Space Calendar

Launch Firefly Alpha / Stairway to Seven (Flight 7)
2026-03-09 | SLC-2W (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USA
Launch window open 17:50-19:50 PDT (14:50-16:50 HST) for test flight of multiple Block II systems including avionics and thermals although the last flight in the current configuration, ahead of the upgrade on Flight 8. Follows April 2025 launch failure.

Abstracts Due for Space Resources Roundtable XXVI
2026-03-09 | Online
To be held June 2-5, 2026, at Colorado School of Mines, to bring together participants around the world from space agencies, research organizations, academia, the space private sector, the mining supply chain, the energy industry, equipment manufacturers, and financial, policy, and legal experts to present innovative approaches in space resource identification, extraction, technology development, utilization, economic feasibility studies, public and private partnerships, and capability and regulatory regimes.
The SRR meeting will be organized to accommodate keynote speakers, technical presentations, expert panels, poster displays, and roundtable discussions on the following topics:
1. The Moon and Cislunar Space: Our nearest celestial destination for space resources
2. Mars: Preparing to live and work in the Red Planet
3. Asteroids: Stepping stones to develop a space resources infrastructure
4. Manufacturing and Construction: Building our future in space
5. Infrastructure: Power, communications, transport, and other services to support space resources activities
6. Economic, Legal, Policy, and Environmental Issues: The multidisciplinary nature of space resources

Mary Jackson Lecture: Fluid Mechanics with Ivett Leyva
2026-03-09 | Online
A Wondering Fluid Mechanics Scientific Career is Ivett Leyva’s title for description of her remarkable career, including preventing rocket explosions, testing propulsion and enhancing scientific understanding of hypersonic flight. Streaming live at 12:00-13:00 EDT (06:00 HST); registration required.

Ivett A. Leyva, Ph.D., P.E.
Associate Dean for Research, Fort Worth Campus, College of Engineering Arthur McFarland Professor·Texas A&M Fort Worth

Ivett A. Leyva became the Associate Dean for Research at the new Texas A&M Fort Worth campus in August 2025. She is tasked with starting a new engineering research enterprise in this new campus. She was head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering from 2021 to 2025. Previously, she worked at the Air Force for 15 years. For 6 years, she was the program officer for Hypersonic Aerodynamics at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) and prior to that she was a researcher at the AFRL Rocket Lab working on liquid rocket instabilities. Her technical expertise is in hypersonic aerodynamics and liquid rocket engines. Ivett holds a bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree from Caltech. Her Ph.D. was in Aeronautics. Ivett has six patents and has authored numerous papers and two book chapters. She is a fellow of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Royal Aeronautical Society, and the Air Force Research Laboratory. She is a National Associate of the National Research Council of the National Academies, and a recipient of a Civilian Achievement Medal and two meritorious Civilian Service Awards and Medals from the Air Force.
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The Mary Jackson Named Lecture is given in honor of Mary Jackson (1921–2005), who became the first black female aerospace engineer at NASA in 1958. The lecture is jointly sponsored by the Royal Aeronautical Society and AIAA.

Launch Falcon 9 / EchoStar 25
2026-03-09 - 2026-03-10 | SLC-40 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA
Launch window EDT 23:14 Mar 9 – 01:43 Mar 10 (17:14-19:43 Mar 9 HST); going to GTO, EchoStar 25 is a direct broadcast satellite for the DISH network, built on the Maxar 1300 series platform to deliver content across North America via a high-power, multi-spot beam payload.

WM2026: Efficient and Innovative Nuclear Materials and Technology Solutions
2026-03-08 - 2026-03-12 | Phoenix AZ, USA
52nd annual Waste Management Symposia (WM) expects 2,500+ attendees, 900 organizations, 30 countries, and 200 exhibitors—to exchange insights, tackle key challenges, and explore groundbreaking solutions. This dynamic forum unites global experts to drive safe, cost-effective solutions for handling radioactive materials and decommissioning nuclear facilities. At Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. Third Street.

Explore cutting-edge research, development, and operational insights across 12 specialized tracks. Engage in exclusive panel and paper sessions spotlighting our theme, “Efficient and Innovative Nuclear Materials and Technology Solutions,” and this year’s Featured Country – Finland, and Featured US DOE Site – Hanford, Washington.
Includes:
Track 5 Packaging and Transportation (PAT)
Track 11 Advanced Nuclear Reactors for Electrical Power and Other Application (ANR)

Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 17-31
2026-03-08 | SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USA
Launch window 03:58-07:58 PDT (00:58-04:58 HST) for 25 internet satellites; booster B1071 after this 32nd re-use is expected to land on ASDS OCISLY.

