The Interplanetary SpaceflightCalendar

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JANUARY
15 Delta 4-Heavy; NROL-49 launch from Vandenberg.
The 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.

FEBRUARY
15 Delta 4-Heavy; NROL-49 launch from Vandenberg.
The 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.

26 STS-134 (ULF 6), Endeavour launch to the ISS from KSC LC-39A.
STS-134 will be the 35th U.S. mission to the International Space Station. The flight will carry the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to be attached for research at the station. Endeavour will also haul maintenance supplies and spare parts to the station on the third ExPRESS Logistics Carrier.

++ Falcon 9; Dragon C2 launch from Cape Canaveral SLC-40.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the second Dragon spacecraft, called Dragon C2. The mission will demonstrate proximity operations during an approach within 6 miles of the International Space Station. The company is building the Dragon to fly on resupply missions to the orbiting lab.

++ Atlas 5; AEHF 2 launch from Cape Canaveral SLC-41.
The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the second Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite. Built by Lockheed Martin, this U.S. military spacecraft will provide highly-secure communications. Under the Air Force's new slot manifest concept, the military's second X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle is the backup payload for this flight. The rocket will fly in the 531 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, three solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage.

++ Land Launch Zenit 3SLB; Intelsat 18 launch from Baikonur.
The Land Launch Zenit 3SLB rocket will carry into orbit the Intelsat 18 communications satellite. Intelsat 18 will provide Ku-band and C-band services to the Asia-Pacific region.

MARCH
18 NASA's Messenger enters Mercury orbit.

30 Soyuz ISS 26S launch to the ISS.
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the manned Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station with members of the next Expedition crew. The capsule will remain at the station for about six months, providing an escape pod for the crew.

++ Planned first (demonstration) flight of the OSC Cygnus ISS re-supply ship on a Taurus II rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia.

++ Atlas 5; NROL-34 launch from Vandenberg SLC-3E.
The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch a classified spacecraft payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. 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.

APRIL
++ Delta 2; SAC-D/Aquarius launch from Vandenberg SLC-2W.
The United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket will launch Argentina's SAC-D satellite with the Aquarius instrument for NASA. SAC-D and Aquarius will map salt concentrations in the world's oceans. The rocket will fly in the 7320-10 vehicle configuration with three solid rocket motors and a 10-foot payload fairing. ULA will conduct this commercial launch for Boeing.

27 Soyuz; Progress 42P launch from Baikonur.
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 42nd Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station.

MAY
31 Soyuz; ISS 27S launch from Baikonur to the ISS.
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the manned Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station with members of the next Expedition crew. The capsule will remain at the station for about six months, providing an escape pod for the crew.

++ Atlas 5; X-37B OTV 2 launch from Cape Canaveral SLC-41.
The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the U.S. military's X-37B, a prototype space plane also called the Orbital Test Vehicle. Under the Air Force's new slot manifest concept, the military's first SBIRS GEO missile warning satellite could also launch in this opportunity. The rocket will fly in the 501 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, no solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage.

JUNE
21 Soyuz; Progress 43P launch from Baikonur.
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 43rd Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station.

++ Soyuz; Galileo launch from Kourou.
An Arianespace Soyuz rocket will launch on its third mission from the Guiana Space Center in South America. The Soyuz will launch two Galileo in-orbit validation satellites for the Galileo navigation constellation. The Soyuz 2-1b rocket will use a Fregat upper stage. Arianespace will oversee the launch.

++ Taurus 2; first Cygnus 1 launch to the ISS, from Wallops Island OA.
The Orbital Sciences Taurus 2 rocket will launch the first Cygnus cargo freighter on a test flight to the International Space Station. Orbital Sciences is developing the Cygnus spacecraft to deliver supplies to the space station.

JULY
++ ESA's Rosetta will be put in hibernation until January 2014.

AUGUST
05 Launch of NASA's Juno probe to Jupiter on an Atlas 5 from Cape Canaveral SLC-41.
The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch NASA's Juno spacecraft to Jupiter. Built by Lockheed Martin, Juno will investigate the giant planet's formation, evolution and structure from an elliptical orbit. The rocket will fly in the 551 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, five solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage.

++ Dawn arrives at asteroid esta for 9 months of orbital operations.

SEPTEMBER
08 Planned launch of NASA's GRAIL probe to the Moon on a Delta 2 from Cape Canaveral.

NOVEMBER
25 NASA plans to launch the nuclear-powered Mars Science Laboratory (rover) on an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral. MSL 'Curiosity' will test soil and rock samples for traces of biological activity.

