SpaceX

Crew 11 during training before launch last August (left to right): Cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Crew 11 commander Zena Cardman and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui. Image: NASA Four space station fliers have been told to cut their mission short and return to Earth ahead of schedule because of an apparently serious medical issue affecting an unidentified crew member, NASA announced Thursday. “Yesterday, January 7th, a single crew member on board the station experienced a medical situation and is now stable,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said during a news conference. “After discussions with Chief Health and Medical Officer Dr. J.D. Polk and leadership across the agency, I’ve come to the decision that it’s in the best interest of our astronauts to return Crew 11 ahe...

At center, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut and Expedition 74 Flight Engineer Kimiya Yui assists NASA astronauts Zena Cardman (left) and Mike Fincke (right), the station’s flight engineer and commander respectively, during spacesuit checks inside the International Space Station’s Quest airlock. Image: NASA Update Jan. 8, 12:30 a.m. EST (0530 UTC): Adding new statement from NASA. Update Jan. 7, 9:30 p.m. EST (0230 UTC): Added information about the ISS livestreams being taken offline. NASA is weighing whether it may need to call for an earlier end the SpaceX Crew-11 mission on the International Space Station after a “medical situation” occurred on Wednesday. The initial revelation, which was first described by the agency as a “medical concern,” caused NASA to announce on W...

SpaceX launches the Starlink 6-88 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Jan. 4, 2026. This was the company’s first Starlink mission of the year and the first Falcon 9 launch from the Eastern Range of 2026. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now Update Jan. 4, 3:38 a.m. EST (0838 UTC): SpaceX confirms deployment of the 29 Starlink satellites. SpaceX launched its first Starlink mission since one of its satellites in orbit was knocked out of action in an incident on Dec. 17. Liftoff of the Starlink 6-88 mission happened at 1:48 a.m. EST (0648 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The rocket flew on a south-easterly trajectory after a nearly two-hour delay, likely due to poor weather conditions. ]]> The mission was...

The Cosmo-SkyMed Second Generation Flight Model 3 satellite deploys from SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket on Jan. 2, 2026. Image: SpaceX via livestream SpaceX rang in the new year with a Falcon 9 rocket launch Friday evening from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Aboard was a 1,700-kg (3,748 lb) Earth observation satellite with dual civilian and military use for the government of Italy. The Cosmo-SkyMed Second Generation Flight Model 3 (CSG-FM3) satellite is the third out of four such satellites set to deploy into low Earth orbit. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at 6:09 p.m. PST (9:09 p.m. EST / 0209 UTC), flying on a southern trajectory upon departing the pad. ]]> The launch was originally scheduled on Saturday, Dec. 27, but was scrubbed about 38 m...

NASA astronaut Brig. Gen. Nick Hague has retired from the agency, concluding a distinguished career that included two spaceflight missions, 374 days in space, and multiple spacewalks in support of the International Space Station. Hague continues service in the U.S. Space Force. Hague launched aboard the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft in March 2019 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for his first long-duration mission, serving as a flight engineer during Expeditions 59/60. During this 203-day mission, he conducted three spacewalks to upgrade the station’s power systems and support ongoing maintenance of the orbiting laboratory. Hague also contributed to a wide range of scientific investigations, spanning biology, human physiology, materials science, and technology demonstrations. Hague ori...