The SpainSat NG II incident damaged key components of the satellite's power supply for onboard instruments.

Spain is one of four principal countries among the 15 nations in the European space surveillance framework for Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST).

At least one observed uncontrolled reentry tracked by European surveillance ended with debris falling in Poland.

SpainSat NG II is a Spanish secure communications satellite that became inoperable while moving to its orbit.

The SpainSat program is described as vital for Spanish Armed Forces operations and governmental communications.

The SST activity led by Spain focuses on calculating atmospheric reentries and preventing collisions.

Objects larger than 10 centimeters proliferating in orbit present a constant collision risk to operational spacecraft.

Some spacecraft components sublimate during atmospheric reentry due to heat, while other components can survive passage through the atmosphere.

Marcy Mabry is the CEO and cofounder of SpaceLaunch.

The PMM has a platform mass of 250 kg and can support a payload of up to 280 kg by providing power, control, communications, and other on-orbit resources.

SpaceLaunch will procure a Vega C rocket manufactured by Avio to launch Amazonia-1B.

The INPE tender for the Amazonia-1B launch received four international proposals evaluated on technical and value criteria.

The Vega C rocket is an updated version of the original Vega launcher with a height of 34.8 meters.

SpaceLaunch won a tendered contract from the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Espaciales (INPE) to launch the Brazilian Earth observation satellite Amazonia-1B in 2027.

Amazonia-1 and the under-construction Amazonia-1B are the first end-to-end Earth resources satellites fully developed in Brazil based on the Plataforma Multimissão (PMM).

SpaceLaunch is a United States space company based in Texas.

The Plataforma Multimissão (PMM) is a medium-size generic satellite platform intended for the 500 kg class.

The Vega C rocket has a payload capacity of 2,300 kilograms to sun-synchronous orbit.

Avio’s Vega C offers increased performance, flexibility, and the ability to accommodate roughly 90% of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

Marcy Mabry previously worked on the launch of the first Amazonia-1 satellite in 2021 using an Indian PSLV launcher.

SpaceLaunch is acting as a launch broker for the Amazonia-1B contract rather than negotiating the contract directly with Avio.

The launch contract between INPE and SpaceLaunch is valued at 188 million reais (approximately 30 million euros).

After the Amazonia-1B launch in 2027, the Amazonia-2 satellite will join the constellation to monitor deforestation in the Amazon region and support agricultural monitoring across Brazil.

The first Amazonia-1 satellite was launched on board an Indian PSLV in February 2021.

Avio is seeking to expand its presence in the global launch market and is entering a new phase following its work with Arianespace.

The Long March 2C is operated by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology for missions to low Earth and sun-synchronous orbits.

The Long March 2C payload capacity is 3,850 kilograms to low Earth orbit.

The January 31, 2026 launch was the 86th flight of the Long March 2C.

The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology reported that the January 31, 2026 mission followed seventeen days after the Long March 2C’s previous flight enabled by parallel launch preparations at Jiuquan.

The January 31, 2026 Long March 2C featured a mostly-white paint scheme with manufacturer, customer, and national branding retained and without the previous blue tracking bands.

The Long March 2C first and second stages have a diameter of 3.35 meters.

China’s state-owned space enterprises involved in the AlSat-3 launches associate the missions with the One Belt, One Road Initiative.

The January 31, 2026 Long March 2C flight injected its payload into sun-synchronous orbit for an international customer.

AlSat-3A and AlSat-3B are intended to support land-use planning and enhance capabilities for disaster prevention and mitigation.

AlSat-3B is the second of two Chinese-made remote sensing satellites for Algeria agreed in July 2023.

The January 31, 2026 launch was the eighth Chinese launch of 2026.

Removal of the Long March 2C’s blue tracking bands reduced vehicle weight slightly following improvements to tracking technology.

The customer for the January 31, 2026 Long March 2C launch was the Algerian Space Agency with the AlSat-3B satellite.

The Long March 2C payload capacity is 1,250 kilograms to geostationary transfer orbit.

The launches of AlSat-3A and AlSat-3B are conducted under the second Algeria-China Strategic Cooperation Plan (2022–2026).

The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology stated that the Long March 2C will have a period of high-density launches during 2026.

The Long March 2C second stage is powered by a single YF-22E engine and four YF-23C verniers that together generate 80 tons of thrust while burning dinitrogen tetroxide and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine.

The Long March 2C payload capacity is 1,900 kilograms to sun-synchronous orbit.

A Long March 2C launched from Launch Site 94 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 12:01 pm China Standard Time (04:01 am UTC) on January 31, 2026.

The Long March 2C has flown from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, and the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

On the launch pad, the Long March 2C is 42 meters tall and weighs 233,000 kilograms when fully fuelled.

AlSat-3B was produced by the China Academy of Space Technology and procured through China Great Wall Industry Corporation.

The Long March 2C first stage is powered by four YF-21C engines that generate 302 tons of thrust while burning dinitrogen tetroxide and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine.

The January 31, 2026 launch was the 629th launch of the Long March launch vehicle series.

The Long March 2C fairing is available in diameters of either 3.35 meters or 4.2 meters.