A regularly updated listing of planned orbital missions from spaceports around the globe. Dates and times are given in Greenwich Mean Time. “NET” stands for no earlier than. “TBD” means to be determined. Recent updates appear in red type. Please send any corrections, additions or updates by e-mail to: sclark@spaceflightnow.com.
See our Launch Log for a listing of completed space missions since 2004.
Latest changes:
Jan. 26: Atlas 5/Solar Orbiter delayed; Adding time for Soyuz/OneWeb 2; Adding date for Soyuz/Meridian M
Jan. 25: SSLV/Demonstration Launch delayed; SSLV/BlackSky Global delayed
Jan. 24: Soyuz/Meridian M delayed; H-2A/IGS Optical 7 delayed
Jan. 22: Falcon 9/Starlink 3 delayed; Adding date and window for Atlas 5/AEHF 6; Adding date for Minotaur 4/NROL-129
Jan. 21: Adding date and time for Soyuz/Meridian M; Adding date and time for Falcon 9/Starlink 3; Adding Electron/NROL-151; Falcon 9/Starlink 4 delayed; Adding Falcon 9/Starlink 5; Adding date and time for Ariane 5/JCSAT 17 & GEO-Kompsat 2B; Falcon 9/Crew Dragon Demo 2 delayed; Adding Long March 5B/Test Flight; Updating configuration for Atlas 5/NROL-101
Jan. 27Falcon 9 • Starlink 3
Launch time: 1449 GMT (9:49 a.m. EST)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is expected to launch the fourth batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink 3. Delayed from Jan. 20 and Jan. 21. [Jan. 22]
Jan. 27/28H-2A • IGS Optical 7
Launch window: 0134-0139 GMT on 28th (8:34-8:39 p.m. EST on 27th)
Launch site: Tanegashima Space Center, Japan
Launch site: Tanegashima Space Center, Japan
A Japanese H-2A rocket will launch an Information Gathering Satellite with an optical reconnaissance payload for the Japanese government. Delayed from Jan. 27. [Jan. 24]
Jan. 30/31Electron • NROL-151
Launch time: 0000-0400 GMT on 31st (7:00-11:00 p.m. EST on 30th)
Launch site: Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Launch site: Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launched on its 11th flight from a facility on the Mahia Peninsula on New Zealand’s North Island. The Electron rocket and its Curie upper stage will place an undisclosed payload into orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. government spy satellite agency. The mission is officially designated NROL-151, and Rocket Lab has nicknamed the launch “Birds of a Feather.” [Jan. 21]
TBDGSLV Mk.2 • GISAT 1
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk. 2 (GSLV Mk.2), designated GSLV-F10, will launch India’s first GEO Imaging Satellite, or GISAT 1. The GISAT 1 spacecraft will provide continuous remote sensing observations over the Indian subcontinent from geostationary orbit more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) above Earth. Delayed from Jan. 15. [Jan. 10]
Early FebruaryFalcon 9 • Starlink 4
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is expected to launch the fifth batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink 4. Delayed from January. [Jan. 21]
Feb. 6Soyuz • OneWeb 2
Launch time: 2142 GMT (4:42 p.m. EST)
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch approximately 32 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. Delayed from Nov. 20, Dec. 19, Jan. 23 and Jan. 30. [Jan. 26]
Feb. 7/8Atlas 5 • Solar Orbiter
Launch time: 0415-0615 GMT on 8th (11:15 p.m.-1:15 a.m. EST on 7th/8th)
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-087, will launch the Solar Orbiter spacecraft for NASA and the European Space Agency. Built by Airbus Defense and Space, Solar Orbiter, or SolO, will travel inside the orbit of Mercury to study how the sun creates and controls the heliosphere, the vast bubble of charged particles blown by the solar wind into the interstellar medium. The rocket will fly in the 411 vehicle configuration with a four-meter fairing, one solid rocket booster and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from Feb. 5. [Jan. 26]
NET Feb. 9Soyuz • Meridian M
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia
Launch site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia
A Russian government Soyuz rocket with a Fregat upper stage will launch a Meridian M communications satellite for the Russian Ministry of Defense. The Soyuz rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration. Delayed from Jan. 24. [Jan. 26]
Feb. 9Antares • NG-13
Launch time: 2239 GMT (5:39 p.m. EST)
Launch site: Pad 0A, Wallops Island, Virginia
Launch site: Pad 0A, Wallops Island, Virginia
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket will launch the 14th Cygnus cargo freighter on the 13th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The mission is known as NG-13. The rocket will fly in the Antares 230 configuration, with two RD-181 first stage engines and a Castor 30XL second stage. Moved forward from April 20. Delayed from Feb. 7. [Jan. 10]
NET Feb. 14Falcon 9 • Starlink 5
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is expected to launch the sixth batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink 5. Delayed from January. [Jan. 21]
TBDLauncherOne • Inaugural Flight
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: Cosmic Girl (Boeing 747), Mojave Air and Space Port, California
Launch site: Cosmic Girl (Boeing 747), Mojave Air and Space Port, California
A Virgin Orbit LauncherOne rocket will make its first orbital test flight after dropping from a modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft over the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. Delayed from early 2019 and summer 2019. [Dec. 13]
FebruaryPSLV • RISAT 2BR2
