LauncherOne - ELaNa-20
1610906400 (17-Jan-2021 18:00)
[Jan. 17 / 1800-2200 GMT (1:00-5:00 p.m. EST; 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. PST)]
[map] 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 NASAs 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, Dec. 1, mid-February, July 1 and Aug. 14. Delayed from Dec. 19 due to COVID-19 concerns. [Jan. 12]
Falcon 9 - Starlink V1.0-L161610977500 (18-Jan-2021 13:45)
[Jan. 18 / 1345 GMT (8:45 a.m. EST)]
[map] LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
[*] [vidz] A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 17th batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceXs Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink V1.0-L16. Delayed from Jan. 18. [Jan. 15] [#]
Falcon 9 - Transporter 11611239040 (21-Jan-2021 14:24)
[Jan. 21 / 1424 GMT (9:24 a.m. EST)]
[map] SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
[*] [vidz] A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Transporter 1 mission, a rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers. Delayed from Dec. 16 and Jan. 14. [Jan. 10] [#]
Soyuz - Progress 77P1613277900 (14-Feb-2021 04:45)
[Feb. 14/15 / 0445 GMT on 15th (11:45 p.m. EST on 14th)]
[map] Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
[*] [vidz] 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. Delayed from Dec. 11. [Jan. 10] [#]
Antares - NG-151613842560 (20-Feb-2021 17:36)
[Feb. 20 / 1736 GMT (12:36 p.m. EST)]
[map] Pad 0A, Wallops Island, Virginia
[*] [vidz] A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket will launch the 16th Cygnus cargo freighter on the 15th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The mission is known as NG-15. The rocket will fly in the Antares 230 configuration, with two RD-181 first stage engines and a Castor 30XL second stage. Delayed from Feb. 1. [Dec. 28] [#]
Soyuz - OneWeb 51614229200 (25-Feb-2021 05:00)
[Feb. 25 / TBD]
[map] Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia
[*] [vidz] A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch 36 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. [Dec. 28] [#]
Atlas 5 - STP-31614315600 (26-Feb-2021 05:00)
[Feb. 26 / TBD]
[map] SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
[*] [vidz] A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the STP-3 mission for the U.S. Space Force. The STP-3 rideshare mission will launch the STPSat 6 satellite and several small satellites. STPSat 6 hosts several payloads and experiments, including the National Nuclear Security Administrations Space and Atmospheric Burst Reporting System-3 (SABRS-3) payload, and NASAs Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) experiment. 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. [Dec. 28] [#]
Ariane 5 - Star One D2 & Eutelsat Quantum1614834000 (04-Mar-2021 05:00)
[March 4 / TBD]
[map] ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana
[*] [vidz] Arianespace used an Ariane 5 ECA rocket, designated VA254, to launch Star One D2 and Eutelsat Quantum communications satellites. Owned by the Brazilian operator Embratel Star One, the Star One D2 was built by Maxar and will deliver telecommunications, direct-to-home television services, and fast broadband to customers in South America, Mexico, Central America, and parts of the Atlantic Ocean. The Eutelsat Quantum satellite was built by SSTL and Airbus Defense and Space under the auspices of a public-private research and development project between the European Space Agency, Eutelsat and Airbus. Designed for coverage over the Middle East and North Africa, the software-defined satellite can be reprogrammed for new communications missions in orbit. Delayed from January and February. [Dec. 9] [#]
Atlas 5 - CST-100 Starliner Orbital Flight Test 21616994000 (29-Mar-2021 05:00)
[March 29 / TBD]
[map] SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
[*] [vidz] A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-082, will launch Boeings CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on second unpiloted test flight to the International Space Station. This mission was added after Boeings decision to refly the Starliners Orbital Flight Test before proceeding with 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 3rd Quarter. Delayed from Jan. 4. [Dec. 12] [#]
Falcon 9 - Crew 21617080400 (30-Mar-2021 05:00)
[March 30 / TBD]
[map] LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
[*] [vidz] A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft on its second operational flight with astronauts on-board to the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough, Megan McArthur, Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet will launch on the Crew Dragon spacecraft. The Crew Dragon will return to a splashdown at sea. [Jan. 13] [#]
Soyuz - ISS 64S1618030800 (10-Apr-2021 05:00)
[April 10 / TBD]
[map] Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
[*] [vidz] A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the crewed Soyuz MS-18 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. [Jan. 13] [#]
Vega C - LARES 21640926800 (31-Dec-2021 05:00)
[Mid-2021 / TBD]
[map] ZLV, Kourou, French Guiana
[*] [vidz] 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 Europes 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. Delayed from mid-2020 by coronavirus impacts. Delayed from December and early 2021. [Nov. 9] [#]
Electron - Another One Leaves the Crust
1642318680 (16-Jan-2022 07:38)
[Jan. 16 / 0738-0745 GMT (2:38-2:45 a.m. EST)]
[map] Launch Complex 1, Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch a small communications satellite for OHB Group of Germany. The satellite will enable specific frequencies to support future services from orbit, according to Rocket Lab, which has nicknamed the mission Another One Leaves the Crust. [Jan. 10]