched from Plesetsk but haven't provided a launch time or any information about the payload. The US Space Force is tracking a single payload. This was the 210th flight of the Soyuz-2 family of rockets, and the 88th flight of the 2.1b variant. [Source: Roscosmos]

International Space Station Activities

The crew of the International Space Station carried out routine research and maintenance while the Progress cargo resupply spacecraft continues its three day journey to the station. Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway cleaned and inspected spacesuit cooling systems. Andrey Fedyaev serviced laptop computers. Sophie Adenot performed stress, sleep, and exercise research, and assisted Hathaway in preparing the cupola's windows for cleaning. Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina tested the backup remote control system for the incoming Progress spacecraft, performed blood pressure research, and practised operating a simulation of the Teledroid robot that will be delivered to the station soon. Anil Menon continued soldering research aiming to increase the number of electrical repairs that can be conducted in space. [Source: NASA]

VSS Unity Glide Flight

Virgin Galactic carried out a low-altitude glide flight of VSS Unity yesterday to provide their pilots with practice ahead of the debut flight of the company's new suborbital spaceship, which is meant to be beginning its glide test campaign soon ahead of the start of commercial spaceflights in 2027. In their last investor report the company claimed that test flights of the new spaceship would begin in October 2026. [Source: Virgin Galactic]

NASA to Order More Starliners

According to Ars Technica, NASA will soon announce it has ordered two more crewed spaceflights on Boeing Starliner, as well as supporting its certification to be launched on a new rocket once the Atlas V is retired. It has become clear in recent months that SpaceX intends to stop operating its Crew Dragon spacecraft in the early 2030s to focus on Starship development. Boeing Starliner, despite its issues, represents the best chance for the United States to retain a vehicle suitable for low Earth orbit crewed missions into the 2030s. [Source: Ars Technica]

Further Delay to Starship Flight 14

The launch of Starship Flight 14, the first orbital launch attempt of SpaceX's fully reusable rocket, has been delayed by a further six days and is now aiming to launch on Monday 28th September. [Source: SpaceX]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Wednesday 16th September 2026

Image credit: Roscosmos

Launch of Progress MS-35

Roscosmos launched a Soyuz 2.1b from Baikonur in Kazakhstan at 1333 UTC, or 1833 local time (KZT). This was carrying Progress MS-35 (designated Progress 96 by NASA), a cargo resupply mission for the International Space Station, including 842kg of fuel, 1122kg of life support supplies, and 525kg of equipment. Among the new equipment is an exoskeletal controller for an anthropomorphic robot called "Teledroid" that will be delivered aboard the next cargo mission. The mission was originally due to launch a week ago, but was delayed due to an issue with the rocket's third stage. The spacecraft is scheduled to rendezvous and dock with the zenith port of the Poisk module of the ISS on Saturday. This was the 209th flight of the Soyuz-2 family of rockets, and the 87th flight of the 2.1b configuration. [Source: Roscosmos]

Scrub of USSF-259

SpaceX were scheduled to launch a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg in California carrying the USSF-259 mission today, but the flight was scrubbed and will now aim to launch tomorrow. [Source: SpaceX]

International Space Station Activities

The crew of the International Space Station continued their routine research and maintenance while they await the arrival of Progress MS-35. Jessica Meir performed sleep and stress research and worked on loading and unloading cargo from the Cygnus spacecraft. Andrey Fedyaev inspected laptops. Jack Hathaway replaced water filters in an oxygen generator. Sophie Adenot performed exercise research. Pyotr Dubrov performed maintenance on power systems and the ventilation system. Anna Kikina serviced an oxygen generator. Anil Menon continued his soldering research. The members of Crew-12 - Meir, Hathaway, Adenot, and Fedyaev - called down to Earth for a news conference with journalists. [Source: NASA]

Crew-13 Rescheduled

NASA announced that SpaceX Crew-13, the next crewed launch to the ISS, is now aiming to launch in "early October". The mission was originally scheduled to launch on Saturday 12th September, but was delayed due to an oxidizer leak in the Crew Dragon spacecraft (Grace). The faulty oxidizer valve has now been replaced. [Source: NASA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Tuesday 15th September 2026