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), designated PSLV-C49, will launch the RISAT 2BR2 radar Earth observation satellite for the Indian Space Research Organization. The PSLV will also launch four Kleos Scouting Mission radio surveillance nanosatellites for Kleos Space, a Luxembourg-based company, and multiple Lemur 2 CubeSats for Spire Global. The mission will likely use the “Core Alone” version of the PSLV with no strap-on solid rocket boosters. Delayed from December. [Dec. 12]
Feb. 18Ariane 5 • JCSAT 17 & GEO-Kompsat 2B
Launch time: 2214 GMT (5:14 p.m. EST)
Launch site: ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana
Launch site: ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana
Arianespace will use an Ariane 5 ECA rocket, designated VA252, to launch the Japanese-owned JCSAT 17 communications satellite and the South Korean GEO-Kompsat 2B oceanography satellite. Built by Lockheed Martin, the JCSAT 17 satellite will provide high-power video, broadband and mobile communications services over Japan and neighboring regions for Sky Perfect JSAT Corp. of Tokyo. The GEO-Kompsat 2B spacecraft, built and owned by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, will provide ocean and environmental monitoring services for weather forecasters and scientists from geosynchronous orbit. [Jan. 21]
Mid-FebruaryLauncherOne • ELaNa-20
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: Cosmic Girl (Boeing 747), Mojave Air and Space Port, California
Launch site: Cosmic Girl (Boeing 747), Mojave Air and Space Port, California
A Virgin Orbit LauncherOne rocket will launch on its second flight after dropping from a modified Boeing 747 carrier jet. The flight will be conducted under contract to NASA’s Venture Class Launch Services Program, carrying 14 CubeSats to orbit for NASA field centers, U.S. educational institutions and laboratories on the ELaNa-20 rideshare mission. Delayed from Aug. 1, Sept. 1, November and Dec. 1. [Dec. 12]
Early 2020Soyuz • OneWeb 3
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch approximately 32 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. Delayed from Dec. 5. [July 18]
March 1Falcon 9 • SpaceX CRS 20
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 22nd Dragon spacecraft mission on its 20th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The flight is being conducted under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. Delayed from Oct. 15. [June 4]
March 6Soyuz • Falcon Eye 2
Launch time: 0133 GMT on 6th (8:33 p.m. EST)
Launch site: ELS, Sinnamary, French Guiana
Launch site: ELS, Sinnamary, French Guiana
An Arianespace Soyuz rocket, designated VS24, will launch on a mission from the Guiana Space Center in South America. The Soyuz will carry the Falcon Eye 2 high-resolution Earth-imaging satellite for the United Arab Emirates. Built by Airbus Defense and Space with an optical imaging payload from Thales Alenia Space, Falcon Eye 2 is the second of two surveillance satellites ordered by the UAE’s military. The Soyuz 2-1a (Soyuz ST-A) rocket will use a Fregat upper stage. Delayed from Oct. 15 and November. Switched from a Vega launcher after the launch failure with the Falcon Eye 1 spacecraft. [Jan. 10]
Early 2020Soyuz • OneWeb 4
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch approximately 32 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. [July 18]
March 13Atlas 5 • AEHF 6
Launch window: 1945-2145 GMT (3:45-5:45 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite. Built by Lockheed Martin, this U.S. military spacecraft will provide highly-secure communications. The rocket will fly in the 551 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, five solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. [Jan. 22]
MarchFalcon 9 • SAOCOM 1B
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
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. Delayed from 4th Quarter of 2019, January and February. This mission was originally scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. [Dec. 12]
March 20Vega • SSMS POC
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: ZLV, Kourou, French Guiana
Launch site: ZLV, Kourou, French Guiana
An Arianespace Vega rocket, designated VV16, will launch on the Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS) Proof of Concept mission with 42 microsatellites, nanosatellites and CubeSats for commercial and institutional customers. This rideshare launch is the first flight of a multi-payload dispenser funded by the European Space Agency to allow the Vega rocket to deliver numerous small satellites to orbit on a single mission. Delayed from August, Sept. 10 and February. [Jan. 10]
March 30Proton • Express 80 & Express 103
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
A Russian government Proton rocket and Block DM upper stage will launch the Express 80 and Express 103 communications satellites for the Russian Satellite Communication Company. Express 80 and Express 103 will provode fixed and mobile communications, digital television and radio broadcasting, high-speed Internet access and data transmission services across Russia. The satellites are built by ISS Reshetnev in Russia, with communication payloads supplied by Thales Alenia Space from Europe. [Dec. 30]
March 31Minotaur 4 • NROL-129
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: Pad 0B, Wallops Island, Virginia
Launch site: Pad 0B, Wallops Island, Virginia
A U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman Minotaur 4 rocket will launch a classified spy satellite cargo for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. Delayed from 4th Quarter 2019 and Feb. 15. [Jan. 22]
