Launch Preview: Falcon 9 set to launch two missions from California, Isar to attempt second launch of Spectrum
The upcoming week will see seven rocket launches from six different launch sites across the globe. SpaceX has two Falcon 9 launches scheduled this week; both are Starlink missions launching from SpaceX’s California launch site. Blue Origin is also expected to fly New Shepard’s 17th crewed mission on Thursday.
Internationally, China will launch two missions, while Rocket Lab will launch an Electron from New Zealand. German aerospace company Isar Aerospace is due to make a second attempt at launching its Spectrum rocket to orbit on Wednesday.
Follow NSF’s Next Spaceflight for updates and schedule changes.
A Chinese rocket launch started the week with a Chang Zheng 12 (CZ-12) launching from Commercial Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan, China. Liftoff occurred on Monday, Jan. 19, at 07:48 UTC — seven minutes into the launch window, which lasted until 08:08 UTC.
The CZ-12 flew on a southeasterly trajectory, carrying a payload of nine SatNet satellites to low-Earth orbit (LEO). The CZ-12 is 3.8 m in diameter and 69 m tall. The two-stage rocket utilises a 5.3 m fairing and can lift approximately 12,000 kg into LEO.
Electron's first mission of the year is scheduled for launch from LC-1 in just 5 days' time.
"The Cosmos Will See You Now" is launching for @Open_Cosmos to a 1,050km orbit with 2x spacecraft.
Launch window opens:
12:09 am NZDT, Jan 21
— Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) January 16, 2026
Electron | The Cosmos Will See You Now
Rocket Lab will begin its 2026 by launching two satellites to LEO as part of a secure broadband satellite constellation being built in the UK by Open Cosmos. Electron’s 80th mission is scheduled to liftoff from Rocket Lab’s facility on the Mãhia Peninsula in New Zealand on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 11:09 UTC.
Electron is a two-stage rocket with an optional kick stage. The first stage features nine Rutherford sea-level engines, each producing 21 kN of thrust at liftoff and peaking at 25 kN (5,600 lbf) in flight. The second stage utilizes a Rutherford vacuum engine that produces 25.8 kN (5,800 lbf) of thrust. Both variants of the Rutherford engine are powered by electric pumps instead of traditional gas turbines. The kick stage employs an unspecified bi-propellant Curie engine. Both the Rutherford and Curie engines are largely 3D-printed, and Electon’s two main stages are of a carbon-composite construction.
Second launch coming up! We are targeting NET 21 January for Mission ‘Onward and Upward’, subject to weather, safety, and range clearance. The launch window for our qualification flight opens at 9pm CET at our dedicated launch complex at @AndoyaSpace.
Read more:… pic.twitter.com/FCPCB12i0j— Isar Aerospace (@isaraerospace) January 16, 2026
Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket will attempt a second test flight from the Orbital Launch Pad at the Andøya Rocket Range in Nordland, Norway, on Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 20:00 UTC.
The Spectrum vehicle is a two-stage rocket designed for the growing satellite-constellation market. Spectrum stands 28 m tall and two meters in diameter. The first stage features nine Aquila engines while the second stage features a single Aquila engine. Using propane and LOX as propellants, Spectrum can lift approximately 1,000 kg to LEO and 700 kg to Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).
The payload for the second test flight — dubbed “Onward and Upward” — will be several cubesats for the European Space Agency’s (ESA) “Boost!” Program, which provides commercial space transportation services and support. Spectrum’s first mission, named “Going Full Spectrum,” launched in March 2025 but failed shortly after liftoff due to an engine issue.
Falcon 9 | Starlink Group 17-30
The first SpaceX mission of the week is expected to launch from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at the Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California on Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 6:43 PM PST (Thursday, Jan. 22, at 02:43 UTC) at the start of a four-hour launch window.
Falcon 9 will carry 24 Starlink satellites into SSO, and is expected to land downrange on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You. The booster supporting this mission is B1093, flying on its 10th mission after having previously flown seven Starlink missions and two Tranche 1 Transport Layer missions.
Falcon 9 is a 3.9 m diameter, 70 m tall two-stage rocket. Nine Merlin 1D engines power the first stage booster, while the second stage utilizes a single vacuum-optimized Merlin engine. Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy are the first orbital rockets to achieve regular re-use, with several Falcon boosters having flown over 20 flights. The two payload fairings are also recovered and reused after flight.
Blue Origin’s first New Shepard mission of 2026 will fly from Launch Site One in West Texas on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 9:30 AM EST (14:30 UTC). New Shepard will carry a crew of six past the Kármán line and into space for several minutes before returning to Earth
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) January 16, 2026
The New Shepard capsule and booster supporting this mission are unknown. After separating with the capsule, the booster will return to Earth and perform a propulsive landing. The capsule will land after the booster, under parachutes, and will fire a set of retro-thrusters in the last seconds before landing to ensure a soft touchdown for the crew.
New Shepard stands 18 m tall and features a single BE-3 engine on the booster. This mission will serve as New Shepard’s 38th overall mission.
A sea-launched Jielong 3 rocket is set to liftoff from the South China Sea near the Haiyang Oriental Spaceport in China on Sunday, Jan. 25, at 06:30 UTC. Jielong 3 will fly an unknown payload on a southerly trajectory. Payload details are likely to be released following launch.
The Jielong 3 is a four-stage solid-fuelled rocket that stands at 31 m tall and is 3.35 m in diameter. This mission will be the first Jielong 3 mission of 2026 and the ninth overall.
A previous Falcon 9 mission launches from Vandenberg. (Credit: SpaceX)
Falcon 9 | Starlink Group 17-20
A second Falcon 9 is scheduled to launch from SLC-4E at VSFB on Sunday, Jan. 25, at 7:17 AM PST (15:17 UTC). Booster B1088, flying for the 13th time, will loft another batch of 24 Starlink satellites into SSO. Falcon 9 will fly on a southerly trajectory out of Vandenberg.
Following launch, the booster will land on SpaceX’s Of Course I Still Love You droneship, stationed downrange in the Pacific Ocean. Booster B1088 has previously flown nine Starlink missions, as well as NROL-126, NROL-57, SPHEREx & PUNCH, and Transporter 12. The booster first flew on Nov. 30, 2024, and has remained based at VSFB.
(Lead image: Falcon 9 booster B1067 lifts off for the 32nd time. Credit: Jerry Pike for NSF)
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