Space Calendar

NewSpace Africa Conference - Inclusive Growth: Expanding Space Benefits to all Africans
2026-04-20 - 2026-04-23 | Libreville, Gabon
This 5th conference expects 600+ participants from 200+ organizations in 65+ countries, including 50+ African governments, to hear 60+ speakers and visit 40+ exhibitors. Includes a Startup Pitch Competition. Discounted passes for online and students. At Stade d’Angondjé.

Rollout of Artemis III Rocket Section
2026-04-20 | New Orleans LA, USA
Top four-fifths of the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage will be moved from NASA Michoud Assembly Facility to load on a barge for delivery to Kennedy Space Center. Media are invited. Speakers will be featured. The SLS is already begun in the Vehicle Assembly Building with the engine section and boat-tail brought there July 2025. Four L3Harris RS-25 engines will ship there from NASA Stennis NLT July 2026.
Artemis III will launch Astronauts to Earth orbit NET 2027 to test rendezvous and docking between SLS and commercial spacecraft from SpaceX and / or Blue Origin, ahead of the system taking Astronauts to land on the Moon NET 2028.

Launch Falcon 9 / GPS III SV10
2026-04-20 | SLC-40 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA
Launch window open 02:48-04:05 EST | HST is 20:48-22:05 on Apr 19; 10th of 10 navigation satellites to MEO; 1st stage booster planned to land on autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS) in Atlantic Ocean.

Planetary Society's Day of Action
2026-04-19 - 2026-04-20 | Washington DC, USA
Annual advocacy event that connects space advocates with their members of Congress in Washington D.C. Training 13:00-17:00 Sunday Apr 19. Congressional meetings Monday Apr 20. Anyone age 18+ with USA address can register, under 18 must be accompanied by parent / guardian; Planetary Society membership required (can be added at registration). A limited number of discounted hotel rooms are available for registrants at the Residence Inn National Mall location.

Launch New Glenn / BlueBird Block 2 #2
2026-04-19 | SLC-36A, Cape Canaveral SFS FL, ~28°N, USA
Launch window 06:45-09:43 EDT | 00:45-03:43 HST for one AST Space Mobile satellite for cellular broadband, which features ~223-square-meter communications array making it the largest commercial deployment in LEO. Booster GS1-SN002 expected to land on ASDS Jacklyn after this 2nd flight.

Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 17-22
2026-04-18 | SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USA
Launch window 07:00-11:00 PDT | 04:00-08:00 HST for 25 internet satellites. Booster B1097 expected to land on ASDS OCISLY after this 8th flight.

8th Anniversary of Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) Launch
2026-04-18 | High Earth Orbit (HEO)
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.

From Earth to the Universe: At Robinson Planetarium
2026-04-17 | Adrian MI, USA
In honor of Astronomy Month, celebrated around the Earth, this full-dome planetarium program takes the audience out to the colorful birthplaces and burial grounds of stars, and still further out beyond the Milky Way to the unimaginable immensity of myriad galaxies. Along the way, the audience will learn about the history of astronomy, the invention of the telescope, and today’s giant telescopes that allow us to probe ever deeper into the Universe. At Adrian College, 110 South Madison Street, 19:00 EDT.
The planetarium will also address light pollution, a current issue affecting dark skies.

Launch Long March 2D / Unknown Payload
2026-04-17 | Jiuquan Space Launch Center, ~41°N, Gansu, China
Launch window 12:10-12:24 China Time | 18:10-18:24 Apr 16 HST of 2-stage rocket used for taking satellites to LEO and SSO. This would be the 97th successful launch of a Long March 2D, out of 98 attempts.

30th Annual Design / Build / Fly Competition
2026-04-16 - 2026-04-19 | Wichita KS, USA
Applied Aerodynamics, Aircraft Design, Design Engineering and Flight Test Technical Committees of AIAA all pitch in to call forth enthusiastic creativity from the next generation.
College-student teams will design, fabricate, and demonstrate the flight capabilities of an unmanned, electric powered, radio-controlled aircraft which can best meet the specified mission profile. The goal is a balanced design possessing good demonstrated flight handling qualities and practical and affordable manufacturing requirements while providing a high vehicle performance.
To encourage innovation and maintain a fresh design challenge for each year’s participants, the design requirements and performance objective are updated yearly, providing new design requirements and opportunities while allowing application of technology developed by teams from prior years.

ICGAC2026: 2nd International Conference on Gravitation, Astrophysics and Cosmology
2026-04-16 - 2026-04-18 | Paris, France
Themes include Beyond Gravity and Cosmic Understanding, as described by conference Chair Carlo Viberti of SpaceLand Italy.

