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January 2020
GPS 3 SV03 Falcon 9 Launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the U.S. Air Force’s third third-generation navigation satellite for the Global Positioning System. The satellite is built by Lockheed Martin. The Air Force previously planned to launch the second GPS 3-series satellite on this mission. Launch date: January 2020 Launch time: TBD
Find out more »SSMS POC Vega Launch
An Arianespace Vega rocket will launch onhe Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS) Proof of Concept mission with 42 microsatellites, nanosatellites and CubeSats for commercial and institutional customers. This rideshare launch is the first flight of a multi-payload dispenser funded by the European Space Agency to allow the Vega rocket to deliver numerous small satellites to orbit on a single mission. Launch date: TBD Launch time: TBD
Find out more »OneWeb 3 Soyuz Launch
A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch approximately 32 satellites into orbit for OneWeb, which is developing a constellation of hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit for low-latency broadband communications. The Soyuz-2.1b rocket will use a Fregat upper stage. Launch date: Early 2020 Launch time: TBD
Find out more »OneWeb 4 Soyuz Launch
A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch approximately 32 satellites into orbit for OneWeb, which is developing a constellation of hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit for low-latency broadband communications. The Soyuz-2.1b rocket will use a Fregat upper stage. Launch date: Early 2020 Launch time: TBD
Find out more »Chang’e 5 Long March 5 Launch
A Chinese Long March 5 rocket will launch the Chang’e 5 mission to return samples from the moon. It is the first lunar sample return mission attempted since 1976. Launch date: Early 2020 Launch time: TBD
Find out more »Falcon Eye 2 Vega Launch
An Arianespace Vega rocket, designated VV17, will launch with the Falcon Eye 2 high-resolution Earth-imaging satellite for the United Arab Emirates. Built by Airbus Defense and Space with an optical imaging payload from Thales Alenia Space, Falcon Eye 2 is the second of two surveillance satellites ordered by the UAE’s military. Launch date: TBD Launch time: TBD
Find out more »Chang’e 5 Long March 5 Launch
A Chinese Long March 5 rocket will launch the Chang’e 5 mission to return samples from the moon. It is the first lunar sample return mission attempted since 1976. Launch window: TBD
Find out more »February 2020
Solar Orbiter (Sol0) Atlas 5 Launch
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the Solar Orbiter spacecraft for NASA and the European Space Agency. Built by Airbus Defense and Space, Solar Orbiter, or SolO, will travel inside the orbit of Mercury to study how the sun creates and controls the heliosphere, the vast bubble of charged particles blown by the solar wind into the interstellar medium. The rocket will fly in the 411 vehicle configuration with a four-meter fairing, one solid rocket booster and…
Find out more »NG-13 Antares Launch
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket will launch the 14th Cygnus cargo freighter on the 13th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The mission is known as NG-13. The rocket will fly in the Antares 230 configuration, with two RD-181 first stage engines and a Castor 30XL second stage. Launch date: TBD
Find out more »SAOCOM 1B Falcon 9 Launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the SAOCOM 1B satellite for CONAE, Argentina’s space agency. SAOCOM 1B is the second of two SAOCOM 1-series Earth observation satellites designed to provide radar imagery to help emergency responders and monitor the environment, including the collection of soil moisture measurements. Launch date: February 2020 Launch time: TBD
Find out more »March 2020
SpaceX CRS 20 Falcon 9 Launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 22nd Dragon spacecraft mission on its 20th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The flight is being conducted under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. Launch date: TBD
Find out more »ISS 62S Soyuz Launch
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the crewed Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft to the International Space Station with members of the next Expedition crew. The capsule will remain at the station for about six months, providing an escape pod for the residents. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration. Launch time: TBD
Find out more »AEHF 6 Atlas 5 Launch
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite. Built by Lockheed Martin, this U.S. military spacecraft will provide highly-secure communications. The rocket will fly in the 551 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, five solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Launch date: March 2020 Launch time: TBD
Find out more »April 2020
Progress 75P Soyuz Launch
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 75th Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station. Launch time: TBD
Find out more »Lyrid Meteor Shower Peak (Lyrids)
The April Lyrids (LYR, IAU shower number 6) are a meteor shower lasting from April 16 to April 26 each year. The radiant of the meteor shower is located in the constellation Lyra, near this constellation's brightest star, Alpha Lyrae (proper name Vega). Their peak is typically around April 22 each year.
Find out more »AFSPC 7/OTV-6 Atlas V Launch
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the AFSPC 7 mission for the U.S. Air Force. The mission’s primary payload is the X-37B, a spaceplane also called the Orbital Test Vehicle, on the program’s sixth mission. The rocket will fly in the 501 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, no solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from December. Launch date: 2nd Quarter 2020 Launch time: TBD
Find out more »May 2020
Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower Peak (Eta Aquarids)
(Photo by Rocky Raybell) The Eta Aquarids are a meteor shower associated with Halley's Comet. The shower is visible from about April 21 to about May 20 each year with peak activity on or around May 6. Unlike most major annual meteor showers, there is no sharp peak for this shower, but rather a plateau of good rates that last approximately one week centered on May 7. The meteors we currently see as members of the Eta Aquariid shower separated from…
Find out more »GPS 3 SV04 Falcon 9 Launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the U.S. Air Force’s fourth third-generation navigation satellite for the Global Positioning System. The satellite is built by Lockheed Martin. Launch date: May 2020 Launch time: TBD
Find out more »June 2020
NROL-44 Delta 4-Heavy Launch
A United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket will launch a classified spy satellite cargo for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The largest of the Delta 4 family, the Heavy version features three Common Booster Cores mounted together to form a triple-body rocket. Launch date: June 2019 Launch time: TBD
Find out more »July 2020
Progress 76P Soyuz Launch
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 76th Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station. Launch time: TBD
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