Skynet 11-12-22 “The Flight of Gemini 12” & Constellation “Cepheus, the King” 9PM CT |

A Chinese Long March 7 rocket will launch the Tianzhou 5 resupply ship to dock with the Chinese space station. The automated cargo craft is the fourth resupply freighter for the Chinese space station. Delayed from Nov. 6. [Nov. 2]

Nov. 16

Space Launch System • Artemis 1

Launch window: 0604-0804 GMT (1:04-3:04 a.m. EST)

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

NASA’s Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket will launch on its first test flight with an uncrewed Orion spacecraft. The mission, known as Artemis 1, will place the Orion spacecraft into orbit around the moon before the capsule returns to Earth for splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Ten small CubeSat rideshare payloads will also launch on the Artemis 1 mission. Delayed from February, March, April, May, and June. Scrubbed on Aug. 29 by engine cooling issue. Scrubbed on Sept. 3 by hydrogen leak. Delayed from no earlier than Sept. 23 to allow more time to prepare for tanking test. Delayed from Sept. 27 due to threat from Hurricane Ian. Delayed from Nov. 14 due to threat from Tropical Storm Nicole. [Nov. 8]

November

Falcon 9 • Eutelsat 10B

Launch window: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Eutelsat 10B communications satellite for Eutelsat. Based on the Spacebus Neo platform built by Thales Alenia Space, Eutelsat 10B will provide maritime and in-flight broadband, data, and video connectivity to customers in the Americas, the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will be expended. [Sept. 13]

Nov. 18

Falcon 9 • SpaceX CRS 26

Launch time: 2227 GMT (5:27 p.m. EST)

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Dragon 2 spacecraft on its sixth cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight is the 26th mission by SpaceX conducted under a Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. Delayed from October. [Nov. 2]

Nov. 22

Falcon 9 • ispace Mission 1

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the first commercial lunar lander for ispace, a Japan-based company that competed for the Google Lunar XPRIZE and is now developing a series of robotic lunar landers. The first lunar lander, called ispace Mission 1, was assembled in partnership with ArianeGroup and carries a package of international and commercial payloads, including two small lunar rovers from the United Arab Emirates and Japan. The mission will target a landing in the Lacus Somniorum region of the moon. NASA’s Lunar Flashlight CubeSat will be a rideshare payload on this launch. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will return to Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Delayed from mid-November. [Nov. 2]

Nov. 23

Vega-C • Pléiades Neo 5 & 6

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: ZLV, Kourou, French Guiana

An Arianespace Vega-C rocket will launch the Pléiades Neo 5 and 6 Earth observation satellites for Airbus. Pléiades Neo 5 and 6 are the third and fourth members of the four-satellite Pléiades Neo constellation built, owned, and operated by Airbus. Delayed from Nov. 21. [Oct. 26]

Late November

Long March 2F • Shenzhou 15

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Jiuquan, China

A Chinese Long March 2F rocket will launch the Shenzhou 15 spacecraft with three Chinese astronauts to rendezvous and dock with the Chinese space station in low Earth orbit. This is China’s 10th crewed space mission, and the fourth to the Chinese space station. The crew members have not been officially named. [Oct. 26]

Late November

Falcon 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. Delayed from October. [Oct. 26]

Late November/Early December

Falcon 9 • OneWeb 15

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 40 satellites into orbit for OneWeb, which is developing and deploying a constellation of hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit for low-latency broadband communications. This will the first launch of OneWeb satellites with SpaceX. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will return to Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. [Nov. 2]

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]

TBD

SSLV • BlackSky Global

Launch time: TBD

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. Delayed from early 2021 and July. [March 31]

Dec. 5

Falcon 9 • SWOT

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission for NASA. SWOT is a science mission jointly developed by NASA and CNES, the French space agency, to measure how much water is in Earth’s oceans, lakes, and rivers. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will return to Landing Zone 4 at Vandenberg Space Force Base. [Aug. 31]

December

Falcon 9 • O3b mPOWER 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 O3b mPOWER broadband internet satellites into Medium Earth Orbit for SES of Luxembourg. The satellites, built by Boeing, will provide internet services over most of the populated world, building on SES’s O3b network. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from May, June, and August, and November. [Oct. 26]

Check-ins or comments

At this point we should be reaching our 90 minute cut-off point, so NCS can decide whether to cut any of these topics due to lack of time.