Students from New Mexico State University (NMSU) and the Albuquerque Heights Composite Squadron (a.k.a. Spirit Squadron), unit NM-083 of the Civil Air Patrol, completed a series of rocket launches at Spaceport America on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026.
Saturday’s event was coordinated in part by NMSU Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering student Joshua Davila, who serves as the Atomic Aggies’ (the competition rocketry team of NMSU) National Association of Rocketry (NAR) Section #982 President and Solid Propulsions Lead. In addition to identifying the NAR fliers from NMSU, Davila also involved seven American Rocketry Challenge (ARC) teams throughout the region to promote Saturday’s event as an opportunity to conduct preliminary launches.
“We, the Atomic Aggies, are incredibly proud of the growing community of local rocketry enthusiasts we are building connections with,” said Davila. “We’re thrilled to have local American rocketry challenge teams joining us for launches at Spaceport America.” The NMSU students who launched represented the Atomic Aggies Rocketry Team. Of the team members in attendance, 10 earned their Level 1 certifications from the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) for succeeding in launching their rockets up to 1,700 feet. Of the 11 rockets launched from the spaceport, 10 achieved successful flights.
Led by Lt. Col. Michael O’Dell, the Albuquerque Civil Air Patrol team members were able to launch their rocket three times, completing the preliminary work for their ARC launches. The ARC is the world’s largest student rocket competition, and boasts over 1,100 middle and high school teams who will be competing at Great Meadow Foundation in The Plains, Va., in May of 2026.
“The annual American Rocketry Challenge provides our Civil Air Patrol cadets a five-month long hands-on science and engineering challenge, and they love it,” O’Dell commented. “I brag about our students and how bright they are, but for me this represents another opportunity; to showcase New Mexico. This group and those that follow will all go off to universities and set loftier goals and with this experience coupled with these types of partnerships, we can keep some of them right here in our state.”
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New Mexico students brought rockets they designed and built to Spaceport America on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026 and launched them. Credits: Spaceport America
The Friends of Amateur Rocketry – Oxidizers Uninhibited Tournament (FAR‑OUT) is back, bringing one of the most innovative grassroots rocketry competitions in the country to the Mojave Desert. This first‑of‑its‑kind event showcases commercial‑off‑the‑shelf (COTS) hybrids, research hybrids, and research liquid engines as teams compete to most accurately hit a pre‑simulated “contract” apogee. With scoring groups ranging from 5,000’ to 110,000’—and exhibition flights reaching up to 240,000’—FAR‑OUT highlights precision engineering at every level. Teams may also static fire on‑site to demonstrate motor efficiency.
The tournament kicks off Wednesday, May 27, 2026, with an opening ceremony and technical conference at the Stuart Witt Event Center at Mojave Air & Space Port. The conference features poster sessions, podium presentations, and industry tours with local aerospace partners. Setup and test days run Thursday and Friday, followed by three full days of launches from May 30 through June 1 at the Friends of Amateur Rocketry site. FAR‑OUT continues to grow as a celebration of experimental rocketry, hands‑on engineering, and the unique flight‑test ecosystem of Mojave.
** NASA’s SpaceX 33rd Commercial Resupply Services Undocking | NASA
Watch a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undock and depart from the International Space Station. The spacecraft is scheduled to autonomously undock at 12:05 p.m. EST (1705 UTC) on Thursday, Feb. 26, and splash down off the coast of California at 2:44 a.m. EST (0744 UTC) on Friday, Feb. 27.
This Dragon spacecraft arrived at the space station as part of our SpaceX 33rd Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-33) mission. It arrived carrying science and supplies for the crew aboard the orbiting lab, and will return to Earth with scientific data from experiments in low Earth orbit, including tests determining how materials age in space and how microgravity affects brain and heart stem cell growth.
Learn more about this mission and the science it’s bringing down to Earth: [link to advisory] Follow the ISS blog for the latest updates on the CRS-33 mission: https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/
** NASA Astronaut Discusses Life In Space With WTOP Radio – Friday, February 20, 2026 | NASA Video
Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 74 flight engineer Chris Williams of NASA, discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview February 20 with WTOP Radio in Washington, D.C. Williams is in the midst of a long-duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration flights as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.