47th IEEE Aerospace Conference (2026)
2026-03-07 - 2026-03-14 | Big Sky MT, USA
The international IEEE Aerospace Conference, with AIAA and PHM Society as technical cosponsors, is organized to promote interdisciplinary understanding of aerospace systems, their underlying science and technology, and their applications to government and commercial endeavors. The annual, week-long conference is set in a stimulating and thought-provoking environment.

Canadian CubeSat Conference (CCC 2026)
2026-03-07 - 2026-03-08 | Montréal, Quebec, Canada
Inaugural conference aims to enable resource sharing and collaboration while building next-gen engineers. Canadian Space Agency offers grants for attendance to postsecondary students to attend. At John Molson School of Business, Concordia University.

Goddard: 100 Years Anniversary Celebration
2026-03-07 | Greenbelt MD, USA
Goddard named his rocket “Nell”; celebrate the 100th anniversary of its flight. 13:00-15:00 EST, at NASA Goddard Visitor Center, ICESat Road. Opportunity to launch your own model rocket with the NARHAMS Rocket Club; rain date March 14.

Launch RV-X VTVL / Test flight
2026-03-07 | Noshiro Rocket Testing Center (~40°N), Akita Prefecture, Japan
1st test flight of vertical-takeoff-and-vertical-landing RV-X small rocket (6.76 m tall, 1.83 m dia., 3,138 kg); 2nd test flight planned for March 14.
RV-X is the first of two flight experiments planned by JAXA in developing a reusable 1st stage for a next-generation launch vehicle. A 2nd vehicle planned to fly NET early 2027 is under the Callisto program (for Cooperative Action Leading to Launcher Innovation for Toss-Back Stage Operation) with partners from France and Germany.
The RV-X and Callisto projects are intended to acquire technology for safely operating reusable launch vehicles using liquid hydrogen as a fuel. This offers a higher specific impulse than kerosene or methane, for a lighter vehicle, but poses handling challenges, JAXA says.

BIS West Midlands Branch: Pets in Space
2026-03-07 | Online
14:00-15:15 UT; For almost twenty thousand years, human beings have shared their lives with their animal companions. Cats and dogs have accompanied explorers and settlers wherever they have ventured, across deserts, through deepest jungles, to the frozen extremes of the poles and across (and even below) the world’s oceans. Cats and dogs have provided valuable service by joining humans in hunting game, guarding and herding livestock and controlling domestic vermin. But more than that, they have become an important part of families and communities, loved and valued simply for their company and companionship.

Wales and West Spacefest
2026-03-07 | Bristol, United Kingdom
09:30-17:00 UT at Aerospace Bristol Museum; The BIS will have a stand at this event, as astronomy societies from Bristol and Cardiff, and Bath Astronomers, alongside the Museum itself and the Herschel Museum present a full day of talks, lectures, children’s activities and show space hardware from the Museum’s collection.

Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 17-18
2026-03-07 | SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USA
Launch window 02:59-06:58 PST (00:59-04:58 HST) for 25 internet satellites; after this 7th re-use, booster B1097 expected to land on ASDS barge OCISLY in the Pacific Ocean.

Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee Meeting
2026-03-06 | Online
Online 13:00-17:00 EST (08:00-12:00 HST) U.S. National Science Foundation committee meets to provide advice and recommendations to NASA, National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Energy (DOE).
The committee will hear presentations by representatives from NSF, NASA, DOE and other agencies relevant to astronomy and astrophysics. The primary purpose of these presentations includes a discussion of current programming and potential areas of cooperation between the agencies, as well as recommendations for continued and new areas of cooperation and mechanisms for achieving them.

Abstract Submissions Due for 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026)
2026-03-06 | Online
Final extension. Congress will be in Antalya, Türkiye, October 5-9, 2026, under the ambitious and forward-looking theme: “The World Needs More Space”, and invites bold thinking, across disciplines, across sectors and across traditional boundaries. Creative crossovers and fresh perspectives are not only welcome but encouraged.
Conference website: https://www.iac2026.org/
Info video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gm3Xzk7Wrk

US Senate Confirmation Hearing for NASA Deputy Administrator
2026-03-05 | Online / Washington DC, USA
Matthew Anderson of Colorado, USA is nominated. 10:00 EST hearing will stream live on YouTube and on the website of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Payload Space 5-Year Anniversary Happy Hour
2026-03-05 | El Segundo CA, USA
Celebrate, connect, and talk space with us at 17:00 PST, Lil’ Simmzy’s on the Deck – 850 South Sepulveda Boulevard.
After a little weather-induced reschedule, we’re back—bringing together the community for drinks, light bites, and the conversations that keep this industry moving. Plus, help us raise a glass to Payload’s five-year anniversary!

