Reposted by Jonathan McDowell
From AIP FYI: "The FCC is fast-tracking a SpaceX proposal to launch more than one million data center satellites, which is now open for public comment" www.fcc.gov/document/sb-...
www.fcc.gov
February 9, 2026 at 7:04 PM
From AIP FYI: "The FCC is fast-tracking a SpaceX proposal to launch more than one million data center satellites, which is now open for public comment" www.fcc.gov/document/sb-...
Reposted by Jonathan McDowell
Hey y'all. I'm hiring. Are you interested in building instruments for astrophysics?
wd5.myworkdaysite.com/recruiting/u...
wd5.myworkdaysite.com/recruiting/u...
Research Scientist/Engineer 2 (E S UAW Research)
Job Description The University of Washington (UW) Astronomy Department has an outstanding opportunity for a researcher who will have responsibilities in the design, development, construction, and test...
wd5.myworkdaysite.com
February 9, 2026 at 7:51 PM
Hey y'all. I'm hiring. Are you interested in building instruments for astrophysics?
wd5.myworkdaysite.com/recruiting/u...
wd5.myworkdaysite.com/recruiting/u...
I messed up, I adjusted the number of sats without checking it was divisible by the number of planes. Will iterate on it next week.
February 9, 2026 at 3:29 PM
I messed up, I adjusted the number of sats without checking it was divisible by the number of planes. Will iterate on it next week.
Elon has apparently finally abandoned his 20 year long assertion that he was just about to build a city on Mars any day now :-)
February 9, 2026 at 6:59 AM
Elon has apparently finally abandoned his 20 year long assertion that he was just about to build a city on Mars any day now :-)
Apologies: Updates from me will be spotty for the next week while I am on travel.
February 7, 2026 at 9:40 PM
Apologies: Updates from me will be spotty for the next week while I am on travel.
LAUNCH at 2058 UTC Feb of Starlink Group 17-33 from Vandenberg
February 7, 2026 at 9:39 PM
LAUNCH at 2058 UTC Feb of Starlink Group 17-33 from Vandenberg
The Chinese spaceplane launched last night has been cataloged in a 344 x 590 km x 50 deg orbit together with the CZ-2F upper stage and two ejected upper stage separation motor covers. TLEs suggest a launch around 0358 UTC Feb 7.
February 7, 2026 at 4:16 PM
The Chinese spaceplane launched last night has been cataloged in a 344 x 590 km x 50 deg orbit together with the CZ-2F upper stage and two ejected upper stage separation motor covers. TLEs suggest a launch around 0358 UTC Feb 7.
LAUNCH at about 0357 UTC Feb 7 of a CZ-2F from Jiuquan with the fourth flight of the Chinese robotic recoverable spaceplane (usually thought of as comparable to the X-37B).
February 7, 2026 at 7:18 AM
LAUNCH at about 0357 UTC Feb 7 of a CZ-2F from Jiuquan with the fourth flight of the Chinese robotic recoverable spaceplane (usually thought of as comparable to the X-37B).
The six cubesats deployed from the ISS on Feb 3 have been given catalog numbers 67683 to 67688 (1998-067XZ to YE)
February 7, 2026 at 7:17 AM
The six cubesats deployed from the ISS on Feb 3 have been given catalog numbers 67683 to 67688 (1998-067XZ to YE)
Hey Emily, sorry to hear you've had to go through this but hoping for the best for your recovery
February 6, 2026 at 5:36 AM
Hey Emily, sorry to hear you've had to go through this but hoping for the best for your recovery
One object with TLEs so far from this launch, in a 487 x 512 x 96.6 deg, 1030 LTDN sunsync orbit. It is 2026-023E, so possibly there are 5 payloads?
Russia launched a Soyuz-2-1B at 1859 UTC Feb 5 with one or more Kosmos military sats aboard
February 6, 2026 at 3:09 AM
One object with TLEs so far from this launch, in a 487 x 512 x 96.6 deg, 1030 LTDN sunsync orbit. It is 2026-023E, so possibly there are 5 payloads?
I talked to Pitchbook about the proposed million sat constellation pitchbook.com/news/article...
A leading astrophysicist has some questions for Elon - PitchBook
A Q&A with Jonathan McDowell, a leading expert on Earth orbit, about his doubts that SpaceX can pull off its vision of orbital data centers powering the world.
pitchbook.com
February 6, 2026 at 12:10 AM
I talked to Pitchbook about the proposed million sat constellation pitchbook.com/news/article...
only pad for *crewed* Soyuz launches. There are pads for Soyuz *satellite* launches that are fine.
February 5, 2026 at 11:25 PM
only pad for *crewed* Soyuz launches. There are pads for Soyuz *satellite* launches that are fine.
Russia launched a Soyuz-2-1B at 1859 UTC Feb 5 with one or more Kosmos military sats aboard
February 5, 2026 at 10:51 PM
Russia launched a Soyuz-2-1B at 1859 UTC Feb 5 with one or more Kosmos military sats aboard
D'oh, busted again.
February 4, 2026 at 6:10 AM
D'oh, busted again.
Are the dragons big enough to carry the elephants?
February 4, 2026 at 6:09 AM
Are the dragons big enough to carry the elephants?
The F9 second stage reentered between about 0130 and 0330 UTC Feb 3, according to US Space Force.
Space Force has cataloged the errant Starlink 17-32 Falcon 9 upper stage as object 67673 in a 110 x 241 km x 97.3 deg orbit. It will reenter quickly.
February 3, 2026 at 10:24 PM
The F9 second stage reentered between about 0130 and 0330 UTC Feb 3, according to US Space Force.
Marco did your analysis include both TLE sets?
February 3, 2026 at 10:19 PM
Marco did your analysis include both TLE sets?
No clue where yet
February 3, 2026 at 3:51 AM
No clue where yet
Yes. The sats were deployed to 246 x 260 km. The deorbit burn did not occur but the stage passivation (prop venting) did occur and lowered the stage's orbit to 110 x 240 km.
February 3, 2026 at 3:45 AM
Yes. The sats were deployed to 246 x 260 km. The deorbit burn did not occur but the stage passivation (prop venting) did occur and lowered the stage's orbit to 110 x 240 km.
Space Force has cataloged the errant Starlink 17-32 Falcon 9 upper stage as object 67673 in a 110 x 241 km x 97.3 deg orbit. It will reenter quickly.
February 3, 2026 at 3:28 AM
Space Force has cataloged the errant Starlink 17-32 Falcon 9 upper stage as object 67673 in a 110 x 241 km x 97.3 deg orbit. It will reenter quickly.
No, I don't believe so. His Mars fixation is real. He's just acquired some new ambitions on top.
February 3, 2026 at 2:18 AM
No, I don't believe so. His Mars fixation is real. He's just acquired some new ambitions on top.
OK, the new model is up on the page now, at the bottom of www.planet4589.org/space/con/co...
Jonathan's Space Report | Space Statistics
Jonathan McDowell's new homepage
www.planet4589.org
February 3, 2026 at 1:03 AM
OK, the new model is up on the page now, at the bottom of www.planet4589.org/space/con/co...
Correction - found a bug, I will post the modified shells in a couple of hours!
February 2, 2026 at 11:46 PM
Correction - found a bug, I will post the modified shells in a couple of hours!