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December 2021
ISS 66S Soyuz Launch
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the crewed Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft to the International Space Station on a 12-day flight with cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin and space tourists Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration. Instantaneous Launch Window: TBD, 2021
Find out more »Geminid Meteor Shower Peak (Geminids)
The meteors from this shower are slow moving. The shower is thought to be intensifying every year and recent showers have seen 120–160 meteors per hour under optimal conditions, generally around 02:00 to 03:00 local time.
Find out more »IXPE Falcon 9 Launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer. IXPE exploits the polarization state of light from astrophysical sources to provide insight into our understanding of X-ray production in objects such as neutron stars and pulsar wind nebulae, as well as stellar and supermassive black holes. Launch Time: TBD
Find out more »James Webb Space Telescope Ariane 5 Launch
Arianespace used an Ariane 5 ECA rocket, designated VA256, to launch the James Webb Space Telescope, a flagship observatory developed by NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. JWST is the largest space telescope ever built, with a deployable mirror measuring 21.3 feet (6.5 meters) in diameter and four scientific instruments to observe the universe in infrared wavelengths. The mission will study the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets. The Ariane 5 ECA rocket will launch JWST…
Find out more »Ursid Meteor Shower Peak (Ursids)
The Ursid (URS) meteor shower is named for its radiant point which is located near the star Beta Ursae Minoris (Kochab) in the constellation Ursa Minor. The Ursids are associated with Comet 8P/Tuttle, also sometimes known as Mechain-Tuttle's Comet. Peak meteor shower activity: December 21-22
Find out more »SSLV Demonstration Launch
India’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) will launch on its first orbital test flight. Consisting of three solid-fueled stages and a liquid-fueled upper stage, the SSLV is a new Indian launch vehicle designed to carry small satellites into low Earth orbit. Launch Time: TBD Launch Date: Q4 2021
Find out more »BlackSky Global SSLV Launch
India’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) will launch on its first commercial mission with four Earth observation satellites for BlackSky Global, a Seattle-based company. The rideshare mission for BlackSky is being arranged by Spaceflight. Launch Time: TBD Launch Date: Q4 2021
Find out more »CST-100 Starliner Orbital Flight Test 2 Atlas 5 Launch
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-082, will launch Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on second unpiloted test flight to the International Space Station. This mission was added after Boeing’s decision to refly the Starliner’s Orbital Flight Test before proceeding with the Crew Flight Test. The rocket will fly in a vehicle configuration with two solid rocket boosters and a dual-engine Centaur upper stage. Launch Time: TBD, 2021
Find out more »CAPSTONE Electron Launch
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch on its second mission from a new launch pad at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia. The Electron rocket will carry NASA’s Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, or CAPSTONE, mission to the moon. CAPSTONE will fly to the moon on Rocket Lab’s Photon space tug, entering a unique halo-like lunar orbit to test deep space navigation and communications in the same orbit to be used by NASA’s…
Find out more »STP-3 Atlas 5 Launch
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the STP-3 mission for the U.S. Space Force. The STP-3 rideshare mission will launch the STPSat 6 satellite and several small satellites. STPSat 6 hosts several payloads and experiments, including the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Space and Atmospheric Burst Reporting System-3 (SABRS-3) payload, and NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) experiment. The rocket will fly in the 551 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, five solid rocket boosters, and a single-engine…
Find out more »Turksat 5B Falcon 9 Launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Turksat 5B communications satellite for Turksat, a Turkish satellite operator. Built by Airbus Defense and Space with significant Turkish contributions, the Turksat 5B satellite will provide broadband services over a wide coverage area, including Turkey, the Middle East and large regions of Africa. Launch Window: TBD, Q4 2021
Find out more »Transporter 3 Falcon 9 Launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Transporter 3 mission, a rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with numerous small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers. Launch Time: TBD, December 2021
Find out more »OneWeb 12 Soyuz Launch
A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch 34 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 Time: TBD Launch Date: December 2021
Find out more »RISAT 1A PSLV Launch
India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), designated PSLV-C52, will launch the Indian RISAT 1A radar Earth observation satellite. Launch Time: TBD
Find out more »CERES Vega Launch
An Arianespace Vega rocket, designated VV20, will launch three CERES signals intelligence satellites for the French military. The three small satellites were built by Airbus Defense and Space and Thales Alenia Space. Launch Time: TBD
Find out more »USSF 8 (GSSAP 5 & 6) Atlas 5 Launch
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the USSF 8 mission with the fifth and sixth satellites for the Space Force’s Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program, or GSSAP, designed to help the military track and observe objects in geosynchronous orbit. The rocket will fly in the 511 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, one solid rocket booster and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Launch Time: TBD, 2021
Find out more »January 2022
Anniversary of Chang’e 3 Launch (2013)
Fifth anniversary of the launch of China's moon lander and rover, Chang'e, in 2013. More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang%27e_3
Find out more »Quadrantid Meteor Shower Peak (Quadrantids)
The Quadrantid meteor shower is one of the year's best, often producing more than 100 meteors per hour from a radiant near the North Star.
Find out more »Anniversary of Pioneer 10’s Jupiter Flyby (1973)
More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_10#Encounter_with_Jupiter
Find out more »Anniversary of Pioneer Venus 1’s Venus Orbit Insertion (1978)
More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_Venus_Orbiter
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