When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
SpaceX launched the first mission of 2026 tonight (Jan. 2).
A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California tonight at 9:09 p.m. EST (6:09 p.m. local California time; 0209 GMT on Jan. 3), carrying an Italian Earth-observing satellite to orbit.
The rocket's first stage landed back at Vandenberg as planned about 8.5 minutes after liftoff. It was the 21st flight for this particular booster, according to SpaceX.
About 4.5 minutes later, the Falcon 9's second stage deployed the payload — a COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation satellite — into low Earth orbit for the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence.
The spacecraft will study Earth using synthetic aperture radar, gathering data at all times of day and in all weather conditions from an altitude of 385 miles (620 kilometers).
COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation is a small network designed to "monitor the Earth for the sake of emergency prevention, strategy, scientific and commercial purposes, providing data on a global scale to support a variety of applications," according to a European Space Agency explainer.
Among those applications are "risk management, cartography, forest & environment protection, natural resources exploration, land management, defense and security, maritime surveillance, food & agriculture management," the explainer adds.
Three COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation satellites have now launched to date. The first one flew in December 2019 atop a Soyuz rocket, and the second lifted off in January 2022 on a Falcon 9.
Tonight's liftoff was the first of 2026 not just for SpaceX but for the global launch community.
It's no surprise that SpaceX is breaking in the year. Elon Musk's company launched a whopping 165 orbital missions in 2025 — far more than any other entity, either commercial or governmental. That was also a record for SpaceX, which the company may aim to break again this year.
Editor's note: This story was updated at 9:25 p.m. ET on Jan. 2 with news of successful launch, rocket landing and satellite deployment.
latest_posts
- 1
4 Electric Vehicle Brands: Execution, Unwavering quality, and Development - 2'War is not over': Detailed diagrams of prisons found in cells of Oct. 7 terrorists
- 3Investigating Inside Plan and Home Style: Change Your Residing Space
- 4Vote In favor of Your Number one Kind Of Food Conveyance Administration
- 5‘Slender Man’ attacker back in custody. What we know about Morgan Geyser's disappearance and what happens next.
- 21 Incredibly Interesting Contemplations To Observe Consistently
- Step by step instructions to Think about Disc Rates Across Various Banks
- A top Marine shares his secrets to keeping fit at 50
- 7 Odd Apparatuses to Make Your Party Stick Out!
- Everything you should know before booking a trip to Spain
- How much should a kid's birthday party cost? One mom spent $190 for pizza and ice cream at a park. Another paid $2K for a playspace and goodie bags.
- Manual for Notorious Fragrances: Immortal Aromas
- Outside Lovers' Decision: Favored Climbing Rucksacks
- Best Getaway destination: Ocean side, Mountain, or City
