Space Calendar

Luxembourg Space Resources Week 2026
2026-05-04 - 2026-05-07 | Luxexpo, Luxembourg
Hosted annually in Luxembourg, Space Resources Week is organised by the European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC), in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA) and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST). The event brings together space agencies, industry leaders, researchers and early-stage ventures. It is, by design, multidisciplinary, addressing the scientific, technological, economic, legal and regulatory dimensions of space resources.

European Geosciences Union General Assembly EGU26
2026-05-03 - 2026-05-08 | Vienna, Austria
Includes Lunar Session for discussion of the latest advancement in lunar science, exploration and sustainable utilization, including the deep interior, subsurface structure, surface morphology, up to atmospheric dynamics and the solar wind interaction. Online attendance also offered, with no charge for students and those from certain countries.

Asia-Pacific Regional IAU Meeting (APRIM 2026)
2026-05-03 - 2026-05-07 | Hong Kong, China
More than 570 abstracts were received, 14 plenary and 51 invited speakers span 9 themes, and 58 early career astrophysicists have received travel grants for this Asia Pacific Regional International Astronomical Union (IAU) Meeting, a highly anticipated gathering that convenes astronomers, researchers, and enthusiasts from countries across the Asia Pacific region. This prestigious event provides a platform for the exchange of cutting-edge research, innovative ideas, and collaborative efforts in the field of astronomy and astrophysics.
Social events:

3rd May, 2026; 6-9 pm: Welcome reception
6th May, 2026; 7-10 pm: Conference dinner cruise
7th May, 2026, 7 pm onwards: Classical music concert by Shirley Choi

The Space Sustainability theme has been elevated to a full parallel meeting now endorsed and supported by the International Academy of Astronautics: https://iaaspace.org/event/space-debris-and-sustainability-conference-2026/ and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).

Topics include: Space Situational Awareness, Space Traffic Management, Debris Remediation technologies,
Foci include international co-operation and policy, and of course, efforts to address the serious impacts on optical and radio astronomy.

• Welcome reception (drinks, canapes) in the HKCEC on Sunday 3rd May from 6-9pm is included in the registration fee: HKD2,000 for students (~US$255) and HKD3,000 regular admission (~US$383).
• Conference dinner cruise on Victoria Harbour Wednesday 6th May 7-10pm. Tickets $950HKD/person (about US$121). This price covers the cruise, live entertainment, buffet dinner and free flow beer, wine, soft drinks for the first 1.5 hours (APRIM themed specially brewed beer can also be purchased on board). See:
https://www.eventbrite.hk/e/aprim-2026-harbour-cruise-and-conference-dinnerinvitation-only-tickets-1984521117083. Only 450 tickets are available so if you do want to go on the dinner cruise please book early – it is an event not to be missed!
• Special conference “World Premiere” classical music concert of a new 10 piece Symphony on the theme of Cosmology composed by HK based award winning composer Shirley Choi. Will take place on Thursday 7th May in the HKU Grand Hall from 7pm. Tickets priced in 3 tiers: $300, $340 and $380 HKD (about US$38-48). About 800 tickets will be available and these will also be sold to the general public. So again if you do want to go to this concert we recommend booking early. The weblinks in English and Chinese for this are:
中文頁面: https://art-mate.net/tc/doc/93813
English Page: https://art-mate.net/en/doc/93813
• Also we now have World famous Chinese-American artist Bing Yi being sponsored to create a new ink-art piece on the theme of Cosmology that will be installed in the conference venue. See: https://www.inkstudio.com.cn/artists/75-bingyi/ She will, for the first time, forgo her career long black-ink style for indigo blue in another
World premiere event for APRIM2026 – not to be missed!
• Finally, one of our sponsors Galaxy Scientific Group, is organizing a “once in a lifetime opportunity” for a Tibet sightseeing and Astronomy tour. Please see:
https://www.astro.hk/blogs/title/351/Tibet-Sightseeing-and-Astronom

GEOINT Symposium 2026
2026-05-03 - 2026-05-06 | Aurora CO, USA
Includes sessions on The Space Economy, SATCOM, Fusing Space / Air / Surface Sensing. Expecting 4,000+ attendees. Special attention to students and young professionals. At Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, 6700 N Gaylord Rockies Boulevard.

