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Airbus

Airbus to launch first Pléiades Neo Next Earth‑observation satellite on Vega C from Kourou in early 2028

Airbus will launch its first Pléiades Neo Next Earth‑observation satellite from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou on Avio’s Vega C rocket in early 2028, upgrading the company’s high‑resolution geospatial imaging capability. The programme reinforces Airbus’s leadership in next‑generation commercial EO services.

2026-01-27T00:22:57.873593-08:00

European Spaceflight

Brazil selects Vega C to launch Amazonia-1B in 2027

2026-01-27T00:09:24.841948-08:00

NASA Spaceflight

Packed orbital manifest: GPS, Starlink and Electron launches set for last week of January

2026-01-26T14:54:37.896385-08:00

SpaceNews.com

JAXA's H3 failed after premature payload fairing separation

2026-01-26T04:10:48.278732-08:00

News Timeline

Airbus

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Airbus to launch first Pléiades Neo Next Earth‑observation satellite on Vega C from Kourou in early 2028 Airbus will launch its first Pléiades Neo Next Earth‑observation satellite from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou on Avio’s Vega C rocket in early 2028, upgrading the company’s high‑resolution geospatial imaging capability. The programme reinforces Airbus’s leadership in next‑generation commercial EO services.

2026-01-27T00:22:57.873593-08:00

Airbus to launch first Pléiades Neo Next Earth‑observation satellite on Vega C from Kourou in early 2028

European Spaceflight

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Brazil selects Vega C to launch Amazonia-1B in 2027 Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE) has chosen Arianespace's Vega C to launch the Amazonia-1B earth-observation satellite in 2027. The contract pins a mid‑size European launcher to Brazil's next optical-imaging mission and reserves Vega C capacity on the 2027 manifest.

2026-01-27T00:09:24.841948-08:00

Brazil selects Vega C to launch Amazonia-1B in 2027

NASA Spaceflight

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Packed orbital manifest: GPS, Starlink and Electron launches set for last week of January The final week of January features a packed manifest of orbital launches, including U.S. military GPS satellite missions, multiple SpaceX Starlink flights and Rocket Lab Electron launches. The concentrated cadence reflects continued constellation buildouts and accelerating small‑launcher activity across polar and equatorial trajectories.

2026-01-26T14:54:37.896385-08:00

Packed orbital manifest: GPS, Starlink and Electron launches set for last week of January

Payload

Pentagon selects Varda, Stratolaunch for MACH-TB Task Area 3 reusable hypersonic test flights The Pentagon last week awarded Task Area 3 contracts under the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed (MACH-TB) program to Varda Space Industries and Stratolaunch. Task Area 3 funds development of reusable flight concepts to support more frequent, lower-cost hypersonic missile test flights.

2026-01-26T05:07:21.216789-08:00

Pentagon selects Varda, Stratolaunch for MACH-TB Task Area 3 reusable hypersonic test flights

SpaceNews.com

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JAXA's H3 failed after premature payload fairing separation Japan's H3 rocket failed in December after an apparent premature separation of the payload fairing, an unusual anomaly investigators say may have caused the satellite to separate from the launcher early. The premature separation likely led to mission failure and has prompted a focused investigation into the launch sequence.

2026-01-26T04:10:48.278732-08:00

JAXA's H3 failed after premature payload fairing separation

SpaceWatch Global

Rocket Lab completes first Electron launch of 2026 for Open Cosmos — 80th Electron mission Rocket Lab completed its first Electron launch of 2026, marking the company's 80th Electron mission and carrying payloads for satellite operator Open Cosmos. The flight underscores Rocket Lab's sustained small-launch capability and continued support for commercial smallsat deployments.

2026-01-26T03:34:43.535115-08:00

Rocket Lab completes first Electron launch of 2026 for Open Cosmos — 80th Electron mission

SpaceWatch Global

U.S. launch infrastructure under strain as orbital cadence spikes A sharp rise in U.S. orbital launch activity is straining launch pads, range and recovery infrastructure, creating scheduling bottlenecks and prompting concerns about an emerging low‑Earth‑orbit “traffic jam.” Range operators and industry face harder trade‑offs between sustaining cadence, safety and capacity.

2026-01-26T03:18:12.352003-08:00

U.S. launch infrastructure under strain as orbital cadence spikes

Spaceflight Now

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USSF moves GPS III-9 onto SpaceX Falcon 9 after switch from ULA Vulcan The U.S. Space Force will launch its ninth GPS III navigation satellite into medium Earth orbit Monday night aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 after reassigning the mission from a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket. The transfer highlights schedule pressure and procurement flexibility in national GPS sustainment.

2026-01-25T17:12:43.968394-08:00

USSF moves GPS III-9 onto SpaceX Falcon 9 after switch from ULA Vulcan

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Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

Airbus to launch first Pléiades Neo Next Earth‑observation satellite on Vega C from Kourou in early 2028

Brazil selects Vega C to launch Amazonia-1B in 2027

Packed orbital manifest: GPS, Starlink and Electron launches set for last week of January

JAXA's H3 failed after premature payload fairing separation

News Timeline