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September 2019
ISS 61S Soyuz Launch
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the crewed Soyuz MS-15 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, the first use of the Soyuz-2 variant on a crewed launch.
Find out more »HTV 8 H-2B Launch
A Japanese H-2B rocket will launch the eighth H-2 Transfer Vehicle. The HTV serves as an automated cargo vehicle to deliver equipment and supplies to the International Space Station. Launch date: September 2019 Launch time: TBD
Find out more »October 2019
NG-12 Antares Launch
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket will launch the 13th Cygnus cargo freighter on the 12th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The mission is known as NG-12. The rocket will fly in the Antares 230 configuration, with two RD-181 first stage engines and a Castor 30XL second stage.
Find out more »Draconid Meteor Shower Peak (Draconids)
The October Draconids are a meteor shower whose parent body is the periodic comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. The Draconids are best viewed after sunset in an area with a clear dark sky. The 1933 and 1946 Draconids had Zenithal Hourly Rates of thousands of meteors visible per hour, among the most impressive meteor storms of the 20th century. Rare outbursts in activity can occur when the Earth travels through a denser part of the cometary debris stream; for example, in 1998, rates suddenly spiked and spiked…
Find out more »SpaceX CRS-19 Falcon 9 Launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 21st Dragon spacecraft mission on its 19th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The flight is being conducted under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. Launch time: TBD
Find out more »CSG 1 & CHEOPS Soyuz Launch
An Arianespace Soyuz rocket, designated VS20, will launch on a mission from the Guiana Space Center in South America. The Soyuz will carry first COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation, or CSG 1, radar surveillance satellite for ASI, the Italian space agency. The European Space Agency’s Characterizing Exoplanet Satellite, or CHEOPS, will fly as a secondary payload on the mission. Built by Airbus Defense and Space in Spain with a Swiss-developed science instrument, CHEOPS will observe transits of planets around other stars to…
Find out more »Orionid Meteor Shower Peak (Orionids)
The Orionid meteor shower, usually shortened to the Orionids, is the most prolific meteor shower associated with Halley's Comet.
Find out more »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: October 2019 Launch window: 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: 4th Quarter 2019 Launch time: TBD
Find out more »November 2019
Taurid Meteor Shower Peak (Southern Taurids)
(Photo by Channone Arif) The Southern Taurids are an annual meteor shower associated with the comet Encke. They are named after their radiant point in the constellation Taurus, where they are seen to come from in the sky. Because of their occurrence in late October and early November, they are also called Halloween fireballs. Typically, Taurids appear at a rate of about 5 per hour, moving slowly across the sky at about 17 miles per second (27 kilometers per second), or…
Find out more »Taurid Meteor Shower Peak (Northern Taurids)
(Photo by Mike Lewinski) The Taurids are an annual meteor shower associated with the comet Encke. They are named after their radiant point in the constellation Taurus, where they are seen to come from in the sky. Typically, Taurids appear at a rate of about 5 per hour, moving slowly across the sky at about 17 miles per second (27 kilometers per second), or 65,000 miles per hour. If larger than a pebble, these meteors may become bolides as bright as the…
Find out more »NROL-111 Minotaur 1 Launch
A U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman Minotaur 1 rocket will launch a classified spy satellite cargo for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. Launch date: Late 2019 Launch window: TBD
Find out more »December 2019
SpaceX CRS 19 Falcon 9 Launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 21st Dragon spacecraft mission on its 19th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The flight is being conducted under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. Launch time: TBD
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 »Progress 74P Soyuz Launch
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 73rd Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station. Launch time: TBD
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 »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: Late 2019 Launch window: TBD
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. Launch date: NET December 2019 Launch time: TBD
Find out more »Angara-A5 Orbital Test Flight
A Russian government Angara-A5 rocket will launch on its second orbital test flight. Launch date: December 2019 Launch time: TBD
Find out more »January 2020
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.
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