Skynet 10-15-22 “DART Success!” & Constellation “Microscopium” 9PM CT |

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch with another batch of Starlink internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from Sept. 26 in ripple effect from Starlink 4-34 delays. Delayed from Sept. 30 after Hurricane Ian. [Sept. 29]

October

GSLV Mk.3 • OneWeb 14

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India

India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk. 3 (GSLV Mk.3) 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. This is the first launch of OneWeb satellites since the suspension of launches on Soyuz rockets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. [Sept. 22]

OctoberFalcon 9 • Starlink 4-37

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch with another batch of Starlink internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. [Sept. 13]

Oct. 26

Soyuz • Progress 82P

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 82nd Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration. [March 25]

OctoberLong March 5B • Mengtian

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Wenchang, China

A Chinese Long March 5B rocket will launch the Mengtian laboratory module, the third major element of China’s space station in low Earth orbit. [April 20]

October

Falcon Heavy • USSF 44

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the USSF 44 mission for the U.S. Space Force. The mission is expected to deploy two spacecraft payloads directly into geosynchronous orbit, one of which is the military’s TETRA 1 microsatellite. The Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters will land on drone ships in the Atlantic Ocean, and the core stage will be expended. Delayed from late 2020, 2nd quarter of 2021, July 2021, and October 2021 by payload issues. Delayed from early 2022 and June 2022. [Sept. 1]

TBD

Starship • Orbital Test Flight

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Starbase, Boca Chica Beach, Texas

A SpaceX Super Heavy and Starship launch vehicle will launch on its first orbital test flight. The mission will attempt to travel around the world for nearly one full orbit, resulting in a re-entry and splashdown of the Starship near Hawaii. Delayed from early 2022. [March 9]

Nov. 1

Atlas 5 • JPSS 2 & LOFTID

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-3E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch Joint Polar Satellite System 2, or JPSS 2, polar-orbiting weather satellite for NASA and NOAA. Built by Northrop Grumman, JPSS 2 will provide global weather observations for medium and long-term forecasts. The Atlas 5 will also launch the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator, or LOFTID, re-entry aeroshell vehicle on a test flight. LOFTID is a joint project between NASA and ULA. 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. Delayed from Sept. 30 due to anomaly during testing of the satellite’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, or VIIRS, instrument. [June 3]

Nov. 6

Antares • NG-18

Launch time: 1050 GMT (5:50 a.m. EST)

Launch site: Pad 0A, Wallops Island, Virginia

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket will launch the 19th Cygnus cargo freighter on the 18th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The mission is known as NG-18. The rocket will fly in the Antares 230+ configuration, with two RD-181 first stage engines and a Castor 30XL second stage. Delayed from Aug. 15 and Oct. 15. [Sept. 29]

4th Quarter

Falcon 9 • WorldView Legion 1 & 2

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the first two WorldView Legion Earth observation satellites for Maxar Technologies. Maxar plans to deploy six commercial WorldView Legion high-resolution remote sensing satellites into a mix of sun-synchronous and mid-inclination orbits on three SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets. Delayed from January and September 2021. Delayed from March, May, June, July, and September 2022. [Aug. 15]