SpaceX mission 2026: The Italian radar satellite takes its first orbital flight

SpaceX has officially kicked off the global launch calendar as a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:09 p.m., carrying an Italian Earth-observation satellite to orbit.

The rocket’s primary stage landed back at Vandenberg as planned about 8.5 minutes after liftoff.

According to SpaceX, it was the 21st flight for this specific booster.

Successful satellite deployment for SpaceX’s first 2026 mission

The Falcon 9 successfully deployed its payload -a COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation satellite-into low Earth orbit for the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence.

The spacecraft will study Earth using remote sensing while accumulating all data at all times of day and in all weather conditions from an altitude of 385 miles (620 kilometers).

According to the European Space Agency explainer, COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation is a satellite constellation designed to “monitor the Earth for the sake of emergency prevention, strategy and commercial purposes.

Its applications include risk management, environmental protection, natural resource exploration, defense and security and food & agriculture management.

It’s not surprising at all that SpaceX is already breaking records this year. Elon Musk’s company launched 165 orbital missions in 2025, surpassing every other entity- commercial or governmental-in the world.

The recent mission marks a significant milestone for both SpaceX and the international space community.