Image credit: NASA

Launch of FLEX and Sentinel-C

Avio launched a Vega C from Kourou in French Guiana at 0121 UTC, or 2221 Monday evening local time (GFT). This carried two satellites to orbit for the European Space Agency. The first was Sentinel-3C, an oceanography satellite that is the third of four planned Sentinel satellites launched as part of the European Union's Copernicus programme for climate monitoring. The second was FLEX, short for Fluorescence Explorer, which carries a spectrometer for mapping plant fluorescence to monitor photosynthesis and global plant health, and is the eighth mission launched for ESA's Earth Explorer series of satellites, part of the agency's FutureEO programme. This was the 30th flight of Vega C. [Source: ESA]

Launch of Qianfan Polar Group 19

LandSpace launched a Zhuque-2E Block 2 from Jiuquan in Gansu at 0626 UTC, or 1426 local time (CST). This carried Qianfan Polar Group 19, a batch of 10 satellites for the Qianfan (SpaceSail) internet constellation operated by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology. Group 19 is actually the 15th batch of these satellites to be launched. This was the first time a private company have delivered satellites for the constellation, which have previously all been delivered by state-operated Long March rockets. This was the 9th flight of Zhuque-2, and the 3rd flight of the 2E Block 2 variant. [Source: LandSpace]

Launch of Qianfan Polar Group 26

Orienspace were scheduled to launch a Gravity-1 from the launch ship Dongfang Hangtian Gang in the East China Sea off the coast of Shanghai at 2155 UTC, or 0555 Wednesday morning local time (CST). Confirmation of the launch and details about its payload were not available at the time of writing. An update will be provided tomorrow. This was the 4th flight of Gravity-1, marking another increase in launch cadence for the vehicle.

UPDATE: The reported launch time is 2200 UTC, or 0600 Wednesday morning local time (CST). The rocket was carrying nine satellites for Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology; eight comprising Polar Group 26 of the Qianfan (SpaceSail) internet constellation, and one technology test satellite. This is today's second Qianfan launch, and the 16th overall, meaning the constellation's first two launches with private launch providers occurred on two different rockets on the same day. [Source: CCTV]

United States Discloses Possession of Space Weapons

The United States has admitted for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space. The nature of these weapons is not known, nor how long they have been in orbit, though they are probably anti-satellite weapons equipped with electronic interference devices. The Space Force would likely prefer for any inter-satellite conflict to avoid creating the cloud of debris that would be caused by a more physical weapon. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink explained he was making the disclosure as a "deterrent". The United States claims to believe that Russia and China both also have weapons in space. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans weapons of mass destruction from being placed in orbit, but conventional and electronic orbital weapons are allowed under international law. China has denounced the disclosure and called for the avoidance of an arms race in space. [Source: BBC]

Roman First Light

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has taken its first test image of the stars. The Wide Field Instrument has not yet been properly deployed, so the stars are intentionally out-of-focus. The mission will arrive at the Sun-Earth L2 point in December and is aiming to release its first science images in early 2027. [Source: NASA]

International Space Station Activities

The crew of the International Space Station performed routine research and maintenance. Jessica Meir and Sophie Adenot worked on bioprinting research. Meir also performed stress and sleep research, while Adenot inspected the hatch seals in the US segment of the station. Andrey Fedyaev took blood pressure readings and performed maintenance on the ventilation system. Jack Hathaway installed a new oxygen tank in the atmospheric control system and checked spacesuit batteries and carbon dioxide scrubbers. Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina tested material science equipment and inspected the hatch seals in the Russian segment. Anil Menon continued studying lead-free soldering techniques, cleaned a water filter, and tested one of the spacesuits' emergency jet packs. [Source: NASA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Monday 14th September 2026

