Space Calendar

7th Anniversary of Chang’E-4 Lander and Yutu-2 Landing on Moon Far Side
2026-01-03 | Statio Tianhe (Milky Way Base), 45.44°S 177.59°E, Moon Surface
Spacecraft reach 6 full years / enter 7th year on Moon far side, landed 2019 – the first farside landing ever.

Earth at perihelion, 0.9833 AU from the Sun
2026-01-03 | Global / Inter-Global
08:00 HST, 18:00 UTC; Earth perihelion is the point in its orbit when it is closest to the Sun, occurring annually in early January.

Quadrantids Meteor Shower Peak
2026-01-02 - 2026-01-03 | Worldwide
The Quadrantid shower is known for its brief, intense peak, lasting only a few hours. Appearing to radiate from Constellation Quadrans Muralis, there can be 25-120 meteors per hour. Comets are traveling ~40km/second and come from the debris trail of Asteroid 2003 EH1, discovered in 2003 by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth Object Search (LONEOS). Meteors are often bright and colorful. If there is a Full Moon, only the brightest will be seen, reducing visible meteors to ~10 per hour. Best seen from Northern Hemisphere.

Launch Falcon 9 / Group 6-88
2026-01-02 | SLC-40 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA
Another batch of 29 satellites for Starlink space-based Internet communication mega-constellation.

NET Jan - Launch LVM-3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3) / Gaganyaan G2
2026-01-01 | Satish Dhawan Space Center, ~14°N, Sriharikota, India
India planning for 2nd uncrewed flight of Gaganyaan to LEO ~400 km.

Deep Space: Jupiter System Update
2026-01-01 | Jupiter System
NASA Juno indicates Europa ice may be 6x deeper than thickest Antarctic ice; timing of craft planned plunge into Jupiter clouds TBD | ESA JUICE heading toward Earth gravity assist Sep 2026.

Westport Astronomical Society Star Party
2025-12-31 | Westport CT, USA
If skies are clear, this all volunteer-run, non-profit organization is open to the public 20:00-22:00 for star viewing.

Kennedy Space Center Elite VIP Tour
2025-12-31 | Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex FL, USA
Private bus tour behind NASA gates, making stops at iconic Kennedy Space Center landmarks. Pending spaceflight operations stops may include outside the Vehicle Assembly Building and panoramic views of Launch Complex 39. Plus, the tour will drive by the astronaut crew quarters. Personal guided tours of the visitor complex’s iconic attractions, including the Rocket Garden, Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex® and Space Shuttle Atlantis®. Priority access to thrilling rides Spaceport KSC® and the Shuttle Launch Experience®. Explore the all-new The Gantry at LC-39 and the awe-inspiring Apollo/Saturn V Center, only accessible via the bus tour. Lunch buffet, snacks and water. Admission and parking on the day of your VIP visit.

Launch Long March 7A / Unknown
2025-12-31 | Wenchang Space Launch Center, ~19°N, Hainan Island, China
05:00-07:50 CST launch window [11:00-13:50 HST]

Hubble Space Telescope Visible Pass over Hawai'i
2025-12-30 | Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
At magnitude 2.9, the Hubble Space Telescope will travel over Hawaiian Islands from SSE to E, rising at 04:58:50 to 05:04:49 HST.

Destination Solar System Adler Planetarium Sky Show
2025-12-29 | Chicago IL, USA
The year is 2096. Space tourism is booming, and you’ve signed up for a quick trip around the Solar System with Space Express Tours! Space Express Tours⁠—the first tour company in deep space⁠—offers a variety of adventures including its most popular trip, Destination Solar System. This out-of-this world jaunt takes place on board the fastest ship in the Space Express fleet and is the only vehicle equipped with Space Jump™ technology. In Destination Solar System, passengers will travel hundreds of millions of miles in just seconds on an adventure-filled tour led by Jesse, an enthusiastic, knowledgeable—but inexperienced—tour guide, and Max, a highly advanced, fully-integrated onboard computer. Tours of the hottest hot spots and the coldest, stormiest and most spectacular sights in the Solar System await curious space explorers of all ages.
The Adler Planetarium’s award-winning sky shows inspire audiences of all ages to look up in wonder. Imagine the Moon, Search for a New Ninth Planet, get to know the sky above Chicago, and fly through the stars at impossible speeds in one of our state-of-the-art planetarium dome theaters. The Adler Planetarium is the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere! Located on Chicago’s lakeshore, the museum typically hosts more than half a million visitors each year and reaches millions more through youth STEAM programs, neighborhood skywatching events, people-powered research, and other outreach efforts. Today, people from around the world can enjoy the digital Adler from their own homes, libraries, schools or offices.

