KOUROU, French Guiana - On February 12, 2026 at 1:45 p.m. local time (4:45 p.m. UTC, 5:45 p.m. CET), Arianespace successfully launched 32 Amazon Leo satellites with Ariane 64 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. The satellites were delivered to a low Earth orbit, at an altitude of approximately 465 km. The mission lasted 1 hour and 54 minutes, from lift-off to separation of all the satellites.

The mission, called VA267 (LE-01 for Amazon Leo), initiated the first of 18 Ariane 6 launches booked to support the deployment of the Amazon Leo constellation. It also marked the first launch for the constellation performed by a European launcher.

For this new range of constellation-type missions, Ariane 6 incorporates various adaptations to accommodate the increased payload mass. Flight VA267, the first launch of Ariane 6 in its four-booster configuration, carried the heaviest payload ever placed into orbit by the European launcher. During this mission, Ariane 6 delivered around 20 metric tons into orbit - about twice the payload capacity of the two-booster Ariane 62 variant. It demonstrates the full-power capability of Ariane 6 and its ability to meet the requirements of large-scale constellation deployments.

Ariane 6 also flew for the first time with its long fairing configuration. During this mission, the 32 Amazon Leo satellites were accommodated under a 20-meter-high fairing, giving the launcher a height of 62 meters.

This flight VA267 is a major milestone for the development of Ariane 6 under the European Space Agency's oversight.

Source: Arianespace
Associated URL: https://newsroom.arianespace.com/arianespace-successfully-launches-32-amazon-leo-satellites-with-the-first-ariane-64/?lang=eng

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Rocket Lab Corporation announced its next launch is a dedicated mission on its HASTE rocket for the Department of War’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).

The mission, named Cassowary Vex, is scheduled to launch no earlier than late February from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 within the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia.

The HASTE launch, dubbed ‘That’s Not A Knife,' is the latest mission of the DIU and will deploy DART AE, a scramjet-powered aircraft developed by Australian aerospace engineering firm Hypersonix.

This latest HASTE launch, the Company’s fourth hypersonic test mission in under six months, reflects Rocket Lab’s investment in restoring the nation’s hypersonic test capabilities through its commercial speed, innovation, and execution - a critical priority for the Department of War. By lowering cost barriers and increasing the test launch tempo for the United States and its allies, HASTE gives testers unprecedented control over flight profiles and environments up to Mach 20 - a commercial capability that remains unmatched globally and expands and secures U.S. space superiority.

Source: Rocket Lab
Associated URL: https://rocketlabcorp.com/updates/rocket-lab-prepares-to-launch-latest-hypersonic-test-mission-for-defense-innovation-unit/

WASHINGTON - President Trump signed an executive order on February 6 establishing the "America First Arms Transfer Strategy," a new framework that ties the sale of American military equipment directly to the revitalization of the domestic defense industrial base. The order mandates that the United States leverage its dominance in defense exports to expand domestic production capacity and support reindustrialization, marking a shift toward using foreign capital to fortify American manufacturing.

The directive instructs the Pentagon to prioritize arms transfers to allies and partners that have invested in their own self-defense, occupy critical geographic positions, or contribute significantly to U.S. economic security. A central pillar of the strategy is the requirement for the Pentagon, in coordination with the Secretaries of State and Commerce, to produce a "sales catalog" of prioritized platforms within 120 days. This list will serve as the primary menu of systems the U.S. will encourage international partners to acquire to ensure alignment with the National Security Strategy.

To oversee the implementation of these reforms, the order establishes the Promoting American Military Sales Task Force, chaired by the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. The task force is charged with streamlining the bureaucratic process of foreign military sales, including reducing "onerous" third-party transfer restrictions and clarifying end-use monitoring criteria. The administration also aims to improve transparency by publishing quarterly performance metrics on sales execution and export licensing, seeking to eliminate backlogs that have historically impacted both domestic and ally readiness.

Source: Forecast International
Associated URL: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/02/establishing-an-america-first-arms-transfer-strategy/