Skynet 4-8-23 “How We Land Astronauts on Moon in 2023?” & Constellations “Leo” and “Leo Minor” 9PM CT |

April 3, 1926: Gus Grissom (Mercury-Redstone 4, Gemini 3, Apollo 1)
April 5, 1949: Judith Resnik (STS-41-D, STS-51-L)
April 5, 1950: Franklin Chang Diaz (STS-61-C, STS-34, STS-46, STS-60, STS-75, STS-91, STS-111)

Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Constellations “Leo” & “Leo Minor”

Space Launches For This Week

Space Coast Launches

Upcoming Rocket Launch List

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

Launch Schedule

April 10/11 Falcon 9 • Transporter 7

Launch time: 0648 GMT on 11th (2:48 a.m. EDT; 11:48 p.m. PDT on 10th)

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Transporter 7 mission, a rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with numerous small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will return to Landing Zone 4 at Vandenberg. Delayed from April 9. Moved forward from April 12.

Updated: April 05

April 13 Ariane 5 • JUICE

Launch time: 1215:01 GMT (8:15:01 a.m. EDT)

Launch site: ELA-3, Guiana Space Center, French Guiana

Arianespace will use an Ariane 5 ECA rocket, designated VA260, to launch the European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission, or JUICE. The JUICE spacecraft, built by Airbus, will make detailed observations of the giant gas planet and its three large ocean-bearing moons — Ganymede, Callisto and Europa — with a suite of remote sensing, geophysical and in situ instruments. JUICE will enter orbit around Jupiter in July 2031. This will mark the penultimate launch of Europe’s Ariane 5 rocket.

Updated: March 21

April PSLV • TeLEOS 2

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India

India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, or PSLV, will launch the TeLEOS 2 satellite for Singapore. TeLEOS 2 was built in Singapore by ST Electronics, and carries an all-weather synthetic aperture radar Earth observation payload.

Updated: March 21

NET April 17 Starship • Orbital Test Flight

Launch time: Approx. 1200 GMT (8:00 a.m. EDT; 7:00 a.m. CDT)

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 2022.

Updated: April 07

April 18 Falcon Heavy • ViaSat 3 Americas

Launch time: 2336 GMT (7:36 p.m. EDT)

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

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the ViaSat 3 Americas broadband communications satellite. ViaSat 3 Americas is the first of at least three new-generation Boeing-built geostationary satellites for ViaSat. A small communications satellite named Arcturus will launch as a secondary payload for Astranis. Delayed from 3rd Quarter and December 2022. Delayed from January, March 2023, and April 8.

Updated: March 28

April 19 Falcon 9 • Starlink 6-2

Launch time: 1333 GMT (9:33 a.m. EDT)

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of second-generation Starlink V2 Mini internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: April 04

April Falcon 9 • WorldView Legion 1 & 2

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the first pair of 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. The first stage of the Falcon 9 will return to Landing Zone 4 at Vandenberg Space Force Base for landing.

Updated: April 02

April Falcon 9 • Starlink 5-9

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink V1.5 internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: April 04

TBD Delta 4-Heavy • NROL-68

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-37B, Cape Canaveral Space 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. This is the penultimate flight of a Delta 4 rocket. Delayed from March and April 20.

Updated: April 07

April 28 Falcon 9 • O3b mPOWER 3 & 4

Launch time: 2112 GMT (5:12 p.m. EDT)

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the second pair of 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 February and March.

Updated: March 28

April Falcon 9 • Starlink 6-3

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of second-generation Starlink V2 Mini internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: April 01

April Falcon 9 • Starlink 2-9

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink internet satellites. This mission will deploy the Starlink satellites into a high-inclination orbit inclined 70 degrees to the equator. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.

Updated: March 21

May 2 Falcon 9 • Axiom Mission 2

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft on the program’s 10th flight with astronauts. The commercial mission, managed by Axiom Space, is commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. Paying passenger John Shoffner will serve as pilot of the mission. Two commercial space fliers from Saudi Arabia, Ali AlQarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, will also be on the approximately two-week mission to the space station. The Crew Dragon will return to a splashdown at sea off the coast of Florida.

Updated: April 01