📰Top Stories

Varda Space’s W-5 Mission Successfully Lands in Australia

Varda Space Industries has completed the reentry of its W-5 mission, which landed safely in Australia. This mission marks a significant step with its end-to-end demonstration of a new spacecraft design developed in-house. The successful completion of this mission underscores Varda’s growing capabilities in space operations and reentry missions.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

L3Harris Reaffirms Commitment to Space Business Amid Missile Sector Expansion

L3Harris, a leader in defense contracting, has emphasized its ongoing commitment to the space sector while expanding its missile-related endeavors. The company anticipates growth in satellite orders and increased space work, propelled by its initiatives such as Golden Dome. This strategic emphasis aligns with broader defense and aerospace trends.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Leonardo DRS Secures Infrared Payload Contract for SDA’s Tracking Layer Tranche 3

Leonardo DRS has been awarded a subcontract to supply advanced infrared mission payloads for the Space Development Agency’s Tracking Layer Tranche 3. This contract reinforces Leonardo DRS’s role in supporting the U.S. missile defense strategy through enhanced space-based tracking capabilities.

Read the full story: SpaceWar

US Senate Passes $839B Defense Spending Bill

The U.S. Senate has passed a substantial $839 billion defense spending bill, now awaiting agreement from the House. This legislation is critical in ensuring the Pentagon can continue its operations without interruption. The passage of this bill demonstrates bipartisan support for robust military funding.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

NASA Advances Space-Based Tracking of Marine Debris

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has made strides in tracking marine debris from space. By leveraging remote sensing technology initially used to detect plastic pollution on land, NASA hopes to enhance its capabilities in monitoring the movement of oceanic litter, a significant environmental challenge.

Read the full story: SpaceDaily

US Approves $6.7B in New Weapon Sales to Israel, $9B for Saudi Arabia

The U.S. government has cleared substantial military sales, including Apache helicopters and Patriot missiles, to Israel and Saudi Arabia. These deals underscore the ongoing geopolitical dynamics and the strategic military alliances in the Middle East region.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

🛰️Satellite Spotlight

• Satellite Name: ONEWEB-0669
• NORAD ID: 55828
• Launch Date: March 9, 2023
• Mission: This satellite is part of the OneWeb constellation, aimed at providing global broadband communication services.
• Orbit: LEO (Low Earth Orbit)
• Operator: OneWeb
• Fun Fact: ONEWEB-0669 is designed to operate with a lifetime of over 7 years, utilizing solar arrays and batteries to power its Ku-Band payload.

Track this satellite in real-time on our web app: Track ONEWEB-0669

🌌Space Weather

Next 24 Hours

• Radio Blackouts Probability

  • Minor: 35
  • Major: 5
  • Risk: None

• Solar Radiation

  • Probability: 1
  • Risk: None

• Geomagnetic Storming

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

• Impact Summary

  • No risk of radio blackouts, providing stable communication conditions for satellite operators.
  • No risk of solar radiation storms, ensuring safe operations for spacecraft and astronaut missions.
  • Geomagnetic outlook indicates no G1 (Minor) or greater storms expected, allowing for uninterrupted ground-based radar and telescope operations.
  • Normal conditions forecasted, promoting optimal performance for satellite communications.

Long Term Forecast

• Impact Summary
  • From 26 January - 21 February 2026, solar activity expected to remain predominantly low, beneficial for satellite operations.
  • A chance for M-class flares (R1-R2/Minor-Moderate) may pose risks intermittently, with potential impacts on communication systems.
  • A few high levels of electron flux at geosynchronous orbit may affect satellite drag, particularly on specified dates.
  • Geomagnetic activity may reach G1 (Minor) storm levels on 28 Jan and 13 Feb, impacting high-frequency communications and navigation systems temporarily.
  • Quiet conditions expected overall, minimizing potential disruptions in various satellite operations.

Upcoming Space Launches

February 2

• Russian Space Forces Soyuz 2.1a/Fregat-M:
  • Kosmos (Unknown Payload) from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation (15:00 UTC) Unknown classified payload(s) for the Russian military.
• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 17-32 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA (15:17 UTC) A batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation, SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

February 3

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 6-103 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA (22:12 UTC) A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation, SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

February 6

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 17-33 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA (17:05 UTC) A batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation, SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

February 7

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 6-104 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA (09:41 UTC) A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation, SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

February 9

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration SLS Block 1:
  • Artemis II from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA (04:20 UTC) Artemis II is the first crewed mission as part of the Artemis program. This mission will send a crew of 4—3 Americans and 1 Canadian—around the moon and return them back to Earth. It will test the core systems of NASA’s Orion spacecraft, including the critical life support system.

February 10

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 17-34 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA (14:07 UTC) A batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation, SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

February 11

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Crew-12 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA (11:00 UTC) SpaceX Crew-12 is the twelfth crewed operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

February 12

• United Launch Alliance Vulcan VC4S:
  • USSF-87 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA (00:00 UTC) USSF-87 will launch two identical Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites (GSSAP-7 and GSSAP-8) directly to a near-geosynchronous orbit. The data from GSSAP will uniquely contribute to timely and accurate orbital predictions, further enabling space flight safety including satellite collision avoidance.
• Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center Proton-M/Blok DM-03:
  • Elektro-L No.5 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan (08:56 UTC) Elektro-L is a series of meteorological satellites developed for the Russian Federal Space Agency designed to capture real-time images of clouds and the Earth’s surface, among other tasks.

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