Indian startup nears first launch; SpaceX hits millenary milestone
▼ Summary
– Of 20 anticipated 2026 space events, only NASA’s Artemis II mission had occurred by mid-year, highlighting persistent industry delays.
– A Katalyst Space Technologies Link satellite launched on the final scheduled Pegasus XL rocket to reboost NASA’s Swift observatory.
– The Pegasus launch was delayed twice by bad weather and once by a technical issue before succeeding from the Pacific Ocean.
– The Pegasus rocket’s usage declined due to cheaper commercial options from SpaceX and Rocket Lab.
– The Link mission will raise Swift’s orbit to extend its mission, as the satellite faces reentry from atmospheric drag.
Welcome to Edition 9.01 of the Rocket Report. Back in January, I highlighted the 20 launches and landings we were most excited about in 2026. At that time, the list was built around events officially scheduled for this year, and I offered my own probability estimates for each reaching the finish line by December 31. Now, halfway through the year, we can mark just one of those events as fully accomplished: NASA’s Artemis II mission in April. Many others have slipped into next year, reinforcing that delays remain a constant in the space industry. A few, however, such as the launch of NASA’s Roman Space Telescope, still appear on track for the near future.
As always, we welcome reader submissions. If you do not want to miss an issue, subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will cover small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets, plus a quick look at the next three launches on the calendar.
Swift Boost Mission reaches orbit. A pioneering commercial mission to reboost the orbit of NASA’s Swift astronomy satellite launched early Friday, after earlier attempts were scrubbed by bad weather and a technical issue. The Link servicing satellite, developed by Katalyst Space Technologies, soared to orbit atop a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket dropped from the belly of a modified L-1011 jetliner over the remote Pacific Ocean. Mission managers called off two launch attempts on Tuesday and Wednesday due to poor weather around the L-1011’s staging base on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. On Thursday, “a launch vehicle issue temporarily prevented teams from deploying the rocket” after the L-1011 took off.
A rarity these days… This was the last scheduled flight of the air-launched Pegasus rocket, which enjoyed success in the 1990s and 2000s as a small satellite launcher for NASA and the US military. Usage of the Pegasus has declined amid the rise of more affordable commercial launch options, particularly SpaceX and Rocket Lab. Once in orbit, Katalyst’s Link satellite will spend several weeks approaching the Swift observatory. Swift, launched in 2004, cannot counter atmospheric drag and is likely to reenter the atmosphere and burn up later this year. It was never designed to be serviced in orbit. The Link mission will attempt to raise the satellite’s altitude and extend its operational life.
(Source: Ars Technica)