** Celebrate Engineers Week 2026 with the International Space Station | DiscoverE
Astronaut Chris Williams shares an Engineers Week message from the Cupola of the International Space Station!
This year’s Engineers Week theme – Transform Your Future – is about celebrating today’s achievements and inspiring the next generation of problem-solvers.
Watch the docking operations of Crew-12 to the International Space Station (ISS), which took place on 14 February 2026 at 21:15 CET. The docking is followed by the hatch opening and the welcome remarks by the astronauts already present in the ISS.
ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot flies as mission specialist. The other Crew-12 members are NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, respectively commander and pilot of the mission, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev, mission specialist.
The French ESA astronaut is the first of her class, the Hoppers, to fly. Sophie has chosen the name εpsilon for her mission, which may last up to nine months. On board the Station, she will conduct a wide range of tasks, including European-led scientific experiments and medical research, support Earth observation activities, and contribute to operations and maintenance on the Station.
** ISS does ‘orbital cartwheel’ in amazing time-lapse from space | VideoFromSpace
The International Space Station changes its orientation “before and after each Spacex CRS-33 reboost,” according to NASA astronaut Zena Cardman. This time-lapse shows the orbital cartwheel it performs.
Axiom Space, the leader in commercial human space exploration, announced today $350-million in financing to advance its mission to deliver the successor to the International Space Station (ISS) and ready its next-generation spacesuits for the United States’ return to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
The financing reflects continued strong institutional and strategic investor conviction in Axiom Space’s leadership position.
It’s an honor to be entrusted by @NASA to conduct our fifth commercial human spaceflight mission onboard the @Space_Station. Axiom Space has sent 14 astronauts, representing 11 nations to the station in the past 4 years, with crews conducting 160+ research and 100+ outreach…
Voyager Technologies (NYSE: VOYG) and Max Space announced a strategic partnership to advance expandable space exploration technology, serving as the cornerstone of future lunar and deep-space exploration efforts for habitation and storage. …
… The collaboration brings together Voyager’s experience delivering mission-critical space systems and infrastructure with Max Space’s high-volume, low-mass expandable structure technology, creating a scalable approach to human operations on the lunar surface and critical to humanity’s expansion to Mars and beyond. The effort supports a growing national and commercial emphasis toward a sustained human presence and operational continuity beyond low-Earth orbit.
“Expandable structures represent a step change in how surface infrastructure can be delivered and deployed,” said Saleem Miyan, co-founder and CEO, Max Space. “Our structure is an evolutionary leap over previous generations, and it’s the only expandable technology with 40 years of on-orbit experience designed into it. Its architecture embodies increased capability, scalability and versatility that are essential for sustained deep-space human activity and to unleash the Lunar and Martian economies.”
— Starlab plans for microgravity life science research and manufacturing applications on the station:
Through recent partnerships with life sciences innovators such as Auxilium, @theHelogen and @LambdaVision, Starlab is supporting research that leverages microgravity to advance biomanufacturing, regenerative medicine, and continuous biological discovery. These efforts point to… pic.twitter.com/qOyEOba4pj
Last week we had the privilege of hosting @FCC Space Bureau Chief Jay Schwarz at Vast headquarters in Long Beach, CA and showcasing our Haven-1 hardware, including MMOD shielding and cabin interfaces. We appreciate the FCC’s proactive engagement in advancing American space… pic.twitter.com/WDUbCZlcY7
Vast, the company developing next-generation space stations, has signed an order with NASA for the sixth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, targeted to launch no earlier than summer 2027 from Florida. It is Vast’s first private astronaut mission to the space station in partnership with NASA.
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The Vast private astronaut mission crew is expected to spend up to 14 days aboard the space station. A specific launch date will depend on overall spacecraft traffic at the orbital outpost and other planning considerations. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will launch the crew on a Dragon spacecraft to the space station as previously announced.
The mission will generate invaluable insights into the infrastructure and processes required for Vast to safely accomplish human spaceflight missions. The mission supports deeper collaboration with NASA and international space agencies in addition to strengthening Vast’s position as a candidate to deliver its proposed successor to the space station, the multi-module, continuously crewed Haven-2.