DECEMBER
++ Proton; Multipurpose Laboratory Module with European Robotic Arm (ERA) launch to the ISS (3R).
Also in 2011
++ Soyuz; Pleiades 1 launch from Kourou.
An Arianespace Soyuz rocket will launch on its second mission from the Guiana Space Center in South America. The payloads for this flight are the Pleiades 1 optical high-resolution Earth observation satellite, four ELISA electronic intelligence satellites and the SSOT remote sensing spacecraft for Chile. The Soyuz 2-1a rocket will use a Fregat upper stage. Arianespace will oversee the launch.

++ Ares Max Q Ascent Abort Test from White Sands, NM.

++ Possible launch of a Canadian Mars probe.

++ Planned launch of NASA's OSIRIS probe to asteroid RQ36.

++ Possible launch of TerraSAR-X2.

++ Launch of ESA's GAIA astronomy satellite to the L2 point.

++ OSC intends to start flying the Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the ISS.

++ China plans to launch the Tiangong-1 spacecraft into orbit on a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuqan space center.

++ China plans to launch the first mission to its Tiangong-1 orbital spacecraft, the Shenzou 8 mission will be unmanned and test robotic docking systems.

++ Russia plans to launch the Spektr-RG X-ray and gamma ray observatory.

++ Possible launch of a Russian MKA FI satellite to study solar-terrestrial interactions and the relationships between the sun and the small bodies in the solar system.

++ Russia plans to launch the Phobos-Grunt (Phobos ground probe). An automatic spacecraft will orbit Mars and a probe will land on Phobos, operate there for 3 years before returning to Earth. A Chinese mini-orbiter (Yinghou-1) will be released near Mars, along with 1 or 2 Finnish MetNet meteorological stations to be deployed on the Martian surface.

++ Minotaur 4; SBSS launch from Vandenberg SLC-8.

++ First commercial launch of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo.

++ The Planetary Society hopes to get their LightSail-1 solar sail into space.

++ First launch of the European Vega rocket, from Kourou ELA-1, carrying Italy's LARES (Laser Relativity Satellite), ALMsat and 9 European Cubsats.

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FEBRUARY
++ NASA plans to launch NuTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array).

MAY
++ Planned launch of NASA's LADEE probe to the Moon on a Minotaur 5 from Wallops Island.

++ Dawn will leave Vesta orbit.

AUGUST
++ NASA's nuclear-powered MSL will land on Mars. The Mars Science Laboratory rover 'Curiosity' will test soil and rock samples for traces of biological activity.

OCTOBER
++ Planned launch of DMSP F19.

DECEMBER
++ Orbital Sciences Pegasus; IRIS solar observatory launch.

Also in 2012
++ Planned launch of the Global Precipitation Measurement satellite (2).

++ Possible launch of Bigelow Aerospace's first full-scale inflatable commercial space habitat, the BA 330.

++ Virgin Galactic will now also be flying its suborbital Spaceship Two from the new Spaceport Sweden at Kiruna.

++ Planned suborbital launch of the Italian Pollux FTB-X on a European Vega rocket.

++ Planned launch of Russia's Moon-Globe orbiter and a Moon rover.

++ Possible first tourist flight to orbit the Moon. The Deep Space Exploration - Alpha mission will use a Soyuz TMA plus an additional Block DM propulsion module.

++ India hopes to begin demonstration flights of a reusable launch vehicle.

++ Russia plans to launch Luna Glob (lunar orbiter, south-polar surface probe and surface penetrators) on a Soyuz 2 Fregat.

++ Russia plans to launch two Resonance magnetospheric observation satellites on a Soyuz 2 Fregat from Baikonur.

++ Russia plans to launch the first OKA T microgravity laboratory on a Soyuz 2 from Baikonur. Possible docking with the ISS.

++ Planned lunar mission of the Odyssey Moon MoonOne (M-1), landing on the lunar equator.

++ Planned first (unmanned) test flight of a modern-day version of the Russian Almaz reusable reentry vehicle.

++ Instead of the Ares I-Y test flight, NASA plans to launch the Ares I-X Prime, from KSC pad 39B. It will feature a 5-segment SRB and possibly test the launch abort system.

++ Planned launch of the next-generation Landsat Data Continuity Mission.

++ China plans to launch 2 manned Shenzou flights to the Tiangong 1 space module for temporary stays.

++ (/2013) China plans to land a nuclear powered rover on the Moon.

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FEBRUARY
++ OSC Taurus XL 3110; OCO-2 launch from Vandenberg.
AUGUST
++ Bepi-Colombo (ESA) spacecraft (2 orbiters) launch to Mercury. Using solar-electric propulsion the journey will take about 6 years.

OCTOBER
++ Juno - Earth flyby.

NOVEMBER
++ Planned launch of NASA's MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) probe to Mars.

