Space / NASA
Space launches, NASA missions, SpaceX events, and major astronomical announcements.
Upcoming Events
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.
Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation — October 2026
Mercury reaches its greatest eastern elongation of 19.6 degrees from the Sun, the best evening apparition of the year. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset.
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.
Orionid Meteor Shower Peak
Annual meteor shower from Halley's Comet debris peaks overnight October 21-22. Up to 20 meteors/hour at peak. The 80% gibbous moon sets before dawn, giving a good window for viewing in the pre-dawn hours.
Hunter's Moon — October 2026
October's full Moon, known as the Hunter's Moon, reaching full phase at 04:13 UTC.
19th von Braun Space Exploration Symposium
Annual American Astronautical Society symposium in Huntsville where NASA and industry leaders map out the future of human and robotic space exploration.
Silicon Valley Space Week 2026 — Satellite Innovation & MilSat Symposium
Three days at the Computer History Museum covering satellite market dynamics, technology innovation and national security space.
Taurid Meteor Shower Peak 2026
The Southern Taurids meteor shower peaks around November 4–5, followed by the Northern Taurids on November 11–12. A long-running minor shower producing 5–10 meteors per hour, known occasionally for bright fireballs. Produced by debris from Comet 2P/Encke.
Jupiter-Mars Conjunction
Jupiter passes just over a degree south of Mars in the pre-dawn sky, a striking pairing of two bright planets visible to the naked eye.
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.
Space Tech Expo Europe 2026
Europe's largest B2B space industry trade fair returns to Bremen with exhibitions, expert conferences and B2B matchmaking.
Leonid Meteor Shower Peak
Annual meteor shower from Comet Tempel-Tuttle peaks overnight November 17-18. Expect 10-15 meteors/hour under dark skies. A first-quarter moon will reduce visibility somewhat but sets before the best viewing hours.
BepiColombo Mercury Orbit Insertion
The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo spacecraft is captured into orbit around Mercury after a seven-year cruise, becoming only the third mission ever to orbit the innermost planet.
Beaver Supermoon — November 2026
The Full Beaver Moon of November 2026 is a supermoon, appearing about 6.5%% larger and 13.5%% brighter than an average full moon as it reaches peak illumination near its closest approach to Earth.
Uranus at Opposition
Uranus reaches opposition on November 25, appearing at its brightest and closest to Earth for the year. Barely visible to the naked eye under ideal conditions, it will be best observed through binoculars or a telescope.
Gaia Data Release 4
ESA publishes Gaia DR4, the first principal data release of the Gaia mission, covering 5.5 years of observations. The largest and richest star catalogue ever produced, it includes new astrometry, astrophysical parameters, non-single star solutions and exoplanet candidates.
Europa Clipper Earth Gravity Assist
NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft performs an Earth gravity assist flyby on its journey to Jupiter's moon Europa. The spacecraft launched October 2024 and used a Mars gravity assist in March 2025.
AGU Fall Meeting 2026
The world's largest gathering of Earth and space scientists, with major planetary and heliophysics results presented at Moscone Center.
4th Annual Spacepower Conference
Space Force Association national security space conference covering space technology, policy and exploration at the Hilton Orlando.
Geminid Meteor Shower Peak
The Geminid meteor shower peaks in December 2026 under moonless skies, with up to 120 bright and colorful meteors per hour expected under optimum conditions.