2023 is a busy year for spaceflight and exploration enthusiasts with countless launches, mission milestones and skywatching events to look forward to.
With so much going on, it's hard to keep track of everything. Never fear — keep up with the latest events in our 2023 space calendar. You can also Find out what's up in the night sky this month with our visible planets guide and skywatching forecast.
Please note: Launch dates are subject to change and will be updated throughout the year as firmer dates arise. Please DO NOT schedule travel based on a date you see here. Launch dates are collected from NASA events, ESA news, Roscosmos space launch schedule, Spaceflight Now launch schedule, Everyday Astronaut and others.
Related: Wondering what happened today in space history? Check out our "On This Day in Space" video!
June
June 5: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Dragon 2 spacecraft on a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The launch is scheduled for 11:47 a.m. EDT (1547 GMT.) You can watch the launch live here on Space.com.
June 9: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The launch is scheduled for between 3:56-7:25 a.m. EDT (0756-1125 GMT.)
Related: Starlink satellite train: How to see and track it in the night sky
June 12: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Transporter 8 mission, a rideshare mission to sun-synchronous orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
June 16: Arianespace will launch the Syracuse 4B and Heinrich Hertz communications satellite on an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana.
June 17: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Satria communications satellite for the Indonesian government and the Indonesian satellite operator PSN from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
June 18: The new moon will arrive at 12:37 a.m. EDT (0537 GMT).
June 21: Today marks the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the winter solstice for the Southern Hemisphere.
June 21: A United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket will launch a classified spy satellite cargo for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
June 23: A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the USSF 52 mission for the U.S. Space Force. It will lift off from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Also scheduled to launch in June (from Spaceflight Now):
- A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 18 Tranche 0 demonstration satellites for the U.S. military's Space Development Agency from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
- A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the first two WorldView Legion Earth observation satellites for Maxar Technologies from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
July
July 3: The full moon of July, known as the Buck Moon, will arrive at 7:39 a.m. EDT (1239 GMT).
July 7: A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the USSF 52 mission for the U.S. Space Force from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
July 17: The new moon will arrive at 2:32 p.m. EDT (1932 GMT). 3rd Quarter: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Euclid mission for the European Space Agency (ESA). Euclid aims to learn more about the parts of the universe we can't see — specifically, dark energy and dark matter.
July 21: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on its first crewed flight. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Mike Fincke, along with an unidentified third crew member, will fly on the mission. The Crew Test Flight to the International Space Station will lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
Also scheduled to launch in July (from Spaceflight Now):
- A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Euclid mission for the European Space Agency (ESA). Euclid aims to learn more about the parts of the universe we can't see — specifically, dark energy and dark matter.
- A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket will launch a Cygnus cargo freighter on a flight to the International Space Station.
August
Aug. 1: The full moon of August, known as the Sturgeon Moon, will arrive at 2:32 p.m. EDT (1932 GMT).
Aug. 11: The Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight! The prolific shower is active from mid-July until late August.
Aug. 16: The new moon will arrive at 5:38 a.m. EDT (1038 GMT).
Aug. 17: A SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft on the program's 12th crewed flight.
Aug. 24: The moon will pass in front of one of the brightest and most colorful stars in the sky, Antares.
Aug. 30: The second full moon in August is known as the Blue Moon as it's the second full moon in a calendar moon. It will arrive at 9:36 p.m. EDT (0236 GMT Aug 31).
Also scheduled to launch in August (from Spaceflight Now):
- A Japanese H-2A rocket, will launch the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, or XRISM, a joint project between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and NASA from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan.
September
Sept 14: The new moon will arrive at 9:40 p.m. EDT (0240 GMT on Sept. 15).
Sept. 29: The full moon of September, known as the Harvest Moon, will occur at 5:58 a.m. EDT (1058 GMT).
October
Oct: 5: A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch NASA's Psyche asteroid mission. The spacecraft will travel to the asteroid Psyche and enter orbit in 2029. The launch is scheduled for 10:38 a.m. EDT (1438 GMT) from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
Oct. 8: The Draconid meteor shower peaks tonight! The shower is active between Oct. 6 and Oct. 10.
Oct. 14: The new moon will arrive at 1:55 p.m. EDT (1855 GMT).
Oct. 14: An annular solar eclipse will cross North, Central and South America today!
Related: Solar eclipses 2023: When, where & how to see them
Oct. 20: The Orionid meteor shower peaks tonight! The shower is active between Sept. 26 and Nov. 22.
Oct. 28: The full moon of October, known as the Hunter's Moon, will occur at 4:24 p.m. EDT (2124 GMT).
Oct. 28: A partial lunar eclipse will occur today! Some parts of the partial lunar eclipse should be visible over Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, North America, North/East South America, the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the Arctic and Antarctica.
Related: Lunar eclipses 2023: When, where & how to see them
November
Nov. 4: The Southern Taurid meteor shower peaks tonight! The shower is active between Sept. 28 and Dec. 2.
Nov. 9: At 5 a.m. local time, make sure to look toward the east-northeast sky to see the most spectacular pairing of the moon and Venus of 2023.
Nov. 11: The Northern Taurid meteor shower peaks tonight! The shower is active between Oct. 13 and Dec. 2.
Nov. 13: The new moon will arrive at 4:27 a.m. EST (0927 GMT).
Nov. 17: The Leonid meteor shower peaks tonight! The shower is active between Nov. 3 and Dec. 2.
Nov. 27: The full moon of November, known as the Beaver Moon, will arrive at 4:16 a.m. EST (0916 GMT)
December
Dec. 12: The new moon will arrive at 6:32 p.m. EST (2332 GMT).
Dec. 14: The Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight! The shower is active between Dec. 4 and Dec. 17.
Dec 21: Today is the winter solstice for the Northern Hemisphere and the summer solstice for the Southern Hemisphere.
Dec: 21: The Ursid meteor shower peaks tonight! The shower is active from Dec. 13 to Dec. 24.
Dec. 26: The full moon of December, known as the Cold Moon, will occur at 7:33 p.m. EST (0033 GMT on Dec. 27).
More in 2023
Early 2023: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the second pair of WorldView Legion Earth observation satellites for Maxar Technologies.
2nd Quarter: A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the USSF 51 mission for the U.S. Space Force.
3rd Quarter: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the IM-1 mission with the Nova-C lander built and owned by Intuitive Machines from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
TBD: India's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) will launch its first commercial mission with four Earth observation satellites for BlackSky Global. It will lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India.
TBD: A United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket will launch on its inaugural flight with the Peregrine commercial lunar lander for Astrobotic. It will lift off from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
TBD: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the third pair of O3b mPOWER broadband for SES of Luxembourg from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
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