Image credit: NASA

International Space Station Activities

Jessica Meir swapped experiment containers in an EXPRESS rack and inspected the Harmony module ahead of the upcoming arrival of SpaceX Crew-13. Andrey Fedyaev continued testing the lower body negative pressure suit and set up automated Earth-imaging cameras. Sophie Adenot set up the Kubik remote-controlled research equipment, restocked blood sample kits, and carried out exercise research. Jack Hathaway swapped experiment containers in the Saibo rack and collected fluid samples from the US segment's A/C system to be analysed for microbes or corrosive material. Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina continued VR balance research. Anil Menon demonstrated lead-free soldering of electronics in the Harmony module, which could increase the number of electrical repairs that can be carried out on the station and reduce the amount of electrical equipment that needs to be delivered. Menon also joined MS-29 crewmates Dubrov and Kikina for hearing tests. [Source: NASA]

Roman Space Telescope Saves Fuel

A very accurate mid-course correction and a lighter-than-budgeted launch mass mean that the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, launched two weeks ago, potentially has enough fuel to remain stable at the Sun-Earth L2 point until 2048, which is 12 years longer than the original extended mission plan. It also has the requisite hardware for a future refuelling mission, if desired. Roman will require periodic correction burns to remain stable at L2. It will arrive at its destination and begin its science mission in early December. [Source: NASA]

ESA Space Environment Report

The European Space Agency have released their annual Space Environment Report for evaluating the impact of space debris and discussing ways to mitigate it in the future. [Source: ESA]

Starship Flight 14 Delayed

Starship Flight 14, the first orbital launch attempt of SpaceX's fully reusable rocket, has been pushed back to no earlier than Tuesday 22nd September. The reason for the delay has not been made public. [Source: NSF]

Djibouti Signs Artemis Accords

Djibouti has become the 72nd country to sign the Artemis Accords, a United States led set of agreements regarding mineral rights and other arrangements for international cooperation in space exploration. Djibouti launched its national space programme in 2020, which has succeeded in putting two small satellites in space. [Source: NASA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Sunday 13th September 2026

Image credit: KazTAG

Launch of O3b mPOWER 11, 12, and 13

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 1849 UTC, or 1449 local time (EDT). This was carrying O3b mPOWER 11, 12, and 13 to medium Earth orbit. This is part of a constellation of communications satellites for the Luxembourgish company SES. They use an array of individually steered spot beams to connect with ground terminals. It was the 688th flight of the Falcon 9, and the 29th flight of booster B1080, which successfully landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. [Source: SpaceX]

Progress MS-35 Rescheduled

The Soyuz 2.1b rocket that will carry the Progress MS-35 cargo mission to the International Space Station has returned to the launch pad at Baikonur. The mission was originally scheduled to launch last Wednesday (9th September) but the rocket was returned to the assembly building to address a problem with the third stage. The mission is now aiming to launch this coming Wednesday (16th September). SpaceX Crew-13, the other delayed ISS flight, has yet to receive a new launch date. [Source: KazTAG]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Saturday 12th September 2026

There were no significant events to report today.

Spaceflight Daily Report, Friday 11th September 2026

Image credit: Rocket Lab

Launch of "Happily Ever Faster"

Rocket Lab launched an Electron out of Māhia in New Zealand at 0328 UTC, or 1528 local time (NZST). The mission, named "Happily Ever Faster", delivered an Earth observation satellite to orbit for a confidential customer. The US Space Force's satellite catalogue has identified it as Global 36, part of BlackSky's Gen 3 Earth imaging constellation. This was the 95th flight of Electron. [Source: Rocket Lab]

UPDATE: BlackSky have confirmed they were the customer. [Source: BlackSky]

International Space Station Activities

The crew of the International Space Station carried out routine research and maintenance. [Source: NASA]

Rocket Lab Challenges Decision to Award Mars Mission to Blue Origin

Ten days ago, NASA awarded Blue Origin the contract to build and launch the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (MTO). Rocket Lab, who were also bidding for the contract, today issued a formal protest to the US Government Accountability Office, who have been known to overturn contracts following protests in the past. Rocket Lab argues that the award decision and the punitive review of their proposal were mishandled. The outcome of the challenge will depend on the strength of Rocket Lab's evidence. [Source: Rocket Lab]

