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  • Tianwen-2 Enters Orbit of Asteroid Kamo’oalewa

    Near-Earth Object (NEO)

    Sample-return spacecraft Tianwen-2 will perform an orbit-insertion burn at asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa on Sunday, June 7, 13 months after its launch in May 2025. It is expected to begin collecting samples early next month. https://www.techtimes.com/articles/317613/20260602/tianwen-2-asteroid-orbit-insertion-set-june-7-amateurs-decode-telemetry.htm Kamoʻoalewa, formally designated 2016 HO3, was discovered in April 2016 by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope […]

  • Hayabusa 2, Asteroid 98943 Torifune Flyby

    Asteroid 98943 Torifune Trajectory

    JAXA Hayabusa 2 mission to flyby S-type asteroid 98943 Torifune within 1 to 10 km of the asteroid's surface at a relative velocity of approximately 5 km/s. The mission is planned to rendezvous with asteroid 1998 KY26 in 2031, after returning samples from (162173) Ryugu to Earth in 2020.

  • Soyuz MS-28 / Crew Return to Earth

    Featured
    Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

    Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Sergey Mikayev and Christopher Williams set to undock from ISS in Soyuz MS-28, triggering the start to Expedition 75 with Commander Jessica Meir.

  • NASA Astronaut Chris Williams Post-ISS Mission Debrief

    Online

    2:45 pm EDT from Johnson Space Center, NASA astronaut Chris Williams will recap his recent eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Williams returned to Earth on July 26, after logging 241 days as an Expedition 73/74 flight engineer during his first spaceflight. He returned along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and […]

  • U.S. ISS Spacewalk 96

    Featured
    Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

    NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon will exit the Quest airlock to install hardware that will modify the station’s 3B power channel and prepare it for the future installation of an International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA). The solar array, scheduled for delivery later this year, will be […]

  • U.S. ISS Spacewalk 97

    Featured
    Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

    During U.S. spacewalk 97, two astronauts will replace a Space-to-Ground antenna on the orbital complex. The antenna is a critical communication system NASA uses to transmit data and high‑speed communication between the Mission Control Center in Houston and the space station. This will be the 282nd spacewalk conducted in support […]

  • Launch Long March 5 / Chang’e-7

    Featured
    Wenchang Space Launch Center, ~19°N, Hainan Island, China

    Launch estimated 08:00 local time (with launch window remaining open through August 31) -- CNSA to launch Chang'e-7 mission which is planned to land near the illuminated southeast ridge of Shackleton crater at 88°48′S 123°24′E to survey environment and resources with a Relay Satellite, Orbiter, Lander (Rashid-2 from UAE), Rover, […]

  • U.S. ISS Spacewalk 98

    Featured
    Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

    The U.S. spacewalk 98 crew members will connect power channel cables and data relay systems as part of ongoing maintenance, including preparations for the space station’s future deorbit. The astronauts also will replace a navigational aid used for spacecraft docking on the Harmony module’s forward port. NASA will share additional […]

  • Launch Falcon Heavy / Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

    Featured
    SLC-39A, ~29°N, Kennedy Space Center FL, USA

    Launch set for 0:26 EDT | Roman spacecraft is 12.7 meters long and 4.4 meters wide when fully deployed. Its primary mirror is 2.4 meters in diameter, which is the same size as the Hubble Space Telescope's primary mirror. It will have sensitivity and resolution comparable to Hubble, but a […]

  • Launch Falcon 9 / SpaceX Crew-13

    Featured
    SLC-40 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA

    Launch to ISS of Jessica Watkins (NASA) – Commander, Luke Delaney (NASA) – Pilot, Joshua Kutryk (Canadian Space Agency) – Mission Specialist, and Sergey Teteryatnikov (Roscosmos) – Mission Specialist to join Expedition 75. The four crew members of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission, who have been on ISS since February 13, […]

  • UKIRT to Cease Science Operations

    Featured
    Mauna Kea, Hawai'i

    In preparation for its decommissioning, United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) atop Mauna Kea will stop science operations today, with removal to be completed by 2030.

  • Chang’E-7 to land on the Moon

    Shackleton Crater Ridge, Moon Surface

    Nov or Dec - CNSA CE-7 mission planned to land at Shackleton Crater Ridge near Moon South Pole region to survey environment and resources with Relay Satellite, Orbiter, Lander (Rashid-2 from UAE), Rover, Mini-Flying Probe; lander has national science payloads as well as 6 international instruments integrated: from Egypt, Bahrain, […]

  • BepiColombo, Hermocentric Orbit Insertion at Mercury

    Mercury Orbit

    NET Nov — ESA / JAXA Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) expected to reach Mercury, achieve polar orbit and spacecraft separation; will map planet, investigate magnetosphere.

  • Launch Electron / Aspera

    Featured
    Launch Complex 1, ~39°S, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

    NASA astrophysics 9-month mission to gather ultraviolet light information for understanding origins of stars / planets / life.

  • Tianwen-2 Departs Kamo’oalewa (2016 HO3)

    Earth Trajectory

    China Tianwen-2 asteroid sample return mission planned to depart Kamo’oalewa (2016 HO3) today and return to Earth with least 100 grams of sample, to enter Earth atmosphere on Nov 29, 2027.

