2026 02 News

08 Feb 2026

• SpaceX test fires its Falcon 9 rocket ahead of midweek launch of Crew-12 to the space station

07 Feb 2026

• Falcon 9 returns to flight after upper stage engine investigation
• SpaceX IPO could drive investor interest in other space companies
• Space Force awards $54.5 million contract to Starfish Space for GEO servicing vehicle
• China launches reusable spaceplane on fourth secretive orbital mission
• SpaceX launches return to flight Falcon 9 mission following brief stand down

06 Feb 2026

• ‘We helped usher in the modern era of AI in NGA.’
• ‘Serving the country and pushing the boundaries of human existence is very purposeful.’
• ‘I loved thinking about how to make science possible for America and for the world’
• ‘You need competent people in the government to direct and make decisions.’
• ‘Now it’s time to turn the baton over to others. I hope there’s somebody else to grab that baton.’
• ‘People knew that they could come to us to figure out how to get things done.’
• ‘As far as I know, I’m still the assistant administrator of NESDIS.’
• ‘Leaders can be replaced, institutional knowledge cannot’
• Exodus: The shrinking federal space workforce
• NASA selects two Earth science missions for development
• SpaceX shifts away from Dragon launches at pad 39A as Starship looms
• ULA offloads first Vulcan rocket at Vandenberg at it preps its next Cape launch
• Lawmakers ask what it would take to “store” the International Space Station
• NASA stage show explores “outer” outer space with Henson’s Fraggles
• Rocket Report: SpaceX probes upper stage malfunction; Starship testing resumes
• To reuse or not reuse—the eternal debate of New Glenn’s second stage reignites

05 Feb 2026

• Satellite servicing startup Starfish taps Quindar for mission operations software
• Voyager Technologies and Max Space partner on lunar infrastructure
• FCC clears Logos to deploy more than 4,000 broadband satellites
• Morpheus raises $15 million in Series A+ round
• Space Force may be done with R-GPS, but Congress isn’t
• Vantor wins $5.3 million NGA contract to spot terrain changes using commercial satellite data
• NASA changes its mind, will allow Artemis astronauts to take iPhones to the Moon

04 Feb 2026

• FireSat adds orbit-visualization software to help firefighters plan around satellite passes
• Senate committee delays consideration of bill to streamline FCC satellite licensing
• SmallSat Alliance shifts focus from proliferation to coordination
• NASA finally acknowledges the elephant in the room with the SLS rocket
• Russian spy satellites have intercepted EU communications satellites
• US House takes first step toward creating “commercial” deep space program

03 Feb 2026

• SpaceX pauses Falcon 9 launches after upper stage anomaly
• Artemis 2 slips to March
• Unable to tame hydrogen leaks, NASA delays launch of Artemis II until March

02 Feb 2026

• At Blue Origin, Hegseth escalates criticism of legacy defense procurement
• UK Space Agency CEO stepping down as agency folds into government
• House NASA bill seeks details on lunar lander and spacesuit development
• Amazon buys 10 more Falcon 9 launches
• CesiumAstro to scale operations with $470 million in equity and debt financing
• Transcelestial to provide satellite laser communication terminals to Gilmour Space
• NASA gears up for one more key test before launching Artemis II to the Moon
• SpaceX acquires xAI, plans 1 million satellite constellation to power it

01 Feb 2026

• With attention on orbital data centers, the focus turns to economics