Space Event / Encounter

Expected 2 days after launch from Kazakhstan, arriving ~22:21 UTC with ~7,280 kg of cargo.

17:24 UTC (07:24 HST).

Strongest viewed from southern tropics; north of the equator, expect medium rates of 10-30 per hour just before dawn, with this year's waning gibbous Moon reducing viewing...

On its way to the asteroid Psyche, the Psyche spacecraft will pass within 4,500 km of Mars and will harness the planet’s gravitational pull to speed up...

22:46 HST on May 30 | 08:46 UTC on May 31.

Seen in the sunrise direction in the dark hour before dawn, with a predicted rate of 60 to 200 per hour, 2026 will have a thick waxing...

23:57 UTC (13:57 HST).

JAXA Hayabusa 2 mission to flyby S-type asteroid 98943 Torifune this month and rendezvous with asteroid 1998 KY26 in 2031, after returning samples from (162173) Ryugu to...

China asteroid sample return mission, after arriving at Kamo’oalewa on June 7, today begins to collect at least 100 grams via anchoring-drilling, hover-sampling and touch-and-go techniques; planned...

Occurs 07:30 HST / 17:30 UTC; Earth aphelion is the point in its elliptical orbit where it is farthest from the Sun, occurring annually in early July;...

Closest Earth approach, peak brightness for viewing, tracking and studies.

14:37 UTC / 04:37 HST.

Emanating from ~6km-wide comet with 5.3-year Solar orbit, visible in constellation Aquarius near star Delta Aquarii, fast, faint meteors peak on this night, best seen from the...

With 93% of the Moon falling into Earth's umbral shadow, maximum eclipse 18:19 HST // 04:12 UTC on August 28, visible from the Americas, Europe, Africa, and...

ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) expected to perform its second flyby of Earth this month, arriving at Jupiter in 2031.

Campbell was first appointed in September 2020. She was reappointed for an additional year, 14 Sep 2025 - 14 Sep 2026. It is rare that a President of...

14:02 HST (04:02 UTC); the Sun rises exactly in east traveling through sky for 12 hours, sets exactly in west; every place on Earth experiences a ~12-hour...

16:49 UTC (06:49 HST).

Appearing in constellation Orion, Orionids are a Class I shower providing up to 20 per hour, swiftly moving ~66km/sec. With activity spanning October 2 - November 12,...

18:12 HST // 04:12 UTC on Oct 26.

NET Nov — BepiColombo, Hermocentric Orbit Insertion at Mercury, Mercury Orbit: European Space Agency / JAXA Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) expected to reach Mercury,...

NET Nov — 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,...

14:54 UTC (04:54 HST).

10:49 HST (00:49 UTC); the Sun reaches the point where it is farthest South of the celestial equator, marking the shortest day and longest night of the...

25:29 HST //  01:29 UTC on Dec 24.

Highlighting Galaxy awareness by celebrating the Solar System traveling around Milky Way Galaxy Center every ~225 million Earth years, one Galactic Tick happens every 633.7 days; first...

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...

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...

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...

China asteroid sample return capsule planned to return to Earth today with at least 100 grams from Kamo’oalewa (2016 HO3); main Tianwen-2 craft is on trajectory to...

☆ 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...

NET 2028 — Standard funding of International Space Station may end this year from partner Russia; mission extension to at least 2030 from other partners is expected; future goals...

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...

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...

☆ 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...

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...

☆ Nov 24 — 242nd Galactic Tick Day, Milky Way Galaxy: Highlighting Galaxy awareness by celebrating the Solar System traveling around Milky Way Galaxy Center every ~225 million Earth...

NET Jan — ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) expected to perform 3rd and final flyby of Earth this month, arriving at Jupiter in 2031.

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;...

NET 2029 — NASA and JPL Caltech Psyche Mission to investigate all-metal asteroid Psyche to insert itself into asteroid orbit around beginning on this year if launching...

NET Feb — INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) space telescope will burn up upon Earth atmosphere reentry this month due to natural orbit decay after running out of fuel reserves...

On this day, which happens to be a Friday, 370-meter diameter asteroid (previously known as 2004 MN4) will narrowly miss Earth by about 30,000 km, which is...

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;...

NET July — China Chang’E-2 spacecraft expected to come within 7M km of Earth around this date after reaching 300M km apogee; craft was launched 1 October...

NET Oct — ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) expected to perform flyby of Asteroid 223 Rosa this month, arriving at Jupiter in 2031.

NET 2030 — Europe hopes to have built a sustainable Moon Village by this date, while working toward Mars missions.

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);...

NET Aug — Japan Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, now with Phobos sample, to begin its return to Earth this month, and planned to arrive at Earth...

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...

ISEE-3 (International Sun-Earth Explorer-3) craft, presumably in safe mode, is traveling around Sun & predicted to return to vicinity of Earth this year – may be able...

☆ NET Jul — JAXA Hayabusa 2 mission to rendezvous with asteroid 1998 KY26, after returning samples from (162173) Ryugu to Earth in 2020 and flying by...

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...

NET July — Japan Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission with Mars moon Phobos' sample to arrive at Earth this month and deliver Sample Return Capsule.

Highlighting Galaxy awareness by celebrating the Solar System traveling around Milky Way Galaxy Center every ~225 million Earth years, one Galactic Tick happens every 633.7 days; first...

ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) expected to perform flyby of moon Europa this month.

Mercury to pass directly between Earth and Sun; observers see distant planet as small dot gliding slowly across face of Sun; starts Nov 12 at 20:41 HST,...

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...

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...

ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) expected to achieve Ganymede elliptical orbit insertion this month.

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.

ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) is planned to be deorbited and impact Ganymede at the end of 2035, having reached Jupiter in 2031.