  • Lucy Spacecraft Flyby of 3548 Eurybates / Queta

    Jupiter Greek camp at Lagrangian point L4

    NASA mission to encounter 11 asteroids including a main belt and 7 Jupiter Trojans to come within 1,000 km of 64-km diameter 3548 Eurybates asteroid and its 1-km diameter satellite Queta.

  • Lucy Spacecraft Flyby of 15094 Polymele

    Jupiter Greek camp at Lagrangian point L4

    NASA mission to encounter 11 asteroids including a main belt and 7 Jupiter Trojans to come within 415 km of 21-km diameter 15094 Polymele asteroid which may be a collisional fragment and rich in organic tholin compounds.

  • NET Dec — Hayabusa 2, First Earth Flyby

    Earth Trajectory

    ☆ NET Dec — JAXA Hayabusa 2 mission to perform first flyby Earth today on way to rendezvous with asteroid 1998 KY26 in 2031, after returning samples from (162173) Ryugu to Earth in 2020 and flying by asteroid 98943 Torifune in 2026.

  • Launch of MBR Explorer

    TBD

    NET March - The MBR Explorer by the United Arab Emirates Space Agency's (UAESA) is a $1 billion, 13-year mission to explore six main-belt asteroids and deploy a lander on a seventh, 269 Justitia, in 2034; launch vehicle / location TBA.

  • NET Apr — End of Nominal Mission for BepiColombo

    Mercury Orbit

    NET Apr — European Space Agency / JAXA Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (BepiColombo) nominal mission ends this month, 5.82 Mercury years after orbit insertion; potential extended mission and plans TBD.

  • Lucy Spacecraft Flyby of Asteroid 11351 Leucus

    Jupiter Greek camp at Lagrangian point L4

    NASA's Lucy mission, to encounter 11 asteroids including a main belt and 7 Jupiter Trojans, planned to come within 1,000 km of 34-km diameter 11351 Leucus asteroid today.

  • NET Jun — Hayabusa 2, Second Earth Flyby

    Earth Trajectory

    ☆ NET Jun — JAXA Hayabusa 2 mission to perform second flyby Earth today on way to rendezvous with asteroid 1998 KY26 in 2031, after returning samples from (162173) Ryugu to Earth in 2020 and flying by asteroid 98943 Torifune in 2026.

  • Lucy Spacecraft Flyby of Asteroid 21900 Orus

    Jupiter Greek camp at Lagrangian point L4

    NASA Lucy mission, to encounter 11 asteroids including a main belt and 7 Jupiter Trojans, to come within 1,000 km of 51-km diameter 21900 Orus asteroid (which may be a possible binary) today.

  • NET 2029 — End of Euclid Nominal Mission

    Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point

    NET 2029 — Scheduled end of European Space Agency Euclid mission which is measuring accelerated expansion of Universe, aiding in understanding of dark energy / dark matter; future plans / extensions to be determined.

  • OSIRIS-APEX to Rendezvous with Asteroid 99942 Apophis

    Asteroid 99942 Apophis Orbit

    OSIRIS-APophis EXplorer (OSIRIS-APEX) is planned rendezvous with and orbit asteroid Apophis starting today for 9 months following the asteroid’s close Earth approach which occurred April 13, 2029; craft previously known as Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) which returned samples from asteroid Bennu to Earth on Sep 24, 2023.

  • Europa Clipper to Insert into Jupiter Orbit

    Jupiter Orbit

    Europa Clipper mission to insert into Jupiter orbit on this day to study Galileo moon Europa through a series of 44 close flybys (25 to 2,700 km); launched 10 October 2024.

  • Lucy Spacecraft 3rd Earth Flyby (660 km)

    Jupiter Trajectory

    NASA mission to encounter 11 asteroids, including a main belt and 7 Jupiter Trojans, to perform Earth flyby / gravity assist today coming within 660 km after reaching Jupiter orbit and returning to the vicinity of the Earth.    

  • NET July — JUICE Spacecraft to Insert into Jupiter Orbit

    Jupiter Orbit

    NET July — ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) expected to reach Jupiter this month if launched April 2023; will perform a flyby of Ganymede 7.5-hours before Jupiter insertion; will spend at least 3.5 years studying Jupiter atmosphere and magnetosphere, moons Ganymede, Europa, Callisto and Io with 10 state-of-the-art instruments […]

  • Lucy Spacecraft Flyby of Asteroids 617 Patroclus and Menoetius

    Jupiter Trojan camp at L5

    NASA Lucy mission to come within 1,000 km of 113-km diameter 617 Patroclus and 104-km diameter Menoetius, p-type binary asteroids; Lucy will be in a stable, 6-year orbit between the L4 and L5 -- mission extension may be granted.

  • Lucy Spacecraft End of Primary Mission, Continues Orbit Around Sun

    Heliocentric Orbit

    End of primary mission for NASA Lucy mission, future science and mission plan extension TBD; mission is a twelve-year journey to eight different asteroids, and craft will continue to orbit the Sun in a stable orbit between the L4 and L5 Trojan swarms around Jupiter. 

  • Tianwen-2 to Rendezvous with Comet 311/P PanSTARRS

    Comet 311/P PanSTARRS Orbit

    China asteroid sample return mission, having returned at least 100 grams from Kamo’oalewa (2016 HO3), to rendezvous with and begin orbiting Comet 311/P PanSTARRS for 1 year.