Also in 2013
++ Rocketplane Global plans to begin commercial tourist flights on their XP Spaceplane, from Cecil Field near Jacksonville, FL. Development work and test flying will be done at the Oklahoma Spaceport.

++ India hopes to launch a small Mars orbiter on a GSLV.

++ NASA's OSIRIS probe will acquire a sample of asteroid RQ36, for return to Earth in 2017.

++ Possible first flight of Starchaser Industries Thunderstar rocket from Spaceport America (the Southwest Regional Spaceport).

++ China plans to launch the Chang'e 3 lunar lander/rover to the Moon.

++ Planned test launch of the Starchaser Nova 2 rocket from the UK.

++ Possible first flight of EADS Astrium's suborbital tourist Space Plane.

++ Possible launch of the Russian Gamma 400 space observatory.

++ Possible launch of a Russian MKA FKI satellite to study solar-terrestrial interactions and the relationships between the sun and the small bodies in the solar system.

++ Planned first revenue flight of the Excalibur Almaz, a manned modern-day version of the Russian Almaz reusable reentry vehicle.

++ GSLV; Chandrayaan 2 launch; Indian lunar probe & Russian lander/rover.

++ Planned launch of ESA's EarthCARE satellite, possibly on a Soyuz rocket.

++ Japan's new Epsilon rocket will launch the small astronomical observatory Sprint-A into orbit to observe Venus, Mars and Jupiter.
Epsilon will replace the M-5 rocket.

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JANUARY
++ ESA will wake up its Rosetta probe, en-route to comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

MAY
22 Rosetta rendezvous with comet Churmuyov-Gerasimenko. A lander (Philae) will be dropped on the comet in November 2014.

++ Planned launch of DMP F20.

JUNE
++ Planned launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to the L2 point, on an Ariane 5 ECA. The infrared observatory is built by Northrup Grumman Space Technology.

SEPTEMBER
16 NASA's MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) will enter Mars orbit.

NOVEMBER
++ ESA's Rosetta, in orbit around Churmuyov-Gerasimenko, will drop a small lander (Philae) on the comet.

Also in 2014
++ Ares I; Orion 1 launch from KSC pad 39B. First flight of the Orion spacecraft, in an unmanned orbital flight with a splashdown of Australia. 

++ Possible launch of Prometheus 1 on a short-duration mission to test space-nuclear power and propulsion.

++ China plans to fly the new heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket.

++ Russia plans to launch the 2nd OKA T microgravity laboratory on a Soyuz 2 from Baikonur. Possible docking with the ISS.

++ Planned sample-return to Earth of the Russian Phobos-Grunt mission.

++  Sierra Nevada Corp. / SpaceDev Dream Chaser could be ready for launch (on an Atla 5 rocket), under NASA's CCDev plan.

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FEBRUARY
++ Dawn will enter orbit around Ceres.

MARCH
++ Ares I; Orion 2 launch from KSC pad 39B. First manned Orion test flight, includes demonstration of rendezvous and proximity operations with the ISS. First docking with the ISS. Leaves an adapter on the ISS.

JULY
15 New Horizons - Pluto/Charon flyby.

Also in 2015
++ Ares I; Orion 3 launch from KSC pad 39B. Second manned Orion test flight. Leaves a second adapter on the ISS. 

++ According to its Aurora program, ESA is planned to make a decision to go ahead with an international human mission to Mars and, possibly, the Moon.

++ Planned launch of the NASA/ESA LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna).

++ Planned launch of ESA's Solar Orbiter.

++ SIM PlanetQuest (Space Interferometry Mission) planned launch to the L-2 point. The NASA probe will use 3 pairs of small telescopes to measure the wobbling of stars.

++ Planned first launch from the new Russian Vostochny cosmodrome. The first manned launch is planned for 2018.

++ Planned launch of the NASA/US DoE Joint Dark Energy Mission. The satellite aims to measure the expansion of the universe precisely by observing about 2300 supernovae.

++ Ares I; Orion 4 launch from KSC pad 39B. ISS Crew Rotation Flight. First operational Orion flight.

++ Possible launch of a Russian MKA FKI satellite to study solar-terrestrial interactions and the relationships between the sun and the small bodies in the solar system.

++ Planned launch of NASA's ICESat 2.

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JANUARY
++ Planned launch of the ESA-NASA ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and Entry, Descent and Landing demonstration mission to Mars on an Atlas 5.

AUGUST
++ NASA's Juno probe will reach the Jupiter system.

Also in 2016
++ Ares I; Orion 5 launch from KSC pad 39B. ISS Crew Rotation Flight.

++ Planned launch of NASA's Constellation-X satellites.

++ TPF-C (Terrestrial Planet Finder coronograph) possible launch. [will possibly be delayed due to NASA's budget]

++ Ares I; Orion 6 launch from KSC pad 39B. ISS Crew Rotation Flight.