=== Chinese space habitats
** Chinese astronauts create music video in space to celebrate Lunar New Year 2026 | VideoFromSpace
The Shenzhou-21 crew created a music video aboard the Tiangong space station that highlights China’s accomplishments in space. Full Story: https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/…
** Chinese astronauts left ‘stranded’ on space station reveal damaged spacecraft details | VideoFromSpace
Crew members of China’s Shenzhou-20 mission recently detailed their reactions upon finding cracks in their spacecraft’s viewport during the nation’s first spaceflight emergency.
[Frank Pietronigro] discussed his artistic and scientific research focused on creating living biological spacecraft and habitats, emphasizing the integration of art and science to enhance human space exploration. He highlighted collaborations with NASA and the development of systems to reduce stress and boredom in space environments, while also exploring the concept of biopixels and living cells as programmable elements for future space habitats. Frank referenced historical and contemporary influences, while David mentioned a previous guest who was a former hand surgeon now an architect talking about “living architecture for space.”
Frank discussed the evolution of space art and the concept of biopixels, emphasizing the shift from geometric to organic structures and the need for an ethics of universal hospitality in space exploration. He shared his vision for a dynamic living space habitat and mentioned a proposal submitted to MIT. The Wisdom Team also discussed recent art projects on the moon, including Jeff Koons’ digital sculpture and a digital museum, highlighting the intersection of art, technology, and science. Frank reflected on his own experiences with space art, including a drift painting experiment in 1986 and his work with the California Space Grant Program.
There is also a Youtube video (not embeddable) of the Zoom event.
=== Other space habitat and settlement news and articles:
Calendar:
March Storm 2026 – Washington, D.C., March 16-18, 2026. Join the Alliance for Space Development to advocate on Capitol Hill for the acceleration of humanity’s move into space with polices such as requiring “that the U.S. government will enable a series of large-scale space development activities, resulting in many people living and working off-planet“. Register here.
ISS in Real Time – “Explore 25 years onboard the International Space Station. This multimedia project replays every day of the past 25 years onboard and consists entirely of historical mission material.”
** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) | NASA
Watch live video from the International Space Station, including inside views when the crew aboard the space station is on duty. Views of Earth are also streamed from an external camera located outside of the space station. During periods of signal loss due to handover between communications satellites, a blue screen is displayed.
The space station orbits Earth about 250 miles (425 kilometers) above the surface. An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the station, and it has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It’s a microgravity laboratory where science, research, and human innovation make way for new technologies and research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3CkVtC8
Did you know you can spot the station without a telescope? It looks like a fast-moving star, but you have to know when to look up. Sign up for text messages or email alerts to let you know when (and where) to spot the station and wave to the crew: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov
Check out the night sky this month, March 2026. Top events include a lunar eclipse and a Venus-Saturn conjunction. Here are videos and links to websites highlighting the major sights.
** What’s Up: March 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA | NASA JPL
What are some skywatching highlights in March 2026?
A total lunar eclipse blood moon takes centre stage, Venus and Saturn cozy up for a conjunction, and we celebrate the vernal equinox.
0:00 Intro 0:12 Total lunar eclipse 1:22 Venus + Saturn conjunction 1:57 Vernal equinox 2:39 March Moon phases
Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What’s Up, along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available at https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/.
Phases of the Moon for March 2026. Credits: NASA JPL
This month’s episode showcases the stars and planets visible on March evenings. First up: March 3rd’s predawn a total lunar eclipse! Then track down three planets after sunset, and savor the easy-to-spot Winter Triangle of bright stars. So grab your curiosity, and come along on this month’s Sky Tour!
** The Night Sky | March 2026 | Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse | Comet C/2026 A1 MAPS | Late Night Astronomy
A total lunar eclipse turns the Moon blood red and a newly discovered comet might lead to some incredible views in just a few weeks. Let’s take a look at what you can see in the night sky for March of 2026.
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Timestamps: 0:00 Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse 2:05 Moon Phases 2:50 Houdini Eyepieces Ad 3:55 The Planets 5:17 Comet A1 MAPS 6:33 Deep Sky Challenge
Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 00:36 – Nearest Neighbors 01:52 – Total Lunar Eclipse 03:00 – The Leo Triplet 04:04 – Messier 108 04:52 – Coma Star Cluster 05:35 – The Ghost Of Jupiter 06:17 – Conclusion
An Introduction to Satellite Meteorology explores the many ways that NOAA satellites help meteorologists predict the immediate weather and long-term climate behavior to make our lives more enjoyable and safer. Start now by clicking on Introduction to Satellite Meteorology
Satellites and Climate Change begins with a review of the natural and man-made causes of climate change and how its impacts our lives over the short and long terms.
