February 9-15, 2026 / Hawai`i Island, USA
Vol 45, Week 6: Lunar Broadcast Precursor — Terrestrial Edition
★ Ad Astra with Aloha to Space Age Editor / Publisher Steve Durst ★
Space Calendar will continue to aim for weekly publication through 2076 to honor the dedicated, visionary Founding Editor Steve Durst; operating since 1976, in Hawaii and California, Space Age Publishing Company is dedicated to human expansion into the Cosmos and transcendence to a multi-planet species, while pursuing a business plan consistent with establishing a third office on the Moon; Steve leaves behind a legacy and influence that will be missed and not forgotten.
Mars Update: Hope Begins 6th Year in Orbit; Perseverance Rover Tests A.I.
First interplanetary mission from Arab world, Hope orbiter, begins 6th year at Mars this week, studying atmosphere / weather of Mars and transmitting data to MBRSC in UAE—which shares it freely with more than 200 research institutes globally. Other active Mars orbiters are: NASA Odyssey, in 25th year, maps chemicals / minerals; ESA Express, in 23rd year, radar-maps surface / subsurface; ESA / Roscosmos TGO, in 10th year, investigates atmosphere trace gases; CNSA Tianwen-1, in 6th year, examines surface / subsurface plus solar wind / interstellar objects; NASA MRO, in 21st year, uses high-resolution camera for water search / assisting landers, provides data relay for rovers including NASA Perseverance. This rover now drives Jezero Crater rim on A.I.-generated routes, saving many hours of human planning, and enters 6th year at Mars on February 18 hunting for signs of life / collecting samples. The other operational rover, NASA Curiosity, in 14th year, studies habitability of Gale Crater. NASA EscaPADE twin orbiters will arrive 2027 to study magnetosphere / atmosphere. SpaceX uncrewed Starship will arrive 2027 if launched December 2026, which is also when JAXA plans launch of MMX sample return craft to Mars moon Phobos. These missions enable study for future human exploration and theories of planetary evolution / past habitability. (Image Credits: NASA, National Space Society)
SmallSat Symposium in Silicon Valley Highlights Innovations and Networking
The small satellite sector has matured into industrial-scale deployment, with LEO constellations resulting from explosive growth. Market forecasts show the smallsat industry continuing to expand rapidly, with projections pointing to US$10s of billions in value by 2030 amid falling launch costs and reusable systems. Over 2,500 small satellites are expected to launch annually in coming years to support mega-constellations. New players are scaling fast: Astranis advances its MicroGEO lineup, with Omega broadband satellites entering production in 2026. Capella Space continues expanding its SAR imaging constellation, delivering all-weather, high-resolution data for government and commercial users. Planet Labs operates one of the largest Earth-imaging constellations above the world, with hundreds of Dove and SuperDove satellites providing daily imagery. Muon Space has multiple government and commercial missions launching in 2026, including wildfire detection and RF analytics. The SmallSat Symposium February 10-12 expects to be an innovation epicenter, with startups and established firms forming new partnerships, business models and architectures. The Symposium convenes 900+ attendees, 100+ exhibitors and 125+ presenters, this year including U.S. Space Development Agency keynote and former DARPA Director Victoria Coleman, and speakers from Rocket Lab, Vast, Amazon, Eutelsat, Thales Alenia, KSAT, Redwire, the FCC and Aerospace Corporation. At the Computer History Museum in Mountain View CA and online, the Symposium offers deep technical insights, market analyses and high-stakes networking as smallsats help shape the future of space. (Image Credits: SmallSat Symposium)
Humans in Space
International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 74 crew of 3—Chris Williams, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev—conducting final preparations for SpaceX Crew-12 docking NET February 11, including review of approach-monitoring tool and rendezvous procedure; performing routine science-hardware maintenance; collecting biomedical data; packing cargo to be stowed on Dragon; executing exercise protocols; verifying life-support systems; imaging Earth.
Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou-21 crew—Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, Zhang Hongzhang—conducting lower-limb muscle-force stimulation tests with bionic adhesive shoes to assess microgravity effects; performing medical examinations, including dynamic electrocardiogram, blood pressure monitoring, ultrasound scans, bone density measurements and hearing assessments; advancing pharmacokinetics studies on drug metabolism in orbit; maintaining cabin environment via wind speed, temperature and noise monitoring; continuing routine exercise, system inspections and experiment operations after over three months in orbit with all crew in stable health.
Lunar Enterprise News: Blue Origin pauses space tourism to concentrate on Moon missions, redirecting resources toward human lunar capabilities for at least the next 2 years to assist USA goals of establishing a sustained lunar presence.
Near-Earth Objects Close Approaches – Mon Feb 9: Apollo Asteroid 2026 BY1 (0.025 AU); Thu Feb 12: Apollo Asteroid 2022 DV (0.039 AU); Sat Feb 14: Aten Asteroid 1999 AO10 (0.026 AU); Sat Feb 14: Apollo Asteroid 162882 (2001 FD58) (0.043 AU)
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