February 9-15, 2026 / Hawai`i Island, USA

Vol 45, Week 6: Lunar Broadcast Precursor — Terrestrial Edition

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Body. (Image Credits: )

11th Annual SmallSat Symposium February 10-12 in Silicon Valley

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. Key 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 defense and commercial users. Planet Labs operates one of the largest Earth imaging constellations in the world—hundreds of Dove and SuperDove satellites—providing daily Earth imagery. Muon Space has multiple government and commercial missions launching in 2026, including wildfire detection and RF analytics. In this innovation epicenter, startups and established firms form new partnerships, business models and architectures. With 900+ expected attendees, 125+ presenters including U.S. Space Development Agency keynote, Amazon LEO leadership, former DARPA Director Victoria Coleman and 100+ exhibitors, the SmallSat Symposium at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View CA offers deep technical insights, market analysis 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 operating with crew of 3 …. 

⭐ Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou-21 three-member crew ….

🌔 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) 

The First Woman FLYS to the Moon …

NET (no earlier than)

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First Women LAND on the Moon …

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  • Monday

    — United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA),
    Mars Orbit
    UAE Hope Orbiter, studying Mars atmosphere and climate, reaches 5 full years / enters 6th year in Mars orbit today; launched July 19, 2020 on JAXA H2A...
    — Redeemer University College, International Conference on Aerospace Science and Astronomy (ICASA), University of New South Wales,
    Chongqing, Sichuan, China
    The conference will focus on the latest developments and future trends in aerospace science and astronomy. Topics range from satellite technology innovation to deep space exploration missions and...

    Tuesday

    — SpaceX,
    SLC-4E, Vandenberg SFB CA, ~35°N, USA
    Launch window 06:00-10:00 PST (04:00-08:00 HT) for 25 satellites; first stage Booster B1081 expected to land for 22nd time on OCISLY ASDS barge in Pacific Ocean.
    — SmallSat Symposium,
    Computer History Museum
    Three day conference which unlocks the business and financial knowledge required to leverage smallsat innovation and cutting-edge technology into next generation solutions.
    $1,695
    — International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG), Interagency Operations Advisory Group (IOAG), United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA),
    Vienna, Austria
    The Moon is a primary focus for space activities around the world in the coming decades, including orbiters, landers, rovers, human activities, science, and both short- and...

    Wednesday

    — SpaceX,
    SLC-40, Cape Canaveral SFS FL, ~28°N, USA
    Launching at 06:00 EST (01:00 HT); SpaceX Crew-12 is the 12th crewed operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of...
    — Maryland Space Business Roundtable (MSBR),
    Greenbelt MD, USA
    11:30-13:00 EST, with Jim Bridenstine, Managing Partner for The Artemis Group, the 13th Administrator of NASA, where he was responsible for managing its 70,000-person workforce and $23...

    Thursday

    — United Launch Alliance (ULA),
    SLC-41, Cape Canaveral SFS FL, ~28°N, USA
    2 identical satellites, GSSAP-7 and GSSAP-8 (Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program) to near-geosynchronous orbit ~36,000km above Earth equator, contributing to timely and accurate orbital predictions, further enabling...
    — Arianespace,
    Launch Area 4 (~5°N), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
    To carry 32 satellites to ~600 km altitude LEO for broadband internet, part of projected 3,276 satellites
    — Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, Moscow, Russia,
    Baikonur Cosmodrome, ~46°N, Kazakhstan
    Launching 13:56 UTC+5 (22:56 on February 11 HT) for meteorological satellites to capture images of clouds and underlying Earth surface, and to collect and measure heliogeophysical and...

    Friday

    — Maunakea Observatories,
    Online / Hawai'i
    The annual Maunakea Coin Contest is open to all Big Island students in grades K to 12, including homeschooled children. The 2026 Maunakea Coin Contest opens on...

    Saturday

    — SpaceX,
    SLC-4E, Vandenberg SFB CA, ~35°N, USA
    Launch window midnight - 04:00 PST (22:00 Feb 13 - 04:00 Feb 14 HT) for 25 satellites; first-stage Booster B1100 expected to make 3rd landing on OCISLY...

    Sunday