++ Possible launch of the Russian Venera-D mission (orbiter, balloons and lander) to Venus.

++ Russia plans to launch the Vozvrat-MKA microgravity satellite, equipped with an Earth return/landing vehicle.

++ Possible launch of the International Lunar Network; a series of seismological lunar landers.

++ India plans to launch its first manned capsule, carrying 2 astronauts, into orbit atop a GSLV Mark 3.

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++ Ares I; Orion 7 launch from KSC pad 39B. ISS Crew Rotation Flight.

++ China plans to launch a lunar sample return mission.

++ Planned return of NASA's OSIRIS probe with samples of asteroid RQ36.

++ South Korea hopes to launch a lunar orbiter on a rocket developed from homegrown technology.

++ Ares I; Orion 8 launch from KSC pad 39B. ISS Crew Rotation Flight.

++ NASA will possibly fly a manned Orion spacecraft around the Moon.

2 0 1 8
++ Ares I; Orion 9 launch from KSC pad 39B. ISS Crew Rotation Flight.

++ Planned launch of an ESA Aurora technology precursor mission to demonstrate aerobraking/aerocapture, solar electric propulsion and soft landing.

++ Ares V-Y; first launch of the Ares V cargo launch vehicle, from KSC pad 39A. The Ares V-1 will carry ballast instead of an EDS (Earth Departure Stage).

++ Ares I; Orion 10 launch from KSC pad 39B. ISS Crew Rotation Flight.

++ Planned launch of ESA's Aurora Flagship ExoMars mission on an Ariane 5. The robotic rover, deployed from a Mars orbiter, will search for traces of life and characterize the nature of the surface environment.

++ Russia plans to launch the Spektr M (Millimetron) space observatory.

++ Possible launch of the Russian Astrometriya space astrometry spacecraft.

++ Possible launch of the Russian Terion F2 satellite to observe the Earth's ionosphere and thermosphere.

++ ESA will possibly test its new Advanced Re-entry Vehicle, which will be able to bring cargo back from the ISS.

++ Planned first manned launch from the new Russian Vostochny cosmodrome.

++ Planned first flight of the Reaction Engines Skylon.
Service entry of the British spaceplane is expected to take place in 2020.

2 0 1 9
AUGUST
++ ESA's Bepi-Colombo mission (2 orbiters) is expected to arrive at Mercury.

Also in 2019
++ Ares V; Altair 1 launch from KSC pad 39A. First flight of the Altair LSAM (Lunar Surface Access Module), launched on an Ares V vehicle with an EDS. This flight is in conjunction with Orion 11. 

++ Ares I; Orion 11 launch from KSC pad 39B. This (manned) flight is in conjunction with the first flight of the Altair 1 LSAM. The CEV will dock with the EDS and LSAM and enter low lunar orbit (LLO). The LSAM will perform an uncrewed lunar descent and landing, and then launch to rendezvous with the CEV.

++ Ares I; Orion 12 launch from KSC pad 39B. ISS Crew Rotation Flight.

2 0 2 0
++ Ares I; Orion 14 launch from KSC pad 39B. ISS Crew Rotation Flight.

++ Ares V; Altair 2 launch from KSC pad 39A. This flight is in conjunction with Orion 13.

++ Ares I; Orion 13 launch from KSC pad 39B. Planned first manned lunar-landing flight of the Project Constellation Orion CEV. Orion 13 will be combined with an Earth Departure Stage (EDS) to get to the moon. The Altair 2 Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM) will be used to carry 2 astronauts to the the surface, leaving 1 astronaut in the CEV in lunar orbit.

++ TPF-I (Terrestrial Planet Finder interferometer) possible launch, provided it isn't cancelled or delayed by NASA's budget.

++ China plans to launch a lunar sample return mission.
++ Possible launch of the US/international Space Ultraviolet Observatory (SUVO).

++ Possible launch of Europe's Darwin project, a formation flying astronomical mission.

++ China plans to launch a space station into orbit on Long March 5 boosters.

++ Planned launch of a NASA Jupiter Europa orbiter and an ESA Jupiter Ganymede orbiter on two separate launch vehicles from different launch sites.

++ Ares I; Orion 16 launch from KSC pad 39B. ISS Crew Rotation Flight.

Manned Space Missions
Astronomy & Deep Space Missions
To Be Cancelled
All Other Space Missions

Boeing CST-100 to Bigelow space station

SpaceDev DreamChaser

Constellation Program - to be cancelled

SpaceX Dragon to the ISS

Virgin Galactic

XCOR Lynx


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Mars Missions timeline (click to enlarge)

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Lunar Missions timeline (click to enlarge)

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Planetary Missions timeline (click to enlarge)

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FjC  |  2009