space
February 7, 2026
Rocket Report: SpaceX probes upper stage malfunction; Starship testing resumes
Amazon has booked 10 more launches with SpaceX, citing a “near-term shortage in launch capacity.”
TL;DR
- NASA's Artemis II mission is delayed until March due to recurring hydrogen leaks on the SLS rocket during a fueling test.
- Blue Origin is pausing its New Shepard suborbital program for two years to focus on human lunar capabilities and the New Glenn rocket.
- Firefly Aerospace is preparing for its next Alpha rocket launch later this month after previous flight issues.
- China is set to test its new Mengzhou spacecraft, designed for lunar missions, possibly including an in-flight abort system test.
- SpaceX is investigating an anomaly on a Falcon 9 rocket's second stage, leading to a temporary halt in launches.
- Amazon has booked 10 additional Falcon 9 launches from SpaceX to accelerate its broadband satellite constellation deployment.
- Algeria launched its Alsat-3B Earth observation satellite aboard a Chinese Long March 2C rocket.
- Russia's Soyuz-5 rocket debut flight is now targeted for the end of March.
- SpaceX is resuming Starship testing with its upgraded "Block 3" variant, with ground teams conducting checkouts.
- SpaceX has formally acquired xAI, with Elon Musk planning to leverage SpaceX's capabilities for orbital data centers.
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