Space / NASA
Space launches, NASA missions, SpaceX events, and major astronomical announcements.
Upcoming Events
Hayabusa2 Asteroid Torifune Flyby
JAXA's Hayabusa2 spacecraft performs an ultra-close high-speed flyby of near-Earth asteroid (98943) Torifune at approximately 5.25 km/s, continuing its extended mission after returning samples from asteroid Ryugu.
Soyuz MS-29 ISS Crew Launch
Soyuz MS-29 launches NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina to the International Space Station for a long-duration Expedition 75 mission.
Griffin Mission One (Moon Landing)
Astrobotic's Griffin lander mission to the Moon's South Pole as part of NASA's CLPS program. Launching on SpaceX Falcon Heavy to deliver the FLEX rover and scientific payloads to Nobile Crater region near Mons Mouton.
Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower Peak
The Delta Aquariid meteor shower peaks with up to 20 meteors per hour. Best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere, but also visible from the Northern Hemisphere in the hours before dawn.
Total Solar Eclipse — Iceland, Spain, Greenland
A total solar eclipse will be visible from Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and part of Portugal on August 12. A partial eclipse will be seen across Europe, Africa, and North America.
Perseid Meteor Shower Peak
The Perseid meteor shower peaks on August 13, 2026 during a new moon — ideal viewing conditions. Up to 100+ meteors per hour expected under dark skies.
China Chang'e 7 Lunar South Pole Mission Launch
China launches Chang'e 7 mission to explore the lunar south pole and search for water ice. Launches from Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan. Includes orbiter, lander, rover, and mini-flying probe.
Partial Lunar Eclipse — August 28
A partial lunar eclipse on August 28, 2026, visible from parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and South America.
ESA JUICE Venus Flyby
ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) performs a gravity assist flyby of Venus on its journey to Jupiter, gaining speed for arrival in July 2031.
ESA Cluster II Samba Satellite Reentry
ESA's Cluster II Samba satellite reenters Earth's atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean, observed by an airplane to collect rare reentry data. Part of the final decommissioning of the 24-year Cluster magnetosphere mission.
ESA Cluster II Tango Satellite Reentry
ESA's Cluster II Tango satellite reenters Earth's atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean roughly 24 hours after its twin Samba, concluding the landmark Cluster magnetosphere mission.
NASA SunRISE Mission Launch
NASA launches the Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE), a constellation of six CubeSats designed to study solar radio bursts and track solar energetic particle events. Launches as a rideshare on a ULA Vulcan Centaur rocket.
ESA JUICE Earth Gravity Assist Flyby
ESA JUICE spacecraft performs an Earth gravity assist flyby on its journey to Jupiter, gaining velocity for its 2031 arrival at the Jupiter system to study ocean-bearing icy moons.
NASA SpaceX Crew-13 ISS Launch
The 13th crew rotation mission under NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Astronauts Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney (NASA), Joshua Kutryk (CSA), and Sergey Teteryatnikov (Roscosmos) launch aboard SpaceX Dragon to the ISS for Expedition 75.
September Equinox 2026 — Autumn Equinox
The September equinox marks the official start of astronomical autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Day and night are approximately equal length worldwide. The Sun crosses the celestial equator moving southward at 00:06 UTC.
Neptune at Opposition
Neptune reaches opposition on September 26, appearing at its brightest and closest to Earth for the year. While too faint for the naked eye, it will be visible through binoculars or a telescope in the constellation Pisces.
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Launch
NASA's next great infrared space observatory launches on SpaceX Falcon Heavy to a point one million miles from Earth. Will study cosmology, dark energy, and search for exoplanets with a field of view 100 times greater than Hubble.
Saturn at Opposition
Saturn reaches opposition, appearing at its brightest and closest to Earth for the year. The ringed planet will be visible all night, rising at sunset and setting at sunrise — ideal for telescope viewing.
Draconid Meteor Shower Peak 2026
The Draconid meteor shower peaks on the evening of October 7. Unusually viewed best in early evening (not after midnight), it is produced by dust from comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner. Expect ~10 meteors per hour under dark skies.
Intuitive Machines IM-3 Lunar Landing
Intuitive Machines' third Nova-C lunar lander mission under NASA's CLPS program. The lander will carry NASA scientific instruments to the lunar surface, following the IM-1 and IM-2 missions.