Observation / Anniversary

NASA, Cal-tech high-energy astrophysics satellite surpasses another year in space, having launched on this day in 2012.

NASA ARTEMIS P2 craft surpasses another full year in lunar orbit since 2011; 1 of 5 satellites launched 2007 to study Earth magnetosphere

NASA craft reaches 14 full years in space today, having launched in 2011 and reaching Jupiter on July 4, 2016; one-way transmission signal to Earth is 48...

NASA Curiosity (Mars Science Laboratory) rover surpasses another full year of operations on Mars surface today; launched Nov 26, 2011 – landed Aug 5, 2012.

NASA craft surpasses another full year in space today, having launched Aug 12, 2018; probe  came within ~6.16M km of the Sun on Dec 24, 2024 which...

India orbiter surpasses another full year in lunar polar orbit since reaching the Moon in 2019; Chandrayaan-2 lander and rover were unsuccessful in lunar landing.

Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander and Pragyan rover celebrated today after successfully landing on Moon in 2023; marking India as the 4th country to land on Moon, and 1st...

NASA spacecraft surpasses another full year in space today, launched 2012; adding to the understanding of Earth radiation belt environment and its variability.

Japan's X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), studying galactic plasma, surpasses another full year in space today at ~550-km LEO, having launched 2023.

NASA Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft surpasses another full year of operations in Mars orbit after insertion on this day 2014; continuing to study upper...

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory surpasses another full year in space today, launched 2015.

Nationwide celebrations and educational events occur to observe NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) first business day as newly-formed National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on this...

First solar observatory for China known as CHASE or Xihe / 羲和 surpasses another full year in space since launching on this day via Long March 2D...

Detecting some of the most energetic radiation in space, ESA, NASA, Roscosmos spacecraft surpasses another year of operations in space, despite loss of its thrusters; launched 2002,...

European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos spacecraft surpasses another full year at Mars, launched 2016; craft continues collecting data on atmosphere, deployed Schiaparelli demonstration lander 19 Oct...

NASA spacecraft mapping boundary between the Solar System and interstellar space surpasses another full year in space; launched on this day 2008.

European Space Agency / JAXA Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (dubbed Mio ‘waterway or fairway’) starts its next year in space today, launched 2018;...

NASA spacecraft surpasses another full year in orbit around Mars today, holds record for longest-surviving continually active spacecraft in orbit around a planet other than Earth; launched...

NASA craft imaging Sun and solar phenomena surpasses another full year in space today; launched 2006.

Awards include those named in honor of Neil Armstrong, Sally Ride, Carl Sagan, Patti Grace Smith, Dick Brouwer and John F. Kennedy, awards for space entrepreneurship, life...

Standard Time (USA): Change clocks back 1 hour from Daylight Saving to Standard Time; does not include Hawai’i, Arizona (except the Navajo Nation), American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana...

NASA 12-U CubeSat Capstone acting as a pathfinder for planned International Lunar Gateway surpasses another year around Moon today; launched in 2022.

As USA and its international partners work toward Artemis 2 crewed mission around the Moon, Space Launch System and Artemis 1 mission is observed today for its...

Surpassing 21 full years in space, having launched in 2004, Swift is observing gamma-ray bursts & their afterglows in gamma-ray, X-ray, ultraviolet, optical wavelengths from LEO.

As China and international partners plan permanently occupied International Lunar Research Station and next-gen rockets for Solar System Complete exploration, observation of 1999 launch of Shenzhou-1, first...

Surpassing 5 full years on lunar surface, China National Space Administration (CNSA) Chang'E-5 lander at Statio Tianchuan "ship sailing in the Milky Way", Mons Rümker, Oceanus Procellarum,...

Surpassing 30 full years of operations in space today, European Space Agency (ESA) / National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) craft continues studying the Sun, has also...

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Hayabusa surpasses 11 full years in space today; launched Dec 3, 2014, returned samples to Earth in 2020, and now in extended...

European Space Agency (ESA) craft surpasses 26 full years / begins 27th year in space today, launched 1999, in very eccentric elliptical LEO studying X-ray emissions, star-forming...

Surpassing 12 full years / starting 13th year on the Moon, China National Space Administration (CNSA) spacecraft at Guang Han Gong "Moon Palace", Sinus Iridum / Mare...

Surpassing 14 full years / starting 15th year in Space, the NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer spacecraft (redubbed Near-Earth Object WISE – NEOWISE) launched in 2009, went...

Surpassing 3rd full year / entering 4th year in lunar orbit, Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) first lunar spacecraft Danuri launched in Aug 2022 and reached Moon...

ESA spacecraft surpasses 12 full years in space today, begins year 13, in extended mission phase working to map more than 1 billion stars.

ESA spacecraft surpasses 22 full years / starts 23rd year in Mars orbit today; will continue to study Mars atmosphere & climate, planet structure, mineralogy, geology, and...

Surpassing 4 full years / beginning 5th in space, NASA (STSci) / ESA / CSA infrared astronomy telescope designed to observe the earliest galaxies, study star and...

Spacecraft reach 6 full years / enter 7th year on Moon far side, landed 2019 - the first farside landing ever.

Second annual observation of JAXA lunar landing Moon near side equatorial region in 2024 and Japan becoming 5th country to successfully land on Moon.

As USA prepares to send people to the Moon this year, today Buzz Aldrin is celebrated for being part on the 1st human mission on the Moon,...

Increasing space awareness and education, remembrances and events honor three Apollo 1 crew members lost in 1967 during a launch pad test: Command Pilot Virgil “Gus” Grissom,...

Educational and ceremonial events held worldwide to advance space technology / education and honor 7 crew members killed in Shuttle accident 28 January 1986: Commander Francis R....

American Artemis Return to the Moon For Good is underway, Mars attention and planning advancing, Outer Solar System search for life ongoing, and Interstellar craft on outgoing...

China Tianwen-1 orbiter reaches 5 full years / begins 6th year of operations in Mars orbit; Lander & Rover touched down ~3 months after this date at...

Annual international conferences and events take place to further space exploration efforts in remembrance of Columbia 7 loss: Commander Richard D. Husband, Mission Specialist Laurel Clark, Payload...

UAE Hope Orbiter, studying Mars atmosphere and climate, reaches 5 full years / enters 6th year in Mars orbit today; launched July 19, 2020 on JAXA H2A...

Lunar New Year 2026 Spring Festival marks the Year of the Horse.

Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover reaches 5 full years / enters 6th year on Mars surface having landed in Jezero Crater on this day in 2021; it carried...

Second annual observation of 1st successful commercial lunar landing on Moon by Intuitive Machines IM-1 Nova-C Lander "Odysseus". This mission also marks the USA first return to...