2nd QuarterElectron • STP-27RM
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Launch Complex 2, Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, Wallops Island, Virginia
Launch site: Launch Complex 2, Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, Wallops Island, Virginia
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch on its first mission from a new launch pad at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia. The launch customer is the U.S. Air Force, and the mission will launch an experimental mission for the Space Test Program called Monolith with a space weather instrument. The Monolith mission will demonstrate the ability of a small satellite to support large aperture payloads. [Dec. 30]
AprilSSLV • Demonstration Launch
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
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. Delayed from September, December and January. [Jan. 25]
NET AprilFalcon 9 • Crew Dragon Demo 2
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft on its first test flight with astronauts on-board to the International Space Station under the auspices of NASA’s commercial crew program. NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will fly on the Demo-2 mission. The Crew Dragon will return to a splashdown at sea. Delayed from June, July 25, Sept. 21 and February. [Jan. 21]
AprilLong March 5B • Test Flight
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Wenchang, China
Launch site: Wenchang, China
A Chinese Long March 5B rocket will launch on a test flight with an unpiloted prototype for China’s next-generation human-rated crew capsule designed for missions to the country’s planned space station and for human expeditions to the moon. This will be the first flight of the Long March 5B variant of China’s most powerful rocket family. The Long March 5B is designed to launch elements of China’s future space station in low Earth orbit. [Jan. 21]
AprilFalcon 9 • GPS 3 SV03
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
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. Delayed from October, December, January and March. [Jan. 13]
April 9Soyuz • ISS 62S
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the crewed Soyuz MS-16 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. Delayed from March 20. [Dec. 30]
April 25Soyuz • Progress 75P
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 75th Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station. Delayed from April 16. [Dec. 30]
2nd QuarterAngara-A5 • Test Flight
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia
Launch site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia
A Russian government Angara-A5 rocket will launch on its second orbital test flight. Delayed from December. [Dec. 12]
TBDFalcon 9 • Anasis 2
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Anasis 2, or KMilSatCom 1, communications satellite for the South Korean military. The spacecraft was built by Airbus Defense and Space. [Dec. 30]
MayAtlas 5 • AFSPC 7/OTV-6
Launch period: TBD
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
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. Delayed from December. [Jan. 13]
TBDSSLV • BlackSky Global
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
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. Delayed from November, late 2019 and early 2020. [Jan. 25]
MayH-2B • HTV 9
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Tanegashima Space Center, Japan
Launch site: Tanegashima Space Center, Japan
A Japanese H-2B rocket will launch the ninth H-2 Transfer Vehicle. The HTV serves as an automated cargo vehicle to deliver equipment and supplies to the International Space Station. [Aug. 12]
Mid-2020Atlas 5 • CST-100 Starliner Crew Flight Test
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-082, will launch Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on its first mission with astronauts, known as the Crew Test Flight, to the International Space Station. The capsule will dock with the space station, then return to Earth to landing in the Western United States. Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson and NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann will fly on the Crew Flight Test. The rocket will fly in a vehicle configuration with two solid rocket boosters and a dual-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from August and 1st Quarter of 2020. [Nov. 25]
JuneDelta 4-Heavy • NROL-44
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-37B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Launch site: SLC-37B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
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. [Aug. 23]
Mid-2020Vega C • LARES 2
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: ZLV, Kourou, French Guiana
Launch site: ZLV, Kourou, French Guiana
An Arianespace Vega C rocket will launch the LARES 2 satellite for ASI, the Italian space agency. The spherical LARES 2 satellite is covered in laser mirrors to enable precise tracking from the ground, enabling research into geoodynamics and general relativity. This will mark the inaugural flight of Europe’s new Vega C rocket, featuring a more powerful first stage motor, an enlarged second stage, an improved liquid-fueled upper stage, and a new payload fairing design. [Dec. 30]
TBDFalcon 9 • Turksat 5A
