Swift Telescope Kicks Off Science Operations in Deteriorating Orbit, Space Update 1 Sep 2026

Top Stories

NASA Crew Dragon Launch Delayed Over Spacecraft Leak

NASA and SpaceX have postponed the upcoming crewed launch to the International Space Station due to a leak discovered on the Dragon spacecraft. A new launch date has yet to be announced, as a full inspection is required before the vehicle can fly with a crew.

Read the full story.

Swift Space Telescope Resumes Science After Failed Rescue Attempt

NASA’s Swift observatory has restarted science operations despite unsuccessful attempts to save the spacecraft from an eventual uncontrolled reentry. It will continue collecting data on gamma-ray bursts as long as its orbit allows.

Read the full story.

Greece Signs $3.4B Deal for Israeli Multi-Layer Air Defense

Greece has finalized a $3.4 billion deal to purchase an integrated Israeli air defense system called Achilles Shield, which includes advanced interceptor systems. This marks the first sale of a complete layered defense setup to a single country.

Read the full story.

Japan Requests Record $55.6B Defense Budget, Eyes Anti-Radar Missiles

Japan’s defense ministry has submitted a budget request of 8.89 trillion yen ($55.6 billion) for the upcoming fiscal year, highlighting a focus on anti-radiation missiles for the first time as part of its ongoing record defense spending.

Read the full story.

Quantum Imaging Startup Diffraqtion Doubles Funding to $10M+

Diffraqtion has raised over $5 million in additional funding, surpassing $10 million in total, with investments aimed at enhancing quantum camera technology for space applications.

Read the full story.

Türkiye Signs the Artemis Accords

NASA has welcomed Türkiye as the latest signatory to the Artemis Accords, aimed at fostering international cooperation in civil space exploration and lunar activities.

Read the full story.

Satellite of the Day

METEOSAT-11 (MSG-4) – This weather satellite, operational since 2015, is showing signs of end-of-life fuel conservation.

Read the full feature.

By the Numbers

• Active satellites tracked: 15,878
• Cataloged debris objects: 14,906
• New objects cataloged yesterday: 1
• Orbital launches this year: 208 (201 successful)
• Next launch: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-23 in about 23 hours (Sep 2, 07:46 UTC).

Catalog Watch

Recent updates include 1 new object cataloged, alongside 28,422 updated element sets.

Reentry Watch

• STARLINK-1676 predicted decay: Sep 1, 22:36 UTC.
• CZ-7A R/B predicted decay: Sep 2, 03:08 UTC.
• STARLINK-1640 predicted decay: Sep 2, 04:02 UTC.
• COSMOS 1030 DEB predicted decay: Sep 3, 10:42 UTC.
• STARLINK-4455 predicted decay: Sep 3, 13:09 UTC.

Upcoming Space Launches

Schedule Changes

• Newly added: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H3-24 | HTV-X2 for Dec 31, 00:00 UTC.
• Slipped: Electron | Owl Around The World moved to Sep 2, 11:00 UTC.

Next 48 Hours

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 – Starlink Group 15-23 (Sep 2, 07:46 UTC).
• Rocket Lab Electron – Owl Around The World (Sep 2, 11:00 UTC).

See every upcoming mission.

Note: Launch dates and times are subject to change due to technical or weather considerations.