Skynet 4-29-23 “Constellation Centaurus, the Centaur” 9PM CT |

On April 27, 1961, NASA launched Explorer 11 into orbit. In addition to being the last successful launch of the Juno II rocket developed by the team led by Wernher von Braun, this was the world’s first orbiting gamma ray observatory.

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Ranger IV

First U.S. Satellite to Reach the Surface of the Moon April 26, 1962

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April 25, 1990 – Hubble launched

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Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Centaurus, the Centaur

Space Launches For This Week

Space Coast Launches

Upcoming Rocket Launch List

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

Launch Schedule

April 30 Falcon Heavy • ViaSat 3 Americas

Launch time: 2329-0026 GMT on 30th/1st (7:29-8:26 p.m. EDT on 30th)

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, April 8, April 18, April 24, and April 26. Scrubbed on April 27 and April 28.

Updated: April 29

May 2 Falcon 9 • Starlink 5-6

Launch time: Approx. 0820 GMT (4:20 a.m. EDT)

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 25

May 2/3 Electron • TROPICS 3 & 4

Launch time: 0100-0300 GMT on 3rd (9:00-11:00 p.m. EDT on 2nd)

Launch site: Launch Complex 1B, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch the second pair of small CubeSats for NASA’s TROPICS mission. The Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats, or TROPICS, mission will measure environmental and inner-core conditions for tropical cyclones. These two satellites were originally contracted to launch on Astra’s Rocket 3 vehicle. This mission is nicknamed “Rocket Like A Hurricane” by Rocket Lab.

Updated: April 29

May 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. Delayed from April.

Updated: April 24

May 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. Delayed from April.

Updated: April 24

Early May Falcon 9 • OneWeb & Iridium Next

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 15 spare satellites for OneWeb’s first-generation global internet network and one prototype for OneWeb’s Gen2 second-generation network. Five spare satellites for Iridium’s voice and data relay fleet will also launch on this mission. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will return to Landing Zone 4 at Vandenberg.

Updated: March 21

May 10 Long March 7 • Tianzhou 6

Launch time: Approx. 1340 GMT (9:40 a.m. EDT)

Launch site: Wenchang, China

A Chinese Long March 7 rocket will launch the Tianzhou 6 resupply ship to dock with the Chinese space station. The automated cargo craft is the fifth resupply freighter for the Chinese space station.

Updated: April 24

May Long March 2F • Shenzhou 16

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Jiuquan, China

A Chinese Long March 2F rocket will launch the Shenzhou 16 spacecraft with three Chinese astronauts to rendezvous and dock with the Chinese space station in low Earth orbit. This is China’s 11th crewed space mission, and the fifth to the Chinese space station. The crew members have not been announced by China.

Updated: March 26

May 15 Electron • TROPICS 5 & 6

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch the third pair of small CubeSats for NASA’s TROPICS mission. The Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats, or TROPICS, mission will measure environmental and inner-core conditions for tropical cyclones. These two satellites were originally contracted to launch on Astra’s Rocket 3 vehicle. This mission is nicknamed “Coming To A Storm Near You” by Rocket Lab.

Updated: April 24

May 17 Falcon 9 • Axiom Mission 2

Launch time: 2334 GMT (7:34 p.m. EDT)

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 12-day mission to the space station. The Crew Dragon will return to a splashdown at sea off the coast of Florida. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from May 8 as result of delays in previous Falcon Heavy launch.

Updated: April 24

May 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. Delayed from April.

Updated: April 24

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 24

May 21/22 Falcon 9 • Badr 8

Launch time: 0320 GMT on 22nd (11:20 p.m. EDT on 21st)

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Badr 8 communications satellite for Arabsat based in Saudi Arabia. From geostationary orbit, Badr 8 will provide communications coverage for Arabsat customers over Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Badr 8 also hosts an optical communications payload developed by Airbus. The spacecraft was built by Airbus, and is based on the Eurostar Neo platform. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: April 25

May 24 Soyuz • Progress 84P

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 84th Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration.