Space calendar 2022: Rocket launches, sky events, missions & more!

By published

Explore Space calendar 2022 to find out about the latest space events.

Jump to:

LAST UPDATED May 16. 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, ESA, Roscosmos, Spaceflight Now and others.

Watch NASA webcasts and other live launch coverage on our webcast page. Find out what's up in the night sky this month with our visible planets guide and skywatching forecast. 

Wondering what happened today in space history? Check out our "On This Day in Space" video show here!

May

May 16: The full moon of May, known as the Flower Moon, arrives at 12:14 a.m. EDT (0414 GMT).

May 16-17: A total lunar eclipse, also known as a Blood Moon, will be visible from North and South America, Europe, Africa and parts of Asia.

May 20: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on its second uncrewed mission to the International Space Station, following a partial failure in December 2019. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 6:54 p.m. EDT (2254 GMT).

May 21: Blue Origin's fifth crewed flight of its New Shepard suborbital, NS-21 will launch from Launch Site One. The launch window opens at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT). You can watch live here at Space.com when the time comes, courtesy of Blue Origin; coverage will begin an hour before liftoff.

May 27: A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch NASA's Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) mission to the moon from the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand. 

May 29: Jupiter and Mars will make a close approach in the dawn sky and will be just over one-half degree apart. While they won't be close enough to glimpse together by telescope, the planets will be visible together with the naked eye or in a pair of binoculars. 

May 30: The new moon arrives at 7:30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT).

Also scheduled to launch in May (from Spaceflight Now):

  • An Arianespace Vega rocket will launch the LARES 2 satellite for the Italian space agency. It will lift off from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.
  • India's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), designed to carry small satellites into low Earth orbit will launch on its first orbital test flight.
  • A firefly Alpha rocket will launch on its second test flight from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
  • Russia will launch an Angara 1.2 rocket carrying an MKA-R radar satellite. This will be the first launch attempt for the Angara 1.2 rocket. Delayed from April.

June

June 1: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a rideshare mission called Transporter 5. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.

June 3: Russia will use a Soyuz rocket to launch the Progress 81 cargo resupply spacecraft to the International Space Station. It will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 5:23 a.m. EDT (0923 GMT). 

June 7: SpaceX will launch the Dragon CRS-25 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:25 a.m. EDT (1525 GMT).

June 14: The full moon of June, known as the Strawberry Moon, arrives at 7:52 a.m. EDT (1152 GMT). It will also be the first "supermoon" of the year.

June 18: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch a sixth Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous satellite (SBIRS GEO 6). The satellite will be used for early-warning missile detection and will launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.

June 21: Solstice. Today marks the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of winter in the Southern Hemisphere. 

June 22: Arianespace will use an Ariane 5 rocket to launch the MEASAT 3d and GSAT 24 communications satellites from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. Delayed from April. Launch window 5:03–6:43 p.m. EDT (2103–2244 GMT).

June 28: The new moon arrives at 10:52 p.m. EDT (0252 June 29 GMT).

Also scheduled to launch in June (from Spaceflight Now):

  • A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch the Wide Field Of View (WFOV) experimental missile warning satellite for the U.S. Space Force in a mission titled USSF 12. It will lift off from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
  • A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the USSF 44 mission for the U.S. Space Force. It will lift off from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
  • A SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch the Nilesat 301 geostationary communications satellite from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Delayed from April. 
  • A Chinese Long March 2F rocket will launch three Chinese astronauts on the Shenzhou 14 spacecraft to dock with the Chinese space station. It will launch from Jiuquan, China. Delayed from May. 
  • Astra will launch the first pair of small CubeSats for NASA's TROPICS mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
  • Astra will launch the second pair of small CubeSats for NASA's TROPICS mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

July

July 13: The full moon of July, known as the Buck Moon, arrives at 2:38 p.m. EDT (1838 GMT). It will also be the biggest "supermoon" of the year.

July 28: The new moon arrives at 1:54 p.m. EDT (1754 GMT).

Also scheduled to launch in July (from Spaceflight Now):

  • A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the first two WorldView Legion Earth observation satellites for Maxar Technologies. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
  • A Chinese Long March 5B rocket will launch the Wentian laboratory module, the second major element of China's space station. 
  • Astra will launch the third pair of small CubeSats for NASA's TROPICS mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

August

Aug. 1: A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch NASA's Psyche mission to study the metal asteroid Psyche. It will lift off at 2:26 p.m. EDT (1826 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Aug. 11: The full moon of August, known as the Sturgeon Moon, arrives at 9:36 p.m. EDT (0136 Aug. 12 GMT).

Aug. 11-12: The Perseid meteor shower peaks.

Aug. 27: The new moon arrives at 4:17 a.m. EDT (0817 GMT). 

Also scheduled to launch in August (from Spaceflight Now):

  • A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch SES 20 and SES 21 communications satellites. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
  • NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket will launch on its first uncrewed test flight of an uncrewed Orion crew capsule, for a mission known as Artemis 1. The Orion spacecraft will orbit the moon before returning to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. The mission has been delayed several times.

September

Sept. 1: NASA and SpaceX will launch the Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station. The Crew Dragon will be carrying NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, Josh Cassada, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina. The Falcon 9 rocket will lift off at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Sept. 10: The full moon of September, known as the Harvest Moon, arrives at 5:59 a.m. EDT (0959 GMT).

Sept. 20: The European Space Agency's ExoMars rover, named Rosalind Franklin, will launch to the Red Planet. It will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a Russian Proton rocket.

Sept. 21: Russia will launch a team of cosmonauts and astronauts on a Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station. The Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft will lift off from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.

Sept. 23: Autumnal equinox. Today marks the first day of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sept 24: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 14 Tranche 0 demonstration satellites from the Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.

Sept. 25: The new moon arrives at 5:54 p.m. EDT (2154 GMT).

Sept. 30: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch the Joint Polar Satellite System 2 (JPSS 2) for NASA and NOAA as well as the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) on a test flight. LOFTID is a joint project between NASA and ULA. 

October

Oct. 8: The Draconid meteor shower, which is active Oct. 6-10, will peak overnight.

Oct. 9: The full moon of October, known as the Hunter's Moon, arrives at 4:55 p.m. EDT (2055 GMT).

Oct. 20-21: The annual Orionid meteor shower, which is active all month long, peaks overnight. 

Oct. 25: The new moon arrives at 6:48 a.m. EDT (1048 GMT).

Oct. 25: A partial solar eclipse will be visible from Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East and western parts of Asia. 

Also scheduled to launch in October (from Spaceflight Now):

  • A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a rideshare mission called Transporter 6. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
  • 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.
  • A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Dragon 2 spacecraft on a resupply mission to the International Space Station.
  • A Chinese Long March 5B rocket will launch the third major element of China's space station, the Mengtian laboratory module. 

November

Nov. 4-5: The annual South Taurid meteor shower peaks overnight. 

Nov. 7-8: A total lunar eclipse will be visible from Asia, Australia, North America, parts of northern and eastern Europe and South America.

Nov. 8: The full moon of November, known as the Beaver Moon, arrives at 6:02 a.m. EST (1102 GMT). 

Nov. 11-12: The annual North Taurid meteor shower peaks overnight.

Nov. 15: The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission, jointly developed by NASA and the French space agency CNES, will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Nov. 17-18: One of the most anticipated meteor showers of the year, the Leonid meteor shower peaks overnight. 

Nov. 23: The new moon arrives at 5:57 p.m. EST (2257 GMT).

Also scheduled to launch in November:

  • A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Polaris Dawn mission commanded by Jared Isaacman and will be his second trip to space. Isaacman will be joined by pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and SpaceX employees Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon.
  • A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a U.S. Space Force mission, USSF 67, from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

December

Dec. 7: The full moon of December, known as the Cold Moon, arrives at 11:08 p.m. EST (0408 Dec. 8 GMT).

Dec. 13-14: The annual Geminid meteor shower, one of the best meteor showers of the year, peaks overnight.

Dec. 21: Solstice. Today marks the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

Dec. 21-22: The annual Ursid meteor shower peaks overnight.

Dec. 23: The new moon arrives at 5:16 a.m. EDT (0916 GMT). 

Also scheduled to launch in December:

More coming in 2022...

3rd Quarter: A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch a new-generation Boeing-build broadband satellite ViaSat 3 Americas. 

Late 2022: 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.

Late 2022: 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. 

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. 

Please send any corrections, updates or suggested calendar additions to hweitering@space.com. Follow Space.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Hanneke Weitering
Hanneke Weitering

Hanneke Weitering is an editor at Space.com with 10 years of experience in science journalism. She has previously written for Scholastic Classroom Magazines, MedPage Today and The Joint Institute for Computational Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. After studying physics at the University of Tennessee in her hometown of Knoxville, she earned her graduate degree in Science, Health and Environmental Reporting (SHERP) from New York University. Hanneke joined the Space.com team in 2016 as a staff writer and producer, covering topics including spaceflight and astronomy. She currently lives in Seattle, home of the Space Needle, with her cat and two snakes. In her spare time, Hanneke enjoys exploring the Rocky Mountains, basking in nature and looking for dark skies to gaze at the cosmos. 
14 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Christmom3
    Admin said:
    Here's a LhZJPyDGPmMNxwDMmG4D8Se to SpaceX's launch schedule, other rocket missions, astronomical events of the next year, as well as milestones for spacecraft already in travel.

    Space Launch Calendar 2019: Sky Events, Missions & More : Read more
    May you please post a link to the 2020 space launch calendar? Thanks so much
    Reply
  • Wolfshadw
    Christmom3 said:
    May you please post a link to the 2020 space launch calendar? Thanks so much

    The article was updated on 7-31-20 to list upcoming events through the end of 2020.

    -Wolf sends
    Reply
  • EdnRno
    first time at your site - Great!
    You might check your Jan 2 comment "perihelion" - pretty sure it's "closest" to the sun. My mnemonic was always "pretty close"/ counterintuitive for during our "winter" . Thanks.

    "Jan. 2: Happy perihelion day! Earth is farthest from the sun today. "
    Reply
  • rel
    Need clarification of time zones....
    In the calendar on Jan 6 states "10:10 a.m. EST (1410 GMT)."
    10:10am EST is NOT 1410GMT! This needs to be corrected

    Likewise Jan 11th 9:25 a.m. EST (1325 GMT) also needs to be corrected.
    Reply
  • badhack
    Is this 2021 calendar available as a google calendar (or even a cal file)? NYTimes has one but this one is so much more complete. That would be super cool!
    Reply
  • yohandz007
    badhack said:
    Is this 2021 calendar available as a google calendar (or even a cal file)? NYTimes has one but this one is so much more complete. That would be super cool!
    https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=N2J0bXBwZ205czFvN25nb2Y4bzh1OW9zZmNAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQSince there is no calendar, I made one for my self on Google Calendar. You can use it too. I have not completed it yet, but I will in a few days.
    Reply
  • badhack
    yohandz007 said:
    https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=N2J0bXBwZ205czFvN25nb2Y4bzh1OW9zZmNAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQSince there is no calendar, I made one for my self on Google Calendar. You can use it too. I have not completed it yet, but I will in a few days.

    Awesome thank you very much yohandz007. btw your calendar is not public but I sent a request.
    Reply
  • Marin Tomuta
    Equinox is the mid-day of spring ppl! Equinox is in the middle at the equator, therefore it is the middle of spring. Isn't it?
    Am I the only on who thinks the equinox is mid-Spring/mid-Autumn and not the first day of? I mean its kind of a bit of a difference. Its the 1st day of the Sun shining at 90° at the equator and soon to be in northern hemisphere.
    Otherwise how would the summer solstice, being the longest day of the year not be the middle of summer? Summer begins when daylight starts to wane? No. It begins 1.5 moons before the solstice/equinox. 1st day of spring was 03Feb. I confirmed it by noticing plants flowering!
    Reply
  • Marin Tomuta
    Marin Tomuta said:
    Equinox is the mid-day of spring ppl! Equinox is in the middle at the equator, therefore it is the middle of spring. Isn't it?
    Am I the only on who thinks the equinox is mid-Spring/mid-Autumn and not the first day of? I mean its kind of a bit of a difference. Its the 1st day of the Sun shining at 90° at the equator and soon to be in northern hemisphere.
    Otherwise how would the summer solstice, being the longest day of the year not be the middle of summer? Summer begins when daylight starts to wane? No. It begins 1.5 moons before the solstice/equinox. 1st day of spring was 03Feb. I confirmed it by noticing plants flowering!
    I am at 33.8°N 118°W. Thats why flowers bloomed so early.
    On Northern Vernal Equinox Day, if one is at the North Pole, it is the 1st day of Spring; but if one is at the equator its the middle of Summer. Wherever the dynamic equator is, there its the midSummer. So when its the Northern Summer Solstice, its midSummer at the tropic of Cancer all the way up to the North Pole. I'm thinking the July/August heatwave is just that as the climate/solar wind folds onto itself as the dynamic equator moves South, as Earth reaches Aphelion.

    So, it all depends where one is located on Earth in relation to the Sun that determines actual 1st days of seasons.
    Hardly anyone lives at the North Pole. Not even Santa, I think. Most diverse biota are located within the tropics.
    Plz, no development within the Tropics! Plz, keep it natural. Thank you. 🙏
    Reply
  • darrenwebster
    yohandz007 said:
    https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=N2J0bXBwZ205czFvN25nb2Y4bzh1OW9zZmNAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQSince there is no calendar, I made one for my self on Google Calendar. You can use it too. I have not completed it yet, but I will in a few days.


    yohandz007 said:
    https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=N2J0bXBwZ205czFvN25nb2Y4bzh1OW9zZmNAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQSince there is no calendar, I made one for my self on Google Calendar. You can use it too. I have not completed it yet, but I will in a few days.

    Hey, I hope you’re well. Is the calendar still available? I tried adding the calendar using the url and it says it doesn’t exist.
    Reply