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Turksat 5A communications satellite for Turksat, a Turkish satellite operator. Built by Airbus Defense and Space with significant Turkish contributions, the Turkish 5A satellite will provide Ku-band television broadcast services over Turkey, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. [Dec. 30]
July 17Atlas 5 • Mars 2020
Launch window: 1300-1440 GMT (9:00-10:40 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch NASA’s Mars 2020 rover to the Red Planet. After landing in February 2021, the Mars 2020 rover will study Martian geology, search for organic compounds, demonstrate the ability to generate oxygen from atmospheric carbon dioxide, and collect rock samples for return to Earth by a future mission. The rocket will fly in the 541 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, four solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. [Aug. 12]
JulyLong March 5 • Huoxing 1
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Wenchang, China
Launch site: Wenchang, China
A Chinese Long March 5 rocket will launch the Huoxing 1 mission to attempt China’s first landing on Mars. The robotic mission includes an orbiter and a mobile rover to explore the surface of Mars. [Dec. 30]
July 23Soyuz • Progress 76P
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 76th Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station. Delayed from July 15. [Dec. 30]
July 26Proton • ExoMars 2020
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
A Russian government Proton rocket and Breeze M upper stage will launch the ExoMars 2020 mission, a joint project between the European Space Agency and Roscosmos. ExoMars 2020 will launch toward Mars with a stationary landing craft, provided by Russia, and a European-built rover that will study the habitability of Mars and drill into the red planet’s soil to search for biosignatures from past life. [Dec. 30]
AugustFalcon 9 • GPS 3 SV04
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the U.S. Air Force’s fourth third-generation navigation satellite for the Global Positioning System. The satellite is built by Lockheed Martin. Delayed from October, December, May and July. [Jan. 13]
Aug. 5Falcon 9 • SpaceX CRS 21
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Dragon 2 spacecraft on its first cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. The flight is the 21st mission by SpaceX conducted under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. [Dec. 12]
SeptemberAtlas 5 • NROL-101
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch a classified spacecraft payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The rocket will fly in the 531 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, three solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. The mission was changed from an earlier planned “551” configuration. This will be the first launch of an Atlas 5 rocket with new Northrop Grumman-built GEM-63 solid rocket motors, replacing the Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ-60A solid rocket motors used on previous Atlas 5s. [Jan. 21]
4th QuarterDelta 4-Heavy • NROL-82
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-6, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
Launch site: SLC-6, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
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. Delayed from September. [Jan. 13]
Oct. 14Soyuz • ISS 63S
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the crewed Soyuz MS-17 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. [Dec. 30]
OctoberAntares • NG-14
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: Pad 0A, Wallops Island, Virginia
Launch site: Pad 0A, Wallops Island, Virginia
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket will launch the 15th Cygnus cargo freighter on the 14th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The mission is known as NG-14. The rocket will fly in the Antares 230 configuration, with two RD-181 first stage engines and a Castor 30XL second stage. [Dec. 30]
NovemberFalcon 9 • Sentinel 6A
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Sentinel 6A, or Jason-CS A, satellite. The Sentinel 6A satellite is a joint mission between the European Space Agency, NASA, NOAA, CNES and Eumetsat to continue the sea level data record previously collected by the Jason series of satellites. Sentinel 6A, built by Airbus Defense and Space and Thales Alenia Space in Europe, will also join the European Commission’s Copernicus Earth observation satellite network. [Dec. 30]
Late 2020Falcon Heavy • AFSPC 44
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the AFSPC 44 mission for the U.S. Air Force. The mission is expected to deploy two undisclosed payloads into geosynchronous orbit. [Dec. 30]
DecemberSoyuz • Progress 77P
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 77th Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration. [Dec. 30]
Late 2020Long March 5 • Chang’e 5
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Wenchang, China
Launch site: Wenchang, China
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. Delayed from November 2019. [Dec. 30]
4th QuarterAtlas 5 • AFSPC-8 (GSSAP 5 & 6)
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the AFSPC-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 401 vehicle configuration with a four-meter fairing, no solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. [Jan. 13]
4th QuarterMinotaur 1 • NROL-111
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: Pad 0B, Wallops Island, Virginia
Launch site: Pad 0B, Wallops Island, Virginia
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. Delayed from December 2018, 2nd Quarter 2019 and late 2019. [Jan. 13]