AIAA Defense Forum 2026
2026-04-15 - 2026-04-18 | Laurel MD, USA
AIAA secret / NOFORN event covering the strategic, programmatic, and technical topics and policy issues pertaining to the aerospace and defense community.

NASA Partnership Days
2026-04-15 - 2026-04-16 | Edwards CA, USA
At NASA Armstrong flight Research Center, for companies, government agencies and organization to explore collaboration opportunities in advanced research and technology development with NASA. 08:00-16:00 PDT on Wednesday, April 15, and 10:30-17:00 PDT or Thursday, April 16. Registration required.

Abstracts Due for International Space Development Conference (ISDC 2026)
2026-04-15 | Online
44th annual ISDC to be held Jun 4 – Jun 7 in McLean VA, USA, to bring together visionaries in spaceflight, the NewSpace economy, and space settlement for 4 days of groundbreaking discussions and insights.

International Space Development Conference (ISDC) 2026: Space For Us All

26th Integrated Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (ICNS) Conference
2026-04-14 - 2026-04-16 | Washington DC, USA
Addressing technology and policy advances in CNS research, development and implementation programs, and policies related to CNS/ATM capabilities and applications. Includes a workshop on interaction between launches and the air traffic system. ICNS Conference assembles leaders from government, industry, and academia, as well as senior technical experts to address important policy issues and contribute to the future directions of CNS and ATM. At Westin Washington Dulles Airport. Student rate available.

CubeSat Developers Workshop 2026 (CDW26)
2026-04-14 - 2026-04-16 | San Luis Obispo CA, USA
At Cal Poly campus building number 06, Performing Arts Center (PAC). Workshop sessions include: Core Hardware / Mechanisms, Radiation & Reliability, Comm Systems, Payloads, Deployment, Software / Autonomy, Flight Demos. There is a Career Fair at the end of the workshops, and a Farmer’s Market in the late afternoon.
3 Day Professional Pass (Includes Admission & Networking Dinner):
Early Bird Registration** – $450 (ends February 1st)
Regular Registration – $550
At the Door – $700
2 Day Professional Pass (Admission Only):
Early Bird Registration** – $350 (ends February 1st)
Regular Registration – $450
At the Door – $550
1 Day Professional Pass (Admission Only):
Early Bird Registration** – $175 (ends February 1st)
Regular Registration – $225
At the Door – $275

Student Participant Pricing*
3 Day Student Pass (Includes Admission & Networking Dinner):
Regular Student Registration – $175
At the Door Student – $200
2 Day Student Pass (Admission Only):
Regular Student Registration – $120
At the Door Student – $170
1 Day Student Pass (Admission Only):
Regular Student Registration – $85
At the Door Student – $100
*Students are defined as individuals currently enrolled in classes. Students may be required to present their student ID at check-in.
**Early Bird pricing ends on February 1. Last Minute & On site registration pricing will be available starting Monday, April 12.

Online Seminar on Power and Propulsion Systems
2026-04-14 | Online
With Tim Lieuwen of Georgia Institute of Technology, 13:00-14:00 EDT | 07:00-08:00 HST, spanning from fundamentals to current applications and unsolved problems at the intersection of combustion, fluid mechanics, and flow stability, offering insights for industry, researchers, and students alike. Full title of seminar: Patterns and Structure in the Fury and Noise: Coherent Structures and Organized Dynamics in Modern Power and Propulsion Systems.

Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 17-27
2026-04-14 | SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USA
Launch window 19:00-23:00 PDT | 16:00-20:00 HST, for 25 internet satellites. Booster B1082 expected to land on ASDS OCISLY after this 21st flight.

Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 10-24
2026-04-14 | SLC-40 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA
Launch window 02:13-06:13 EDT | 20:13 Apr 13 – 00:13 Apr 14 HST, for 29 internet satellites. Booster B1080 planned to land on ASDS JRTI after this 26th launch.

Launch Kinetica 1 / Unknown Payload
2026-04-14 | Jiuquan Space Launch Center, ~41°N, Gansu, China
Scheduled for Noon-12:15 China Time | 04:00 UTC | 18:00 HST April 13, rescheduled from Dec 2025; Kinetica is a solid-propellant 4-stage light launch vehicle, 30m tall with fairing diameter 3.35m, able to send 4,000kg to LEO or 3,000kg to SSO.

