Skynet 6-24-23 “The Parker Space Probe” 9 PM CT |

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Euclid mission for the European Space Agency. Euclid is an astrophysics mission with a telescope and two scientific instruments designed to explore the evolution of the dark universe. It will make a 3D-map of the universe by observing billions of galaxies out to 10 billion light-years, across more than a third of the sky. Euclid will be launched to an observing orbit at the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point. The mission was originally supposed to launch on a Russian Soyuz rocket. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: June 08

July Ariane 5 • Syracuse 4B & Heinrich Hertz

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana

Arianespace will use an Ariane 5 ECA rocket, designated VA260, to launch the Syracuse 4B and Heinrich Hertz communications satellites. Syracuse 4B, built by Airbus, will relay secure communications between French military aircraft, ground vehicles, and naval vessels, including submarines. The Heinrich Hertz satellite, built by OHB, will test new communications technologies on a mission funded by the German government. This will be the final launch of an Ariane 5 rocket. Delayed from February due to problems completing the Heinrich Hertz satellite. Moved forward from June 21. Delayed from June 16.

Updated: June 17

July Falcon 9 • Starlink 6-5

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: June 18

July 7 Falcon Heavy • USSF 52

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the USSF 52 mission for the U.S. Space Force. The Falcon Heavy will launch an unspecified military payload on this mission. Delayed from October 2021 and 2nd Quarter 2022. Delayed from October 2022 and June 23.

Updated: May 05

July Falcon 9 • Galaxy 37

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Galaxy 37 C-band television broadcasting satellite for Intelsat. The spacecraft was built by Maxar. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from 2nd Quarter.

Updated: April 01

TBD Falcon 9 • O3b mPOWER 5 & 6

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the third 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 March and June 9.

Updated: June 13

TBD 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. Delayed from April and June.

Updated: June 08

Summer Falcon 9 • SDA Tranche 0B

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 18 Tranche 0 demonstration satellites for the U.S. military’s Space Development Agency. The launch is the second of two Falcon 9 missions to carry SDA demonstration spacecraft for a future constellation of military missile tracking and data relay satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will return to Landing Zone 4 at Vandenberg. Delayed from June.

Updated: June 17

Aug. 1/2 Antares • NG-19

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Pad 0A, Wallops Island, Virginia

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket will launch the 20th Cygnus cargo freighter on the 19th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The mission is known as NG-19. The rocket will fly in the Antares 230+ configuration, with two RD-181 first stage engines and a Castor 30XL second stage. This will be the final flight of an Antares 230+ rocket before a redesign with new U.S.-made engines. Delayed from March, April 21, May, and July.