December 2018
Kanopus-V 5 & 6 Soyuz Launch
The two spacecraft will assist the Russian government in disaster response, mapping and forest fire detection. Multiple secondary payloads from international companies and institutions will also launch on the Soyuz rocket. The Soyuz 2-1a rocket will use a Fregat upper stage. Launch time: 9:07 p.m. EST on 26th (0207 GMT on 27th)
Find out more »Phases of the Moon
Learn about the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears to disappear and reappear each month in this interactive activity. We will also demonstrate the mechanisms of how lunar and solar eclipses occur. We will meet at the park store, Sunset Marina for this half hour indoor program. We recommend bringing a bottle of water and wearing comfortable, flat shoes when participating in any activity. Restrooms are available at the Headquarters, Activity Center, Marina, and in each…
Find out more »SaudiSat 5A & 5B Long March 2D Launch
A Chinese Long March 2D rocket will launch the SaudiSat 5A and 5B Earth observation satellites for Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology. Launch date: Late 2018 Launch time: TBD
Find out more »January 2019
NROL-71 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: TBD Launch time: TBD
Find out more »NASA’s New Horizons Reaches Ultima Thule
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, which flew by Pluto in 2015, will reach its next target: Ultima Thule
Find out more »ICON Pegasus XL Launch
Lofted to approximately 40,000 feet via an Orbital ATK L-1011 aircraft, an air-launched Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket will deploy NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) satellite into orbit. ICON will study the ionosphere, a region of Earth’s upper atmosphere where terrestrial weather meets space weather. Disturbances in the ionosphere triggered by solar storms or weather activity in the lower atmosphere can cause disturbances in GPS navigation and radio transmissions. Launch date: TBD Launch window: 3:00-4:30 a.m. EST (0800-0930 GMT)
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 »Iridium Next 66-75 Falcon 9 Launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 10 satellites for the Iridium next mobile communications fleet. Launch time: 10:53 a.m. EST; 7:53 a.m. PST (1553 GMT)
Find out more »Crew Dragon Demo 1 Falcon 9 Launch
A Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) "full thrust" Falcon 9 rocket will launch the crewed variant of the Hawthorne, California-based aerospace firm's Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station on an uncrewed test flight. The flight is slated to get underway from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A under NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Launch window: Approx. 8 p.m. EST on 17th (0100 GMT on 18th)
Find out more »Full Moon Hike – Galveston Island
Live by the sun, love by the moon. Ranger Lisa will take you on a short program and help you discover the mysteries of la luna, or the moon, while we explore the night Live by the sun, love by the moon. The night time is the right time to explore… As we say in the ranger station, “Half the Park is After Dark!” Meet Ranger Lisa at the Day Use Beach parking lot to begin a cool evening stroll…
Find out more »Hellas-Sat 4/SaudiGeoSat 1 & GSAT 31 Ariane 5 Launch
Arianespace will use an Ariane 5 ECA rocket, designated VA247, to launch the HellasSat 4/SaudiGeoSat 1 and GSAT 11 communications satellite. Built by Lockheed Martin, the Hellas-Sat 4/SaudiGeoSat 1 satellite will provide telecommunications and broadband services in Saudi Arabia, other parts of the Middle East, Europe and North Africa. Hellas-Sat 4/SaudiGeoSat 1 is a joint mission between Hellas-Sat, a subsidiary of Arabsat based in Cyprus, and Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology. The GSAT 31 satellite, built…
Find out more »WGS 10 Delta 4 Launch
A United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket will launch the 10th Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft, formerly known as the Wideband Gapfiller Satellite. Built by Boeing, this geostationary communications spacecraft will serve U.S. military forces. The rocket will fly in the Medium+ (5,4) configuration with four solid rocket boosters. Launch window: 6:40-7:35 p.m. on 23rd (2340-0035 GMT on 23rd/24th)
Find out more »Chandrayaan 2 GSLV Mk. 3 Launch
India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk. 2 (GSLV Mk.2) will launch the Chandrayaan 2 mission, India’s second mission to the moon. Chandrayaan 2 will consist of an orbiter, lander and rover launched together into a high Earth orbit. The orbiter is designed to use on-board propulsion to reach the moon, then release the lander and rover. Launch window: TBD
Find out more »Shijian 20 Long March 5 Launch
A Chinese Long March 5 rocket will launch the Shijian 20 communications satellite. Shijian 20 is the first spacecraft based on the new DFH-5 communications satellite platform, a heavier, higher-power next-generation design, replacing the Shijian 18 satellite lost on a launch failure in 2017. Launch date: January 2019 Launch time: TBD
Find out more »PRISMA Vega Launch
An Arianespace Vega rocket, designated VV13, will launch with the PRISMA satellite for the Italian space agency — ASI. PRISMA is an Earth observation satellite fitted with an innovative electro-optical instrument, combining a hyperspectral sensor with a medium-resolution panchromatic camera. The mission will support environmental monitoring and security applications. Launch date: TBD Launch time: TBD
Find out more »PSN 6 & SpaceIL Lunar Lander Falcon 9 Launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the PSN 6 communications satellite and SpaceIL’s Lunar Lander. Built by SSL and owned by Indonesia’s PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara, PSN 6 will provide voice and data communications, broadband Internet, and video distribution throughout the Indonesian archipelago. A privately-funded lunar lander developed by Israel’s SpaceIL will ride piggyback on this launch, along with several smaller payloads under a rideshare arrangement provided by Spaceflight. Launch date: January 2019 Launch time: TBD
Find out more »February 2019
EgyptSat-A Soyuz Launch
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the EgyptSat-A Earth observation satellite. EgyptSat-A was built by RSC Energia for Egypt’s National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences. Launch time: 11:47 a.m. EST (1647 GMT)
Find out more »Exploring Mars – National Geographic Live! Series
Tickets: $20.00, $27.50, $36.50 and $45.00 Tobin Center Box Office, 210-223-8624 or online at https://www.tobincenter.org/box-office/2019-02/exploring-mars National Geographic Live, National Geographic’s touring speaker series, and the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts are proud to announce “Exploring Mars” with Kobie Boykins, an engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. As a dynamic young engineer, Kobie Boykins is on the front line of Mars exploration. Boykins designed the solar arrays that power the Mars exploration rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. Landing on Mars on…
Find out more »SpaceX CRS 17 Falcon 9 Launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 19th Dragon spacecraft mission on its 17th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The flight is being conducted under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. Launch window: TBD
Find out more »Radarsat Constellation Mission Falcon 9 Launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Radarsat Constellation Mission for the Canadian Space Agency and MDA. Consisting of three radar Earth observation spacecraft launching on a single rocket, the Radarsat Constellation Mission is the next in a series of Canadian Radarsat satellites supporting all-weather maritime surveillance, disaster management and ecosystem monitoring for the Canadian government and international users. Launch date: NET February 18, 2019 Launch time: TBD
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