24th AstroDay
2026-05-02 | Hilo HI, USA
Family-friendly free event, 10:00-16:00 HST at Prince Kūhiō Plaza shopping center, to educate and entertain about astronomy and space, with >30 organizations hoping to inspire next-generation science and technology leaders. Booths / tables may have a solar telescope for safely viewing the Sun surface, hands-on robotics activities, info on how stars form or how observatories are making discoveries, from partners such as NASA Solar System Ambassadors, UH Hilo Astrophysics Club and observatories such as W.M. Keck, Gemini, Subaru and Canada-France-Hawai’i. https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2025/05/06/23rd-astroday-inspires-keiki/

Launch Falcon 9 / CAS500-2 & Others
2026-05-02 - 2026-05-03 | SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USA
Launch window 23:59 May 2 – 00:39 May 3 PDT | 01:59-02:39 CDT | 20:59-21:39 HST for ride-share of multiple satellites including first spacecraft of Wichita State University, Solar Neutrino Astro-Particle PhYsics (SNAPPY) 3U Cubesat, a test and background-measurement detector being put in polar orbit to explore the fusion core of the Sun and study particle physics of solar neutrinos. Funded by NASA NIAC with US$3M+ and led by WIchita State University, also participating are South Dakota State U, Univ. of Michigan, Univ. of Minnesota, NASA MSFC and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. A launch / deployment party is planned.
Also riding are:
* CAS500-2 (KASA, South Korea)
The South Korean CAS500-1 and -2 satellites will image the Earth in pan-chromatic and multi-spectral modes using the AEISS-C (Advanced Earth Imaging Sensor System) payload, with a ground resolution of 0.5 m in panchromatic mode and 2 m in color mode.
* Pelican-7, 8 & 9 (Planet Labs)
Pelican is a constellation of very high resolution imaging satellites, designed and manufactured by Planet Labs. The commercial constellation will consist of 32 SmallSats with potential for further expansion, and aims to provide improved spatial resolution and response times over Planet’s existing SkySat and Dove constellations.

Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 10-38
2026-05-01 | SLC-40 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA
Launch window 13:33-17:33 PDT | 07:33-11:33 HST for 29 internet satellites to LEO. First stage B1069 expected to land on ASDS ASOG after this 31st flight.

Flower Moon
2026-05-01 | Moon Orbit
17:24 UTC (07:24 HST).

International Space Day
2026-05-01 | Worldwide
First Friday in May, events and presentations to promote STEM education and inspire people to continue the work of Space explorers; originally began as ‘National Space Day’ in 1997 by Lockheed Martin Corp.

Opportunities for On-Orbit Computing
2026-04-30 | Washington DC, USA
Conversations with industry and government leaders on building, powering and managing data infrastructure in space followed by a networking reception. 15:00-19:00 EDT. With FCC Space Bureau Chief Jay Schwarz, Commercial Space Federation President Dave Cavossa, reps from Star Catcher, Planet, Overview Energy, Voyager Technologies, The Aerospace Corporation, Technology Strategy Partners and SpaceNews. A post-event report will be published in May.

Webinar: From Stage to Weightlessness - The Making of PARABOLES
2026-04-30 | Online
Co-Hosted by The AIAA Gravity Dependent Science and Technology Technical Committee (GDST-TC), formerly the Microgravity Space Processes Technical Committee (MSP-TC). Natasha Tsakos shares the story of Space Wonders: the first theatrical company for space, and PARABOLES, a fully choreographed performance in microgravity currently in preparation for flight.
Tsakos is a director, performer, and producer; Founder & Show Maker of SpaceWonders.co; has performed across six continents, from TED and the Super Bowl with Cirque du Soleil to the G20 Summit, Discovery Channel, and Tribeca Film Festival. She speaks globally, including at the United Nations General Assembly and Google, on how art shapes innovation.
Join us and discover what it takes (physically, cognitively, creatively) to rehearse for a stage that doesn’t exist yet, and why culture, performance, and the arts are the infrastructure of a thriving civilization, on Earth and beyond it.
Session is hosted by Robert C. Wolcott, Adjunct Professor of Innovation at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University and venture investor and Co-Founder of TWIN Global.
Co-Moderator is Jason Lee, Associate Professor in Residence, School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Connecticut; Secretary and incoming Vice Chair, AIAA Gravity Dependent Science Technology Technical Committee (GDST-TC) (aka Microgravity Space Processes Technical Committee (MSP-TC))

NASA SmallSat LEARN Forum
2026-04-29 | Online
“Learning from Experiences, Achievements, and Resolution Navigation” — Representatives from multiple NASA centers and outside organizations meet to advance NASA goals via networking, information exchange, and collaborative learning. By invitation to those affiliated with a NASA-funded SmallSat mission.

