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 minutes.

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 is ~7 times closer than any prior spacecraft, traveling faster than any other human-made object at ~692,000 km/hr.

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 near the Moon South Pole.

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 atmosphere.

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

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, expected to run out of fuel early 2020s and fall to Earth Feb 2029.

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

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; expected to reach Mercury polar orbit in Nov 2026 to map planet, investigate magnetosphere.

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 2001.

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 sciences, technology and flight, and for advancement of international cooperation, et al. Nominations are also accepted for AAS Fellows.

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 Islands, Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands.

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 successful uncrewed flight Nov 16 – Dec 11, 2022.

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 experimental crewed spacecraft honored today.

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 discovered more than 3,000 comets.

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 mission to flyby asteroid 98943 Torifune in 2026 and rendezvous with 1998 KY26 in 2031.

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 regions, galaxy clusters, environment of supermassive black holes, and mapping dark matter.

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 Imbrium, 44.12°N 19.51°W, landed in 2013.

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 into hibernation February 17, 2011 and reactivated August 21, 2013.

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 in Dec 2022.

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 to search for traces of water; launched June 2, 2003 and arrived at Mars in Dec 2003.

Surpassing 4 full years / beginning 5th in space, NASA (STSci) / ESA / CSA infrared astronomy telescope designed to observe the earliest galaxies, study star and planet formation, and analyze the atmospheres of exoplanets, launched on this day via Ariane 5 ECA rocket in 2021.

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, arriving as the Lunar Module "Eagle" pilot that also brought Neil Armstrong there on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. He is credited […]

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, Senior Pilot Edward H. White and Pilot Roger B. Chaffee.

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. “Dick” Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, Astronaut Christa McAuliffe (the 1st ‘Teacher in Space’), Mission Specialists Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnick and […]

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 trajectories while first USA satellite launch on this day in 1958 ‘Explorer 1’ is celebrated and remembered.

China Tianwen-1 orbiter reaches 5 full years of operations in Mars orbit; Lander & Rover touched down ~3 months after this date at Utopia Planitia 25.1°N, 109.9°E; launched July 2020, reached orbit 2021.

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 Specialist Ilan Ramon (the ‘1st Israeli astronaut’) and Astronauts: William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, David M. Brown and Kalpana Chawla (the ‘1st […]

UAE Hope Orbiter, studying Mars atmosphere and climate, reaches 5 full years in Mars orbit today; launched July 19, 2020 on JAXA H2A rocket, arrived at Mars on this day 2021.

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

Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover reaches 5 full years on Mars surface having landed in Jezero Crater on this day in 2021; it carried Ingenuity helicopter – the first craft to successfully complete powered flights off-Earth.

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 the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. IM-1 lander carried 6 NASA and 6 independent payloads to surface, landing near Malapert A Crater […]

“Tried rocket at 2:30,” Robert Hutchings Goddard recounted in his diary on that frosty afternoon in 1926 at “Aunt Effie’s farm” in Auburn, Massachusetts. “It rose 41 ft, and went 184 ft, in 2.5 sec, after the lower half of nozzle has burned off,” he wrote. Goddard’s March 16th experiment marked […]

Commemorations occur today in honor of 1st ever NASA Space Shuttle Columbia carrying John Young and pilot Robert Crippen around Earth on 54.5-hour mission in 1981.

Recognized proclamation to celebrate the first-ever imaged black hole M87* by Event Horizon Telescope collaboration involving Mauna Kea Observatories, given the Hawaiian name Pōwehi; imaged in April 2017 and released Apr 10, 2019.

Celebrating Yuri Gagarin, the 1st human to orbit Earth on Vostok 1 spacecraft in 1961; the flight lasted 108 minutes at 27,400 kph and 327 km above Earth.

Space telescope for NASA Explorers program reaches 8th full year in space today, designed to search for exoplanets using the transit method in an area 400 times larger than that covered by Kepler / K2 mission; launched April 18, 2018.

NASA spacecraft with 2.4-meter diameter main telescope begins 37th year in space today, launched Apr 24, 1990; could continue operations until 2040s.

Commemorating the launch of China’s first satellite, Dongfanghong-1 on April 24, 1970.

May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard reached the air / space dividing line acknowledged by U.S. government, 50 miles / 80 km. The mission, known as Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) or Freedom 7, was part of Project Mercury, the United States' first human spaceflight program. The internationally accepted altitude of 62 miles […]

Tianwen-1 Lander and Zhurong Rover celebrated today for China's first successful landing on Mars; craft landed on this day in 2021 in Utopia Planitia, Mars Surface.

China Queqiao “bridge of magpies” satellite reaches 8 full years in space today, launched 2018 to provide far side communications to Earth from Chang'E-4 lander / rover.

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

New Year 1 Muharram (1st day) to begin at sunset on Jun 16; if young New Moon is not visible the beginning of the month and year may be delayed.

NASA spacecraft reaches 17 full years in Moon orbit today; launched Jun 18, 2009, arrived at Moon 5 days later.

NASA ARTEMIS P1 craft surpasses another year in lunar orbit since 2011; it was 1 of 5 satellites launched 2007 to study Earth magnetosphere.

SPC, publisher of Space Calendar and Lunar Enterprise Daily, observes 50 years since inception and looks towards the next 50 years of publishing-broadcasting from Earth, the surface of the Moon, and perhaps far beyond with its affiliated International Lunar Observatory Association and other enterprises.

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

First USA spacecraft to successfully land on another planet commemorated today for its accomplishment 50 years ago; originally scheduled for July 4, landing was delayed until this day in 1976 due to rough landing site.

NASA spacecraft in extended mission phase reaches 27th full year of operations in space; instruments able to detect X-ray sources 100 times fainter than any previous X-ray telescope; launched 1999.