Top Stories
Space Force Building Prototype to Fuse Commercial and Military Space Tracking Data
The Space Force is set to develop software that integrates commercial and military space tracking data, focusing on speed rather than precision. Col. Barry Croker noted that the prototype environment will launch this fall, aiming to enhance responsiveness to debris clouds and new satellite launches.
NASA Awards SpaceX $946 Million for Three More Crew Missions as Starliner Stays Grounded
NASA has added three missions to SpaceX’s Commercial Crew contract, totaling $946 million. The missions extend operations through 2030, amid ongoing technical challenges faced by Boeing’s Starliner.
States Scramble to Host New US Space Academy
States including Texas, Florida, Alabama, and Colorado are competing to host NASA’s US Space Academy, which aims to train future space leaders. Proposals are due by October 26, with ground-breaking projected for 2027.
Albania to Sign Artemis Accords
NASA has announced the signing of the Artemis Accords by Albania, adding to the framework governing international lunar exploration norms.
DLR’s MAPHEUS-17 Sounding Rocket Targeting October 1 Launch from Esrange
The German aerospace agency DLR is preparing for the MAPHEUS-17 launch, scheduled between October 1-8 from Esrange. The mission features materials and life sciences experiments in microgravity.
First German F-35 Rolls Off the Line in Fort Worth
Lockheed Martin has rolled out Germany’s first F-35A, part of an $8.8 billion deal for 35 jets following increased defense needs due to geopolitical tensions.
Satellite of the Day
COSMOS 1695 – A Soviet relay satellite launched in 1985, it has been in orbit for nearly 41 years and will remain debris for centuries.
Read the full feature or track COSMOS 1695 live.
By the Numbers
- Active satellites tracked: 16,007
- Cataloged debris objects: 14,950
- New objects cataloged yesterday: 6
- Orbital launches this year: 226 (219 successful)
- Next launch: Long March 2D | Unknown Payload in about 2 hours (Sept 19, 10:50 UTC)
Catalog Watch
Space-Track cataloged 6 new objects in its latest daily report (2026-09-18).
New catalog entries include satellites: 100695, 100700, 100710, 100712, 100713, 100719.
Reentry Watch
- STARLINK-2001 (47596) – predicted decay Sep 20, 23:40 UTC, window ±9 h
- STARLINK-31530 (59322) – predicted decay Sep 21, 03:22 UTC, window ±12 h
- STARLINK-1888 (47171) – predicted decay Sep 21, 03:38 UTC, window ±15 h
- STARLINK-5055 (54015) – predicted decay Sep 21, 05:53 UTC, window ±13 h
- STARLINK-1724 (46375) – predicted decay Sep 21, 09:20 UTC, window ±14 h
Upcoming Space Launches
Schedule Changes
- Newly added: Long March 6A | Unknown Payload, scheduled for Sep 24, 08:45 UTC.
- Electron | Owl By The Dozen (StriX Launch 12) moved from Sep 19, 03:15 UTC to 03:22 UTC.
- Long March 8A | Unknown Payload moved from Sep 30, 00:00 UTC to Sep 23, 13:30 UTC.
Next 48 Hours
- Long March 2D – Unknown Payload from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, (Sep 19, 10:50 UTC)
- Falcon 9 Block 5 – Starlink Group 15-27 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA (Sep 20, 01:47 UTC) Watch Live
See every upcoming mission on the live schedule: Upcoming Launches.
Note: Launch dates and times are subject to change due to technical or weather considerations.