Ground Control #3: Space and the A.I. Revolution
2026-04-29 | Oslo, Norway
Arnt-Børre Salberg is the guest at 17:00-20:00, Mesh Youngstorget, Møllergata 6, Oslo. He and his team have built THOR since he gave a talk on artificial intelligence and Earth observation from space at Spaceport Norway in 2017. The Norwegian Computing Center was already well ahead in this research — but the field barely had an established name, and few outside the lab had begun to understand what was coming. That talk set in motion a collaboration with ESA that is still running today.
Eight years later, THOR is a foundation model for Earth observation that the Norwegian Space Agency describes as setting the standard within ESA. Trained on 22 terabytes of satellite data from four different Sentinel sensors, built on one of Europe’s most powerful supercomputers, and released as fully open source. The Norwegian Computing Center won the ESA tender in open competition against larger European players.
Where traditional AI required a separate model for every task — one for sea ice, another for flood mapping, another for snow cover — THOR works as a shared platform that can be rapidly adapted to new problems with far less data and computing power. It maps icebergs, wetlands, oil spills and vegetation. It enables near-real-time environmental monitoring. And it is available to anyone with basic Python skills and an interest in what satellites can see.

Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 17-36
2026-04-29 | SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USA
Launch window 19:00-23:00 PDT | 16:00-20:00 HST for 25 internet satellites to LEO. First stage booster B1071 expected to land on ASDS barge OCISLY in the Pacific Ocean after this 33rd use.

Spacecraft Rendezvous and Proximity Operations
2026-04-28 - 2026-06-02 | Online
Online short course on Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO), critical for crew transfer, in-space assembly and space debris removal, among other uses. Instructor is Pradipto Ghosh; 12 classroom hours / 2.4 CEU-PDH; online via Zoom with replays available. Students will receive Certificates of Completion from both AIAA and Johns Hopkins University.
Topics covered include RPO Concept of Operations (ConOps), relative orbit design, maneuver calculation, and elements of navigation. The objectives of this course are to develop the general principles governing spacecraft proximity operations, rendezvous, and docking. Students will be introduced to topics such as near and far range rendezvous, natural motion circumnavigation, safe relative motion, phasing, and rendezvous trajectory design. After completing this six-week course, students will be able to conceptualize the operations of rendezvous and prox-ops missions such as the International Space Station (ISS) resupply, crew transfer, extra-vehicular activities, and on-orbit assembly/refueling. A basic knowledge of Newtonian Mechanics and Ordinary Differential Equations is expected.

Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium - LSIC 2026 Spring Meeting
2026-04-28 - 2026-04-30 | Online / Washington DC, 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. No cost for Online attendance; US$150-220 for in-person (April 28 at Bloomberg Center, 555 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC, USA; April 29-30 at Kossiakoff Center, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel MD, USA). 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!

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

Space Tank Arizona and Arizona Space Congress
2026-04-28 - 2026-04-29 | Phoenix AZ, USA
Space Tank hope to ignite innovation in space by having entrepreneurs / inventors / designers / engineers describe their start-up business, for the purpose of receiving support including grants, with awards and opportunities going to those offering the best solutions to address space challenges. In conjunction with the Arizona Space Congress, which features such as Greg Autry, Zaheer Ali and Robert S. Katz. At Hyatt Regency Downtown Phoenix, 122 North Second Street near Phoenix Convention Center, 09:00-17:50 Arizona Time (UTC-7).
Pre-Congress simulation event April 28 09:30-15:00 followed by Welcome Mixer 16:00-18:00.

Shaping the Space Frontier: A Hands-On Simulation
2026-04-28 | Phoenix AZ, USA
From 09:30-15:00 MST for an “immersive, limited-capacity session” for Arizona Space Congress delegates, deploying a real-world simulation of strategic decision-making for the emerging space economy. At Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub: Arizona, in downtown Phoenix.
The program is intentionally designed around the Mobilization Method, an applied framework developed to move delegates from insight to action. Deployed as a core organizing structure of the ARIZONA SPACE Congress™, the method guides the group through a deliberate progression: Information → Investigation → Ideation → Innovation.

NET April 28 - Launch Long March 10B / Unknown Payload
2026-04-28 | Wenchang Space Launch Center, ~19°N, Hainan Island, China
Flight hazard notices were filed for a launch between April 28 and 30. This first Long March 10B vehicle has had a successful wet dress rehearsal and was rolled back to integration facilities, likely to integrate the payload. After launch, China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology will attempt recovery of a portion of the vehicle on an autonomous ship.
Long March 10A and Long March 10 Moon rockets use a near-identical first stage. Long March 10 series static fire tests were completed last year with seven YF-100K engines installed.

Launch Ariane 64 / Amazon Leo (LE-02)
2026-04-28 | Launch Area 4, ~5°N, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Launch window 05:51-06:39 French Guiana Time | 08:51-09:39 UTC | HST April 17 22:51-23:39, to carry 32 satellites to Low Earth Orbit for broadband internet, part of projected 7,236 satellites.