Launch Vehicle Avionics Systems Design and Applications – Online Short Course
2026-04-14 - 2026-04-30 | Online
George N. Andrew, with 46+ years of experience relating to launch vehicle, spacecraft / instrument avionics architecture, design, manufacturing, integration / testing / program management, convenes this course Tuesdays / Thursdays through April 30 at 13:00–15:30 EDT | 17:00-19:30 UTC | 09:00-11:30 HST (6 Classes, 15 Total Hours). All sessions will be recorded and available for replay; course notes will be available for download.
This new practical course offers a rare deep dive into launch vehicle avionics systems engineering and design. See website for details.
All students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion at the end of the course.
Mr. Andrew has extensive mission/systems engineering, and program/project management experience. He has consulted and worked with start-up spacecraft and launch vehicle companies, managing the flight and ground hardware/software architecture, design, development, manufacturing, test, and launch. Mr. Andrew has been the program/project manager for several spacecraft program contracts and the Avionics Department Manager for two start-up launch vehicles. He is currently supporting the NASA Explorers Program Office in the Program Systems Engineering office as the Mission Systems Engineer for the MUSE & UVEX Projects and as the Safety Engineer for 2 other Projects, all located at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. Mr. Andrew is the President of GNA Aerospace Consulting Group and is an Associate Fellow within the AIAA.

UN COPUOS Legal Subcommittee (LSC) Meeting
2026-04-13 - 2026-04-24 | Vienna, Austria
65th session of the UN COPUOS Legal Subcommittee (LSC). Informal meetings and consultations are expected to take place on April 13-14 and April 23-24, surrounding the main session dates. Key lunar issues to be addressed include resources and information-sharing. Sessions focus is on international space governance, including space safety, sustainability, lunar activities, and legal issues relating to space exploration. At Vienna International Centre (VIC), commonly known as the UN Headquarters, Wagramer Strasse 5, 1220 Vienna, specifically in the C-Building.
The Open Lunar foundation invites:
If you are attending these events or are interested in engaging on these topics, please reach out to connect@openlunar.org.

Satellite Building Workshop
2026-04-13 - 2026-04-17 | Singapore
For undergraduates in STEM-related courses. At Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)

41st Space Foundation Space Symposium
2026-04-13 - 2026-04-16 | Colorado Springs CO, USA
Theme: Building Capacity Through Innovation and Collaboration. Expecting 10,000+ registrants, 247 exhibitors, 24 space agencies, 1500+ organizations. At The Broadmoor Hotel & Cheyenne Mountain Resort. Access to specific Track Programming ONLY available at US$425 for tracks:
Space Law & Regulation, Space Science & Exploration, Space Finance & Investment, Game Changers: AI & Space

ASCE Earth & Space 2026 Conference
2026-04-13 - 2026-04-16 | College Station TX, USA
20th International Conference on Engineering, Science, Construction and Operations in Challenging Environments: ASCE Earth & Space 2026

Registration Due: Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium Spring Meeting
2026-04-13 | Online
23:59 EDT | 03:59 UTC April 14. No cost for Online attendance; US$150-220 for in-person (Laurel MD, USA). Theme Accelerate the Pace: Touch Down, Power Up, and Explore! focuses on urgency for lunar infrastructure technology efforts, inviting discussions on how we can accelerate progress together. With the incredible momentum set by NASA’s Ignition Moon Base announcement and the successful launch of Artemis II, we can’t think of a better time to celebrate and make plans to address the critical timelines and sequential phases required to achieve our lunar surface goals!
Please visit the Registration Portal for registration options. Also, make sure to reserve your ticket early for the Networking Reception on Day 1!
What to look forward to this Spring?

Expert NASA and industry keynote speakers
Panels and breakout sessions on lunar infrastructure and technology topics
Over 100 technical posters
Over 30 technologies at the Tech Showcase

AIAA Region I Student Conference
2026-04-12 - 2026-04-13 | College Park MD, USA
Research papers are presented in a formal technical meeting atmosphere, and ideas are exchanged and programs discussed. Cash prizes given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place papers in each category. At University of Maryland.

Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 10-24
2026-04-12 | SLC-40 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA
Launch window 02:57 – 06:57 EDT | 20:57 Apr 11 – 00:57 Apr 12 HST for 29 internet satellites; Booster 1080 expected to land on ASDS JRTI after this 26th flight.

Yuri’s Night Celebrations
2026-04-12 | Worldwide
Launching parties around the world every year on or around April 12th, in commemoration of Yuri Gagarin becoming the first human to venture into space on April 12, 1961, and the inaugural launch of the first Space Shuttle on April 12, 1981. We use space to bring the world together, to empower the greatest parts of who we are, and give vision to where we are going.
Yuri’s Night was inaugurated April 12, 2001.

65th Commemoration of Human Spaceflight / Cosmonautics Day
2026-04-12 | Worldwide
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.
