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
Midlife weight gain can start long before menopause – but you can take steps early on to help your body weather the hormonal shift - 24 DSLR Cameras for Amateurs in 2024
- 3What to watch for as NASA’s historic Artemis II crew prepares to lift off toward the moon
- 4Unpaid caregiving work can feel small and personal, but that doesn’t take away its ethical value
- 5The most effective method to Apply Antiquated Ways of thinking in Current Brain science Practices
- Global measles cases drop 71% in 24 years as vaccination coverage improves, WHO says
- Lula’s former human rights minister formally accused of sexual misconduct
- UAE-backed Yemeni Southern Transitional Council denies disbandment rumors
- U.S. overhauls childhood vaccine schedule, recommends fewer shots
- Asia's migrant workers debate if Gulf jobs are worth deadly risk of Iran war
- Instructions to Expand Your Advantages from an Open Record Reward
- Everyone knows F1 is for the girls. I wandered into the Las Vegas desert to find out why.
- How stripping diversity, equity and inclusion from health care may make Americans sicker
- Struggling to keep your New Year's resolutions? Here's how to keep yourself on track