Cislunar Exploration: Challenges and Opportunities – Online Short Course
2026-04-27 - 2026-05-11 | Online
Through May 11, Four instructors convene this class because current USA / international / commercial mission plans, both crewed and uncrewed, will be challenged by multiple new hurdles, including regulatory, habitat, mining, and navigation and positioning. This course aims to present a few key challenges related to the return to the Moon and beyond that are often sidelined. It is intended for students and professionals seeking to understand select challenges of the new space era and what the return to the Moon truly entails. The course is particularly suited to those in the broader aerospace community having limited familiarity with cislunar space and the new commercial space sector.
Every Monday and Wednesday, April 27 – May 11 (5 Lectures/Classes, 10 Total Hours), the class will meet live 13:00-15:00 EDT | 17:00-19:00 UTC | 09:00-11:00 HST, but all sessions will be recorded and available for replay; course notes will be available for download.
We are going back to the Moon… learn about the meaning of this endeavor for spacefaring countries, and how sustained presence on another celestial body is more than just a technical challenge.
All students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion at the end of the course.

Space Weather Workshop: Space Weather & Society: Transforming Services & Science to Meet User Needs
2026-04-27 - 2026-05-01 | Boulder CO, USA
Meeting annually since 1996, industry, academia, and government explore impacts of space weather on modern technology, including communications, navigation, spacecraft operations, human space exploration, aviation, space traffic coordination, and electric power systems. Discussions will also focus on the most pressing needs for operational services, guiding future research and the development of new high-value capabilities for real-world applications. The workshop serves as a vital platform for fostering collaboration among researchers, space weather service providers, and end users. At Embassy Suites by Hilton, 2601 Canyon Boulevard.

Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS 2026)
2026-04-27 - 2026-04-30 | Dayton OH, USA
Speakers include Bhavya Lal and Clive Neal, to bring together visionary engineers building the hardware, policymakers writing the standards, and agency leaders deploying the capital. When NASA, the DOE, the DOW and the commercial aerospace sector need to align on the future of space power, they do it here. At The Dayton Convention Center

Celestial Crossroads: Encounters, Intersections and Influences
2026-04-27 - 2026-04-29 | Istanbul, Türkiye
Planned topics include star and constellation myth and imagery; modern and ancient astronomy of China, India, Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe.

Campaign Closes: Send 'Overview Effect' Author Frank White to Space
2026-04-27 | Online
Write an essay, make a video, contribute and perhaps be chosen yourself for a second seat on the suborbital flight.

Launch Falcon Heavy / ViaSat-3 F3 (ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific)
2026-04-27 | SLC-39A, ~29°N, Kennedy Space Center FL, USA
Launch window 10:21-11:46 EDT | 04:21-05:46 HST | 14:21-15:46 UTC for first Falcon Heavy launch since 2024, sending to Geostationary Transfer Orbit 3 Ka-band satellites offering 1-terabit-per-second capability. Side Booster B1072 expected to land again, after this 2nd flight, on Landing Zone 40 (LZ-40), triggering a sonic boom.
Falcon Heavy history and projected launches:
• 1st launch, in 2018, propelled a Tesla Roadster and astronaut mannequin to heliocentric orbit. (SpaceX CEO Elon Musk also leads Tesla.)
• Europa Clipper launched in 2024 to the Jupiter moon.
• Astrobotic Technologies’ Griffin-1 to the Moon NET July 2026, and Griffin-2 to the Moon NET January 2027.
• Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launching NET October 2026.
Few missions need this much rocket juice. SpaceX’s 165 launches in 2025 were all Falcon 9s, or test missions of Starship.

Launch Atlas V 551 / Amazon Leo (LA-06)
2026-04-27 | SLC-41 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA
Launch window 20:52-21:21 EDT | 14:52-15:21 HST | UTC April 28 00:52-01:21, for 29 satellites to Low Earth Orbit for Amazon Leo internet system. Constellation planned to be composed of ~7,236 satellites. ULA is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

Progress MS-34 (95P) Docks With ISS
2026-04-27 | Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
Expected 2 days after launch from Kazakhstan, arriving ~22:21 UTC with ~7,280 kg of cargo.

Launch Soyuz 2.1a / Progress MS-34 (95P)
2026-04-26 | Baikonur Cosmodrome, ~46°N, Kazakhstan
Resupply mission to ISS set for 03:21 Baikonur Time UTC+5 | 22:21 UTC Apr 25| 12:21 HST Apr 25; with ~7,280 kg of cargo; after ~2 days, will rendezvous with ISS.

The Drive to Fly: Finalists Award Ceremony
2026-04-25 | Daytona Beach FL, USA
Art competition to encourage future STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) leaders, judged by Astronaut Nicole Stott and others, has been on display and judged, and awardees will be celebrated. RSVP to support Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. At Starry Night Gallery, 230 S Beach St, 18:30-20:00 EDT.
