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Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.
Discussion Topic of the Evening.
Seeing and Transparency:
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Waz Up
Space Exploration and Space History
Space Exploration News
Tory Bruno Joins Blue Origin
Date: February 23, 2026
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PGsgJEpBuDZS4dVyxht5FX-1920-80.jpg.webp
Six-Planet Parade Visible
Date: February 24, 2026
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/8616/live/8b6f69f0-131d-11f1-9120-a910fc22c6ac.png.webp
SpaceX 500th Starlink Launch of 2026
Date: February 25, 2026
https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260225_Starlink_17-26_satellites.jpeg
Artemis II Rollback Commences
Date: February 25, 2026
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rZZCpvV5daeeHMxVUx7Jn8-1200-80.jpg.webp
SpaceX Dragon CRS-33 Preparing for Return
Date: February 26, 2026
NASA Announces Artemis Program Overhaul
Date: February 27, 2026
https://talkoftitusville.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-19.png
Space-Related Birthdays
| Astronaut | Birthday | Birth Year | FCC Callsign | Flights | Notes |
| James P. Bagian | February 22 | 1952 | None | STS-29, STS-40 | American physician and engineer who flew on two Space Shuttle missions focusing on life sciences. He conducted various experiments and helped deploy a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite. |
| Clayton Anderson | February 23 | 1959 | KD5PLA | STS-117, Expedition 15/16, STS-131 | Spent 152 days aboard the International Space Station as a member of the Expedition 15 and 16 crews. He is a retired NASA astronaut and a licensed amateur radio operator. |
| Susan J. Helms | February 26 | 1958 | KC7NHZ | STS-54, STS-64, STS-78, STS-101, Expedition 2 | Record-setting spacewalk of 8 hours and 56 minutes during her stay on the International Space Station. Veteran of five spaceflights, logging a total of 211 days in space. |
This Week in Space History
A Hero Honored: President Kennedy Recognizes John Glenn (February 23, 1962)
Discovery’s Grand Finale: The Final Launch of Shuttle Discovery (February 24, 2011)
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/r2GUDAYyFzjYTZhKStZTNc.jpg.webp
The Dawn of Rocketry: V-2 Rocket Moved to Peenemuende Test Stand (February 25, 1942)
https://www.jalopnik.com/jalopnik/images/aef16fb1199a4cd3915db62777ad3ecc.webp
The Pioneering Flight of AS-201: First Saturn IB Launch (February 26, 1966)
https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/6636749_orig.jpg
Eyes on Earth: The Launch of ESA’s Envisat (February 28, 2002)
Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week
Constellation “Canis Major the Big Dog”
Space Launches For This Week
Space Flight Now Launch Schedule
March 1 Falcon 9 • Starlink 17-23
Launch time: Window opens at 12 a.m. PST (3 a.m. EST / 0800 UTC)
Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a batch of 25 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low Earth orbit. More than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster, tail number B1082, launching for a 20th time, will land on the drone ship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You,’ positioned in the Pacific Ocean. Delayed from Feb. 25, 26, 27 and 28.
Updated: February 24
March 1 Falcon 9 • Starlink 10-41
Launch time: Window opens at 7:07 p.m. EST (2307 UTC)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low Earth orbit. The first stage booster, tail number 1078, launching for a 26th time, will target a landing on the drone ship, ‘Just Read the Instructions,’ positioned in the Atlantic Ocean. Moved up from March 2.
Updated: February 20
March 4 Falcon 9 • Starlink 17-18
Launch time: Window opens up at 1 p.m. PST (4 p.m. EST / 2100 UTC)
Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a batch of 25 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low Earth orbit. More than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster, tail number B1097, launching for a seventh time, will land on the drone ship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You,’ positioned in the Pacific Ocean.
Updated: February 24
March 4 Falcon 9 • Starlink 10-40
Launch time: Window opens at 1:58 a.m. EST (0658 UTC)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low Earth orbit. The first stage booster, tail number 1080, launching for a 25th time, will target a landing on the drone ship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas,’ positioned in the Atlantic Ocean.
Updated: February 24
NET March 19 Spectrum • ‘Onward and Upward’
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Launch Complex 1, Andøya Spaceport, Norway
A Spectrum rocket from Isar Aerospace will launch on its second test flight. The two-stage rocket is carrying five CubeSats onboard: CyBEEsat from TU Berlin, TriSat-S from the University of Maribor, Platform 6 from EnduroSat, FramSat-1 from NTNU, and SpaceTeamSat1 from TU Wien Space Team. The sixth and final announced payload is an experiment called “Let it Go” from Dcubed. Exolaunch is responsible for managing payload integration and deployment. Delayed from Jan. 21 due to a pressurization valve issue.
Updated: February 16
NET March New Glenn • BlueBird 7
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7satellite into low Earth orbit. This is the second satellite in AST SpaceMobile’s next-generation satellite constellation and is designed to support space-based cellular broadband for commercial and government customers. This will be the third launch of a New Glenn rocket to date. As of Jan. 22, Blue Origin hasn’t stated if it intends to attempt a booster recovery on this mission.
Updated: February 26
Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.
All times are “local” (Dallas) time.
ISS
Tiangong
No visible passses