📰Top Stories

ThinKom Secures Military Contract for Portable Satellite Ground Stations

ThinKom Solutions has been awarded a significant military contract to provide portable satellite communications ground stations, enhancing connectivity for dismounted troops. This initiative aims at improving mobility and communication efficiency on the battlefield.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Software Startup Integrate Expands into Defense Market

Following a recent award from the U.S. Space Force, Integrate is advancing into the defense sector. The company has developed a project management platform tailored for classified environments, highlighting the growing integration of tech startups in military applications.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

ULA’s Vulcan Rocket Launches Space Force Mission

United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket successfully launched a U.S. Space Force mission to geosynchronous orbit. The mission, however, is under scrutiny as an anomaly occurred with one of the solid boosters. The payload included GSSAP satellites and a propulsive ESPA ring, marking significant milestones for national security space operations.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Estonians Initiate Defense Procurement Dialogue with Saudi Arabia

Estonia and Saudi Arabia are in the initial stages of discussing a defense procurement partnership. Such collaborations emphasize the global nature of defense markets and Estonia’s strategic interest in expanding its defense industry connections.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Navy Experiments with Unmanned Surface Vessels

The U.S. Navy plans to deploy a medium unmanned surface vessel with the Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group. This experiment is aimed at evaluating new technologies and operational tactics as part of its broader strategy to modernize its naval forces.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Project Hecate: Ensuring GPS Longevity

The U.S. Space Force is pursuing Project Hecate, a long-term initiative to ensure GPS survivability beyond 2040. This involves the potential integration of communications satellites in low Earth orbit to supplement existing GPS capabilities, a strategy spearheaded by the Space Warfighting Analysis Center.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

🛰️Satellite Spotlight

• Satellite Name: TRANSIT 5B-1
• NORAD ID: 00670
• Launch Date: September 28, 1963
• Mission: Navigation
• Orbit: Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
• Operator: United States Navy’s Bureau of Weapons (BUWEPS)
• Fun Fact: TRANSIT 5B-1 is part of the U.S. Navy’s Transit satellite system, which was one of the first satellite navigation systems, paving the way for modern GPS!

Track this satellite in real-time on our web app: Track TRANSIT 5B-1

🌌Space Weather

Next 24 Hours

• Radio Blackouts Probability

  • Minor: 10
  • Major: 5
  • Risk: None

• Solar Radiation

  • Probability: 1
  • Risk: None

• Geomagnetic Storming

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

• Impact Summary

  • Next 24 hours: No risk of radio blackouts expected.
  • No risk of solar radiation storms.
  • Geomagnetic outlook indicates a low likelihood of geomagnetic activity, suggesting stable conditions for satellite operators and users of satellite communication systems.
  • Ground-based radars and telescopes are also unlikely to be affected by space weather during this period.

Long Term Forecast

• Solar and geomagnetic activity is projected to remain moderate from 09 February to 07 March 2026.
• Further M-class flares (R1-R2, Minor-Moderate) are anticipated, particularly as Region 4366 moves across the solar disk, which may pose a risk for satellite operators.
• There is a chance for X-class flares (R3-Strong or greater) on 09-10 February, potentially impacting satellite communications.
• Expect periods of unsettled to active geomagnetic conditions, notably from 16-21 February and 24-25 February due to negative polarity coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS) effects, which may increase drag on LEO satellites.
• Operators may encounter fluctuating conditions but overall, quiet to unsettled periods are anticipated outside of these active windows.

🚀 Upcoming Space Launches

February 13

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Crew-12 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (10:15 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 14

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 17-13 from Vandenberg Space Force Base (22:00 UTC) A batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

February 16

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 6-103 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (05:00 UTC) A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

February 17

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 10-36 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (22:00 UTC) A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system. First Starlink launch to feature a Falcon 9 booster landing within The Bahamas waters operationally, after the trajectory was tested during launch of Starlink Group 10-12 in February 2025.

February 18

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 17-25 from Vandenberg Space Force Base (08:00 UTC) A batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

February 19

• Firefly Alpha:
  • Stairway to Seven from Vandenberg Space Force Base (00:50 UTC) Firefly Alpha’s Flight 7 will be a test flight and return-To-Flight for the launch vehicle after its April 2025 launch failure. It will test and validate key systems ahead of Firefly’s Block II configuration upgrade on Flight 8 that’s designed to enhance reliability and manufacturability across the vehicle.

February 21

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 17-26 from Vandenberg Space Force Base (20:00 UTC) A batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

February 22

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 6-104 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (02:04 UTC) A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

February 23

• Rocket Lab HASTE:
  • That’s Not A Knife (DART AE) from Wallops Flight Facility (20:00 UTC) Payload is a scramjet-powered hypersonic vehicle developed by the Australian company Hypersonix.

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