Satellites and Pollution Control examines the root causes of pollution, both natural and man-made. It looks at the effects of pollution on our environment and our health.
Several more courses will be added within the year.
Check out the BuzzSat coloring book, available as a free download.
“Satellites in Space” coloring book, free from AMSAT. Credits: AMSAT
BuzzSat designed the coloring book
… for kids with an interest in satellites and how they play a role in our modern lives.
The book is comprised of twelve 2-page spreads that show how satellites are used and the benefits they provide. Topics include satellites and:
Agriculture Broadcasting Communications Climate Change Pollution Control Fighting Wildfires Preserving Wildlife Space exploration Navigation Meteorology Research on the ISS Search and Rescue
The book also includes a discussion guide for each topic. It is written for parents, group leaders or teachers who want to use the coloring books in their educational activities. But, not to worry – please use these coloring books for just plain fun.
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AMSAT has a deal for joining. The Feb. 22nd issue of the AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletin says:
AMSAT is offering a limited-time promotion for new and renewing members that includes a free digital copy of Getting Started with Amateur Satellites. The promotion is being offered as AMSAT begins the 2026 membership year.
Anyone who joins or renews their AMSAT membership during the promotional period will receive a download link for the latest edition of Getting Started with Amateur Satellites in their membership confirmation email. The guide is designed to help radio amateurs understand the fundamentals of satellite operation and serves as a practical reference for both newcomers and operators returning to the hobby. Additional information about AMSAT membership is available at https://launch.amsat.org.
Cover page for “Getting Started With Amateur Satellites”. Credits: AMSAT
In addition to this limited-time promotion, AMSAT membership includes a subscription to The AMSAT Journal, access to archived issues, discounts on selected items in the AMSAT online store, and opportunities to participate in AMSAT elections, committees, awards programs, and other AMSAT activities and programs. Members may also access archived proceedings from past AMSAT Space Symposiums through the AMSAT member portal.
Beyond these tangible benefits, AMSAT membership supports the development, launch, and operation of amateur radio satellites, along with education and outreach efforts. Joining AMSAT is not just about individual benefits — it is about being part of the community that builds and operates amateur satellites for radio amateurs worldwide. As AMSAT looks ahead to 2026, the promotion helps launch another year of growth and opportunity for amateur radio in space.
Check out the night sky this month, February 2026. Here are videos and links to websites highlighting the top sights to observe.
** What’s Up: February 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA | NASA JPL
What are some skywatching highlights in February 2026?
Jupiter is at its biggest and brightest all year, the Moon and Saturn pair up, and the Beehive Cluster buzzes into view.
0:00 Intro 0:14 Artemis II launch window opens 0:45 Orion the Hunter 1:23 A planetary parade 2:05 February Moon phases
Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What’s Up, along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available at https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/….
Phases of the Moon for Feb.2026. Credits: NASA/JPL
Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal the best stargazing and astronomy targets to see in the night sky this month. Find out which planets, constellations and deep-sky objects are worth seeking out in February 2026.
In this month’s episode, go on a guided tour of the stars and planets that you’ll see overhead during February. First we’ll keep tabs on the Moon; say good-bye to Saturn; trace out the Winter Milky Way; and explore some lesser-known constellations near Orion.
** The Night Sky | February 2026 | A Planetary Parade | Full Snow Moon | Comet E1 Wierzchos | Late Night Astronomy
A planetary parade puts on a show right after sunset and Jupiter continues to dominate the night sky. Let’s take a look at what you can go out to see for February of 2026.
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Timestamps: 0:00 Planetary Parade 1:46 The Moon & Mercury 3:09 Ouranos Ad 4:13 The Planets 6:15 Comet E1 Wierzchos 6:46 Constellation Taurus
Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 00:39 – Nearest Neighbors 02:18 – Grazing Occultation of the Pleiades by the Moon 02:56 – Messier 44 03:38 – Algieba 04:34 – Messier 48 05:31 – Messier 81 & Messier 82 06:32 – Conclusion
Phases of the Moon for Feb.2026. Credits: