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
Pulsars to the extreme: Spinning dead stars found blasting radio signals from the 'edge of their magnetic reach' - 2I visited the largest collection of public telescopes in the US in Oregon's high desert, and the dark skies blew me away
- 319 Peculiar Films You Shouldn't Watch With Your Mum
- 42026 Golden Globes: How to watch, start time, TV channel, full nominee list and more
- 5Find Unexpected, yet invaluable treasure Excursion Rentals
- A NASA spacecraft orbiting Mars may be dead
- Obamacare enrollment declines as US subsidies expire
- Merck sees over $5 billion opportunity in Cidara's experimental flu drug
- Peruvian ex-President Martin Vizcarra sentenced to 14 years in prison
- Really focusing on Succulents: Tips and Procedures
- Why Cannes Is the Ultimate New Year’s Eve Destination in the South of France’s Off-Season
- Israel Police arrest twenty-one as anti-war protests grow despite broad support for Iran war
- Which Espresso Do You Like Best? Vote
- German state railway loss widens, passengers warned of trouble ahead
