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European Spaceflight • September 15, 2026

Avio Launches Second Successful Vega C Flight of 2026

Italian launch services provider Avio has successfully completed its second Vega-C flight of 2026, deploying the European Commission’s third Sentinel-3 Earth observation satellite and ESA’s FLEX mission. The Vega-C rocket lifted off from the Guiana Space Centre at 01:21 UTC on 15 September. Following two burns of the rocket’s AVUM+ upper stage, Sentinel-3C was deployed […] The post Avio Launches Second Successful Vega C Flight of 2026 appeared first on European Spaceflight.

ESA • September 15, 2026

FLEX and Sentinel-3C launch highlights

ESA’s state-of-the-art FLEX Earth Explorer satellite and the Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellite have been launched together aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, marking a new milestone in Europe’s Earth Observation Programmes. Flight VV30 lifted off on 15 September at 03:21 (14 September at 22:21 local time).

SpaceNews • September 15, 2026

Iceye’s global presence expands to address sovereign demand

Since raising more than $1 billion in a Series F funding round, Iceye has moved rapidly to address growing demand for sovereign space capabilities. In quick succession, the Finnish synthetic […] The post Iceye’s global presence expands to address sovereign demand appeared first on SpaceNews.

ESA • September 15, 2026

Relive the launch of FLEX and Sentinel-3C

Watch the full replay of the launch of ESA’s state-of-the-art FLEX Earth Explorer satellite and the Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellite. Both were launched together aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, marking a new milestone in Europe’s Earth Observation Programmes. Flight VV30 lifted off on 15 September at 03:21 (14 September at 22:21 local time).

NASA • September 15, 2026

APOD: 2026 September 15 – A Daytime Eclipse: Moon Occults Venus

APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 September 15 – A… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. A Daytime […]

Spaceflight Now • September 15, 2026

Avio launches pair of climate monitoring European spacecraft to study plants, oceans and atmospheric changes

The mission, with the shorthand VV30, is the second launch of a Vega-C rocket managed solely by Avio without Arianespace. Liftoff from Ensemble de Lancement Vega at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana happened at 10:21 p.m. local time (9:21 p.m. EDT / 0121 UTC / 3:21 a.m. CEST).

Upcoming Launches

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Launch Successful September 15, 2026 at 01:21 AM UTC

Vega-C | Sentinel-3C & FLEX

Avio S.p.A

Mission Type Earth Science

Orbit Sun-Synchronous Orbit

Pad Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Launch Successful September 15, 2026 at 06:26 AM UTC

Zhuque-2E Block 2 | SpaceSail Polar Group #15

LandSpace

Mission Type Communications

Orbit Polar Orbit

Pad Launch Area 96A, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Go for Launch September 15, 2026 at 09:55 PM UTC

Gravity-1 | Unknown Payload

Orienspace Technology

Mission Type Unknown

Orbit Unknown

Pad Yellow Sea (launch location 5), Haiyang Oriental Spaceport

Upcoming Events

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September 16, 2026 at 06:45 PM

Crew-12 Pre-Departure On-Orbit News Conference

Press Event

The Crew-12 astronauts will give a news conference from the International Space Station before their return to Earth.

September 19, 2026 at 01:46 PM

Progress MS-35 Docking

Docking

The Progress MS-35 spacecraft is scheduled to autonomously dock to the Poisk module of the ISS.

September 30, 2026 at 12:00 AM

Juice Earth Flyby

Flyby

Third flyby of ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) mission on its way to the Jovian system.

Active Space Stations

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International Space Station

Status: Active Orbit: Low Earth Orbit

Founded: 1998-11-20

The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station, or a habitable artificial satellite, in low Earth orbit. Its first component was launched into orbit in 1998, with the first long-term residents arriving in November 2000. It has been inhabited continuously since that date. The last pressurised module was fitted in 2011, and an experimental inflatable space habitat was added in 2016. The station is expected to operate until 2030. Development and assembly of the station continues, with several new elements scheduled for launch in 2019. The ISS is the largest human-made body in low Earth orbit and can often be seen with the naked eye from Earth. The ISS consists of pressurised habitation modules, structural trusses, solar arrays, radiators, docking ports, experiment bays and robotic arms. ISS components have been launched by Russian Proton and Soyuz rockets, and American Space Shuttles.

CSAESAJAXANASARFSA

Mir

Status: De-Orbited Orbit: Low Earth Orbit

Founded: 1986-02-20

Mir was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. Mir was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996. The station served as a microgravity research laboratory in which crews conducted experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology and spacecraft systems with a goal of developing technologies required for permanent occupation of space.

RFSA

Skylab

Status: De-Orbited Orbit: Low Earth Orbit

Founded: 1973-05-14

Skylab was a United States space station launched and operated by NASA, and occupied for about 24 weeks between May 1973 and February 1974 – the only space station the U.S. has operated exclusively. In 1979 it fell back to Earth amid huge worldwide media attention. Skylab included a workshop, a solar observatory, and other systems necessary for crew survival and scientific experiments. It was launched unmanned by a modified Saturn V rocket, with a weight of 170,000 pounds (77,000 kg). Lifting Skylab into low earth orbit was the final mission and launch of a Saturn V rocket (famous for carrying the manned Moon landing missions). Three missions delivered three-astronaut crews in the Apollo command and service module (Apollo CSM), launched by the smaller Saturn IB rocket. For the final two manned missions to Skylab, a backup Apollo CSM/Saturn IB was assembled and made ready in case an in-orbit rescue mission was needed, but this backup vehicle was never flown.

NASA