📰Top Stories

China Caps Record Year with Tianhui-7 and Shijian-29 Launches

China has achieved a significant milestone in the space sector with 92 orbital launches in 2025, concluding the year with the Tianhui-7 and Shijian-29 technology test missions. These back-to-back launches highlight China’s expanding capabilities in space exploration and technology advancement, setting a record not only for the country but also contributing to the global space sector’s achievements.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Space Force Offers New Vandenberg Launch Site

The Space Force is opening a new launch site at Vandenberg Space Force Base, creating opportunities for launch providers, including potential flights for SpaceX’s Starship. This development underscores the strategic importance of Vandenberg for national security and commercial space operations.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Rocket Lab Looks Forward After Record-Breaking 2025

Rocket Lab celebrated its most successful year to date with numerous launches of the Electron rocket. The company now gears up for the debut of its larger Neutron rocket in 2026, marking a new chapter in expanding its launch capabilities and market reach.

Read the full story: NASASpaceFlight.com

NASA Team Presses MAVEN Recovery Before Mars Solar Conjunction

NASA engineers are racing to re-establish contact with the MAVEN Mars orbiter before an upcoming solar conjunction. Communications were lost in early December, and the team is working diligently with the Deep Space Network to reconnect, hoping to regain operational data critical for continuing MAVEN’s scientific mission.

Read the full story: MarsDaily

For Defense AI, Bubble, Bubble, Toil and … Bargains?: 2026 Preview

The Pentagon’s Joint AI Center reflects on possible strategic partnerships with technology companies as the AI market evolves. This preview highlights opportunities for defense applications to exploit technological advances even in a shifting commercial landscape.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

🛰️Satellite Spotlight

• Satellite Name: TURKSAT 1C
• NORAD ID: 23949
• Launch Date: July 9, 1996
• Mission: Communication satellite providing telecommunication and broadcasting services.
• Orbit: Geostationary Orbit (GEO)
• Operator: Turksat
• Fun Fact: TURKSAT 1C was one of Turkey’s first communication satellites and was designed to improve telecommunications infrastructure across the country.

Track this satellite in real-time on our web app: Track TURKSAT 1C

🌌Space Weather

Next 24 Hours

• Radio Blackouts Probability

  • Minor: 60
  • Major: 25
  • Risk: None

• Solar Radiation

  • Probability: 15
  • Risk: None

• Geomagnetic Storming

  • Scale: 0
  • Impact: none
  • Activity: Low

• Impact Summary

  • No risk of radio blackouts forecasted.
  • No risk of solar radiation storms anticipated.
  • Geomagnetic outlook indicates low activity, with potential for G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storms on January 1.
  • Satellite communication users and operators can expect stable conditions during this period.

Long Term Forecast

• Solar activity is expected to remain predominantly low through January 24, with mostly C-class flares.
• M-class flares have a chance to occur as active regions evolve throughout this period.
• A slight chance for X-class flares exists during enhanced active region complexity.
• No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.
• High levels of greater than 2 MeV electron flux are anticipated on December 29-31, January 3-6, and January 14-24.
• Geomagnetic activity is likely to see increases on January 1 and again from January 2-4 due to coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS) influences.
• Periods of active conditions are expected on January 9-10 and January 12-14, with G1 (Minor) storming likely on January 17-18.

🚀Upcoming Space Launches

January 3

• SpaceX Falcon 9:
  • CSG-3 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA, USA (02:09 UTC) CSG-3 is an Earth observation satellite for the Italian Space Agency, part of a reconnaissance constellation using synthetic aperture radars operating in the X-band.

January 4

• SpaceX Falcon 9:
  • Starlink Group 6-88 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL, USA (05:00 UTC) A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX’s project for a space-based Internet communication system.

January 7

• SpaceX Falcon 9:
  • Starlink Group 6-96 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL, USA (18:55 UTC) A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX’s project for a space-based Internet communication system.

January 10

• SpaceX Falcon 9:
  • Starlink Group 6-97 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL, USA (00:00 UTC) A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX’s project for a space-based Internet communication system.
• Indian Space Research Organization PSLV-DL:
  • EOS-N1 and others from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India (04:15 UTC) Small Earth observation satellite from NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) for an “Indian strategic user”; launch will also carry 18 other ride-share payloads.

January 17

• Isar Aerospace Spectrum:
  • Flight Two from Andøya Spaceport (00:00 UTC) Second test flight of the Isar Spectrum launch vehicle, carrying several cubesats as part of the European Space Agency’s “Boost!” program.

January 31

• Galactic Energy Ceres-2:
  • Demo Flight from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People’s Republic of China (00:00 UTC) First test launch of Galactic Energy’s Ceres-2 rocket.
• Rocket Lab Electron:
  • Bridging The Swarm (NeonSat-1A) from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand (00:00 UTC) The mission is designed to test the constellation capabilities of the South Korean government’s Earth observation micro-satellite constellation NeonSat.
• SpaceX Falcon 9:
  • BlueBird Block 2 #2 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL, USA (00:00 UTC) AST SpaceMobile’s Block 2 BlueBird satellites are set to facilitate 24/7 continuous cellular broadband service coverage in the United States.

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