Tianlong-3 Failure Report

Chinese private company Space Pioneer have released a report into the failure of the maiden flight of their reusable Tianlong-3 rocket, which was terminated shortly after launch back in April. They concluded it was caused by vented oxygen combusting with exhaust gases and starting a fire in the first stage. Tianlong-3 is also infamous for an incident where it broke free of its test stand and accidentally launched during a not-so-static fire test back in 2024. The company have not yet announced when the next launch attempt will take place, or whether a booster recovery will be attempted. [Source: Space Pioneer]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Thursday 10th September 2026

Image credit: The Exploration Company

Launch of 6x Yaogan

CASC/SAST launched a Long March 4B (Chang Zheng 4B) from Jiuquan in Gansu at 0900 UTC, or 1700 local time (CST). This was carrying six Chinese military satellites of unknown purpose, designated Yaogan 53-01 to 03 and Yaogan 56-01 to 03. This was the 119th launch of the Long March 4 family of rockets, and the 58th launch of the 4B configuration. [Source: SAST]

Launch of USSF-153

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg in California at 1542 UTC, or 0842 local time (PDT). This was carrying USSF-153, a classified mission for the US Space Force. Further information about the number of payloads launched on this rocket should be available in the coming days. It was the 687th flight of the Falcon 9, and the 27th flight of booster B1081, which successfully landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. [Source: SpaceX]

UPDATE: There were 23 payloads on this launch, designated USA 644 to USA 666. [Source: Jonathan McDowell]

International Space Station Activities

The crew of the International Space Station carried out routine research and maintenance. Sophie Adenot and Pyotr Dubrov both filmed documentary footage today, including a series of tours of the station which we can expect to see soon. [Source: NASA]

International Space Summit

The International Space Summit in Paris, which began yesterday, concluded today. The following is a summary of the major announcements made over both days of the event:

• ESA announced they have awarded a €760 million contract to The Exploration Company (TEC) to develop and fly their Nyx cargo spacecraft, in order to provide Europe with independent access to a cargo vehicle. This is part of what was previously called the LCRS project (LEO Cargo Return Service), which has been renamed to the rather contrived acronym ALADDIN (Autonomous LEO Accelerated Demo Docking to ISS Node). The vehicle will launch on an Ariane 6 rocket. [Source: ESA]
• Vast Space (United States) announced that the third crew member of Private Astronaut Mission 6 to the International Space Station will be ESA astronaut Adrianos Golemis. He will become the first Greek citizen in space when it launches in 2027. Also on the mission are Thomas Pesquez of France, Aleš Svoboda of Czechia, and an unannounced fourth crew member. [Source: Vast Space]
• Arianespace (France) announced several new Ariane 6 contracts, including two launches for Eutelsat's OneWeb, six launches for Amazon Leo (United States), one launch for a South Korean geostationary communication satellite, and the aforementioned maiden flight of the Nyx cargo spacecraft. They also signed memoranda of understanding with EnduroSat (Bulgaria) and ICEYE (Finland), indicating future launches for those organisations. Arianespace subsidiary MaiaSpace announced a launch contract for iQPS (Japan). [Source: Élysée Palace]
• Eutelsat (France) announced they have awarded Airbus a contract to develop the first layer of at least 66 satellites for the European Union's IRIS² satellite internet constellation. [Source: Airbus]

A variety of other announcements were made at the summit. A summary of the various contracts and MoUs is available on the website of the French presidency.

PLD Space Announce Miura 9 Rocket

Spanish company PLD Space, who are developing the yet-to-fly Miura 5 small-lift reusable rocket, have announced that the larger future version of the rocket will be named Miura 9 (previously designated Miura 5 Block 1.2). It will have around three times the payload capacity of the Miura 5, making it a medium-lift vehicle. PLD Space is using the funding from ESA's European Launcher Challenge programme to help develop the larger rocket. [Source: PLD Space]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Wednesday 9th September 2026

Image credit: Vast

Scrub of Secret Electron Mission

NOTAMs issued earlier this week indicated a surprise launch attempt of a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Māhia in New Zealand, scheduled for today. The launch does not appear to have occurred, with further NOTAMs issued for tomorrow and Friday. [Source: Lukas C. H.]

