January Wraps Up with Busy Week of Space Launches from Multiple Countries

The final week of January is set to feature an active schedule of orbital launches from multiple locations including Florida, California, New Zealand, and potentially China. SpaceX aims to complete the month with the GPS III SV09 mission and possibly three Starlink missions, while Rocket Lab prepares for its “Bridging the Swarm” launch on its Electron rocket.

On January 26, SpaceX will conduct its first launch of the week from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Scheduled for 11:42 PM EST, the mission will deploy the GPS III SV09 satellite, named after former astronaut Ellison Onizuka. The launch window will remain open for 15 minutes, concluding at 11:57 PM EST. The U.S. Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron reports a 60% chance of conditions unfavorable for launch primarily due to expected liftoff winds. The Falcon 9 rocket is anticipated to land in the Atlantic Ocean on droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas after successfully placing the satellite, which weighs 4,352 kg, into medium-Earth orbit.

The GPS III series satellites provide enhanced accuracy and resistance to jamming, vital for the United States’ navigation infrastructure. The current launch marks the fourth non-Starlink launch for SpaceX this year, and the Falcon 9 rocket used in this mission has had a series of successful flights since its debut in July 2025.

Rocket Lab is set to follow on January 28 with its “Bridging the Swarm” mission. The Electron rocket is slated for liftoff at 00:55 UTC from the company’s facility in New Zealand, transporting the NeonSat-1A satellite into a Sun-synchronous orbit. This satellite is part of a South Korean initiative to monitor the Korean Peninsula and will join the existing NeonSat-1 satellite already in orbit. The Electron will fly southbound for this mission, which serves as Rocket Lab’s second in just a week if all goes as planned.

SpaceX also has two Starlink launches scheduled for January 29. The first, Starlink Group 17-19, will take off at 7:17 AM PST from Vandenberg Space Force Base, while the second, Starlink Group 6-101, will launch later the same day at 11:00 PM EST from Cape Canaveral. Both missions will deploy batches of Starlink v2 Mini satellites into low-Earth orbit. These launches will contribute to a significant increase in SpaceX’s satellite constellation, which aims to enhance global internet coverage.

China is also eyeing an ambitious week, with a Chang Zheng 7A rocket launch pending from Hainan Island. While the exact date remains unconfirmed, it was initially scheduled for January 26. The delay comes after a recent launch failure involving a related rocket. Additionally, plans for a Jielong 3 mission from the South China Sea have also emerged, although no specific launch date is available yet.

As this intense week of launches unfolds, the advancements in space technology and international cooperation in space exploration are poised to make headlines around the globe.