Space-Comm Expo Europe 2026
2026-03-04 - 2026-03-05 | London, United Kingdom
At ExCel London; expecting ~6,000 participants, 200+ speakers, 250+ exhibitors. Keynote speakers include Greg Autry. Connect, collaborate and explore cutting-edge technologies across upstream, downstream and space services. With live demonstrations and expert panels, an opportunity to forge meaningful partnerships and drive commercial growth in the rapidly evolving space sector.

Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 17-18
2026-03-04 | SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USA
Launch window 13:00-17:00 PST (11:00-15:00 HST) for 25 internet satellites; booster B1097 expected to land after this 7th re-use on ASDS barge OCISLY.

Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 10-40
2026-03-04 | SLC-40 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA
Launch window 01:58-05:58 EST (20:58 Mar 3 – 00:58 Mar 4 HST) for 29 internet satellites; 1st stage Booster B1080 expected to land on ASDS ASOG after this flight, its 25th re-use.

Astronaut Curt Brown Welcomes Awardees of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation
2026-03-04 | Starkville MS, USA
Curtis L. “Curt” Brown Jr. flew on 6 Space Shuttle Missions, twice worked on the Hubble Space Telescope, and has made 904 Earth orbits. At Mississippi State University Mitchell Memorial Library, 13:00 CST.

Launch KAIROS / Flight 3
2026-03-04 | Spaceport Kii, ~33.5N, Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan
Launch window 11:00-11:20 UTC+9 (16:00-16:20 Mar 3 HT) for 4 satellites to Sun-Synchronous Orbit, TATARA-1R, SC-Sat1a, HErO and AETS-1, launching on a 4-stage all-solid-fuel small-satellite vehicle
Space One is a private launch service founded in 2018 by Canon Electronics, IHI Aerospace, Shimizu (construction company) and Development Bank of Japan (supported by government).

2026 NASA Human Research Program Investigators' Workshop
2026-03-03 - 2026-03-06 | Online
For more information, visit the NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop event page; this year’s event will be held in a virtual format only. Continue to visit the page provided above for registration details. ASP members have the option to attend the event as a group.

Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) Workshop
2026-03-03 - 2026-03-05 | North Logan UT, USA
This workshop at Space Dynamics Laboratory aims to unite USA government, commercial and academic entities interested in discussing RPO best practices, identifying technology gaps, and pioneering new solutions. At 416 East Innovation Avenue.
Participants can share knowledge, experience and expertise about flight and developmental programs, associated technologies and challenges.

Amsterdam Space Symposium
2026-03-03 - 2026-03-04 | Amsterdam, Netherlands
Includes focus on in-orbit refueling, speakers from ESA, Arianespace, Airbus and Novaspace. At Beurs van Berlage, Damrak 243.

Worm / Blood Moon, Total Eclipse of Moon
2026-03-03 | Moon Orbit
Maximum eclipse 11:33 UTC (01:33 HST); visible across North America, the Pacific, East Asia, and Australia. The total phase (totality) lasts from 11:04 to 12:02 UTC.

Satellite Building Workshop
2026-03-02 - 2026-03-06 | Singapore
For undergraduates in STEM-related courses. At Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

IAU Symposium 404: Advancing the Search for Technosignatures
2026-03-02 - 2026-03-06 | Online
Coordinating Division: Division F Planetary Systems and Astrobiology

Technologies Transforming Aerospace Webinar
2026-03-02 | Online
Carissa Christensen, CEO of BryceTech, takes a deep dive into ten technologies outlined in the AIAA report on Technologies Transforming Aerospace; 12:00-13:00 EST (07:00-08:00 HST)

Business of Space Conference
2026-03-01 | University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), Huntsville AL, USA
Conference runs until March 3. This is the 3rd annual conference to convene space industry professionals to explore the flourishing space economy. Registration costs reduces for National Space Club members, Space Force Association members, federal government employees and University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) faculty, staff and students. At UAH. Tours available to United Launch Alliance (USA citizens only) and U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
Keynote speakers are Greg Autry and Andrew Aldrin. Alabama is a national leader in the aerospace economy, ranking among the top 5 states for aerospace engineers and hosting more than 300 aerospace companies from 30 countries, including Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and ULA. At the heart of this ecosystem is UAH, a research institution located in Cummings Research Park, where close industry partnerships drive continued aerospace innovation.
