SpaceX will launch the first orbital mission of 2026 tonight.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 is scheduled to lift off from Vandenberg at 9:09 p.m. EST tonight carrying a COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation Earth-observing satellite for the Italian Space Agency and Ministry of Defence; live coverage begins about 15 minutes before launch.

SpaceX is scheduled to launch the first mission of 2026 tonight from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. A Falcon 9 rocket is set to lift off at 9:09 p.m. EST (6:09 p.m. local) carrying an Italian Earth-observing satellite. The spacecraft is part of the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation program and will use synthetic aperture radar to gather data in all weather and at all times of day from low Earth orbit. Coverage is expected to begin about 15 minutes before launch on SpaceX's website and its X account. Key details: - Launch vehicle and time: Falcon 9 at 9:09 p.m. EST from Vandenberg Space Force Base. - Payload: a COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation satellite for the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence. - Mission capability: the satellite uses synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and will operate from about 385 miles (620 kilometers) altitude to collect Earth-observation data day and night and in all weather. - Program history: two COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation satellites have launched previously, in December 2019 on a Soyuz and in January 2022 on a Falcon 9. - Context: this liftoff is the first orbital launch of 2026 worldwide. - Recent activity: SpaceX conducted 165 orbital missions in 2025, a record number reported for the company. Summary: The launch will place a COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation satellite into low Earth orbit to support Earth observation for a range of uses including emergency prevention and environmental monitoring. It is the first orbital launch of 2026 globally and follows earlier launches of the same satellite series; Undetermined at this time.