International Space Station Activities

The crew of the International Space Station carried out routine research and maintenance. There is still no official word from Roscosmos on when the delayed Progress MS-35 cargo mission will launch to the station. [Source: NASA]

International Space Summit

The two-day International Space Summit in Paris began today, attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, European Union Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen, and a wide array of space leaders and astronauts. The event is part of a European push to increase investment in space to better compete with the United States, China, and other spacefaring nations. Several American companies, including SpaceX and Blue Origin, were cowed into snubbing the event by US President Donald Trump. Tomorrow's report will contain a summary of all the announcements made at the summit. [Source: Le Monde]

CASC Pushes for Quality Control

The state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has announced a campaign for improved quality control across all its subsidiaries, including rocket manufacturers CALT and SAST. This follows several failures relating to quality in recent months, including the launch failure of a Long March 7A, the disintegration in orbit of a military satellite and another LM-6C second stage, and the delay of Chang'e 7. The organisation's Party Group, which represents the Chinese Communist Party within the organisation, will lead efforts to enforce better quality control. [Source: CASC]

Terran R Joins NASA Launch Services II

NASA have announced that Relativity Space's Terran R rocket, which has yet to fly, has been awarded a NASA Launch Services II contract. This makes Relativity the fifth company to join the NLS II fleet, after Northrop Grumman (Pegasus XL), SpaceX (Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship), Blue Origin (New Glenn), and ULA (Vulcan Centaur). [Source: NASA]

Artemis II Astronauts Retire from Astronaut Corps

Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover, commander and pilot of the Artemis II mission, have become the first astronauts to join NASA's emeritus program, allowing them to pursue other careers while continuing to serve an advisory role at NASA. Since Jeremy Hansen quit the Canadian Space Agency in July, Christina Koch is now the only member of the Artemis II crew who can still be selected for future missions. [Source: NASA]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Tuesday 8th September 2026

Image credit: NASA

International Space Station Activities

The crew of the International Space Station carried out routine research and maintenance, including some lunar photography. [Source: NASA]

NASA Solicits Lunar Tech

NASA have released the final version of their latest call for proposals for technology supporting the planned Moon Base at the lunar south pole. The technologies being solicited include vertical solar arrays, in-situ oxygen production, nuclear generators, in-space manufacturing, and nanomaterial production. [Source: NASA]

UK Space Strategy

The United Kingdom announced today that it is investing £7.8 billion into the space industry through to 2030, including through international partners like the European Space Agency. The strategy emphasises the importance of space domain awareness, in-orbit servicing, and satellite communications, as well as the further development of SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands. [Source: UK Government]

Stoke Space Announce Nova Block 2

Stoke Space announced today that they are developing a larger version of their fully reusable Nova launch vehicle, which has yet to fly. The first rocket, called Nova Pathfinder, will be able to lift an estimated 3 metric tonnes to orbit in its reusable configuration, while the Nova Block 2 will be able to lift 15 metric tonnes to orbit in its reusable configuration. Stoke Space are hoping to fly Nova Pathfinder in early 2027, and Nova Block 2 in 2029. [Source: Stoke Space]

Spaceflight Daily Report, Monday 7th September 2026

Image credit: Roscosmos

Progress MS-33 Undocking

The Russian Progress MS-33 cargo spacecraft (designated Progress 94 by the US) undocked from the zenith port of the Poisk module of the International Space Station at 1516 UTC. The cosmonauts aboard the station have been busy filling it with obsolete hardware and other waste. At 1827 UTC it performed a de-orbit burn and fell into the atmosphere, where it was destroyed. It will be replaced at the Poisk zenith docking port by Progress MS-35, which was scheduled to launch on Wednesday but has apparently been delayed by an issue with the Soyuz rocket's third stage, though there is not yet official confirmation of this. [Source: Roscosmos, Anatoly Zak]

While the cosmonauts monitored Progress MS-33's departure, The NASA and ESA astronauts aboard the station had the day off for the US Labor Day federal holiday. [Source: NASA]