Space Show Featuring Tom Olson (Center for Space Commerce and Finance)
2025-12-28 | Online
Dr. David Livingston talks live with Tom Olson the founder of the Center for Space Commerce and Finance.

Launch Soyuz 2.1b / AIST-2T 01 & 02
2025-12-28 | Vostochny Cosmodrome, ~52°N, Russia
NET Dec 28 launch of dual optical Earth observation satellites with 20 small ride-share payloads to Sun-Synchronous Orbit.

Planetarium Show: Mystery of the Christmas Star
2025-12-27 | Bloomfield Hills MI, USA
Journey back 2000 years to Bethlehem as recorded sightings of significant astronomical occurrences during related historical events are examined to offer a possible scientific explanation for the Star the wise men followed.

Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 6-88
2025-12-27 | SLC-40 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA
Another batch of 29 satellites to LEO for Starlink mega-constellation.

Launch Falcon 9 / CSG-3
2025-12-27 | SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USA
CSG-3 Earth observation satellite to Sun-Synchronous Orbit for Italian Space Agency (ASI), part of a reconnaissance constellation using synthetic aperture radars operating in the X-band.

Holidays in Space 2026
2025-12-26 | Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex FL, USA
The stars are aligning for a brand-new show at Holidays in Space! Get ready for a nighttime spectacle that’s out-of-this-world.

Launch Long March 3B-E / Fengyun-4C
2025-12-26 | Xichang Satellite Launch Center, ~28°N, Sichuan, China
Earth science satellite to Geostationary Transfer Orbit for China’s meteorological satellite program FY-4 (Feng Yun 4).

James Webb Space Telescope Begins Next Year in Space
2025-12-25 | Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point
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.

Mars Express Begins Next Year in Mars Orbit
2025-12-25 | Mars Orbit
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.

Planetarium Showings: One Sky Project, Cosmic Perspectives, Messengers of Space and Time
2025-12-24 | Hilo HI, USA
From 11:00 – 14:00 HST, three planetarium showings will highlight international, cultural and indigenous astronomy, where we ‘fit in’ in the Galaxy, and how Gemini Observatory works together with observatories.

Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3) / BlueBird 6
2025-12-24 | Satish Dhawan Space Center, ~14°N, Sriharikota, India
India Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3), also called Bahubali, to launch 6,500-kg Bluebird 6 for AST SpaceMobile; launch was coordinated by New Space India Limited (NSIL), commercial arm of ISRO.

Griffith Observatory Live Shows: Centered in the Universe and Signs of Life
2025-12-23 | Los Angeles CA, USA
The 290-seat Samuel Oschin Planetarium boasts a spectacular Zeiss star projector, digital projection system, state-of-the-art aluminum dome, comfy seats, sound system and theatrical lighting.

Launch Soyuz 2.1a / Obzor-R No.1
2025-12-23 | Plesetsk Cosmodrome, ~63°N, Mirny, Russia
NET Dec 23, launch of Earth science satellite to Sun-Synchronous Orbit for Russia.

Ursids Meteor Shower Peak
2025-12-22 | Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
From Comet Tuttle (8P), with up to 10 per hour. Moon only 3% full helps viewing on peak nights; active Dec 17-26.

Wenchang International Aviation and Aerospace Forum 2025
2025-12-21 | Wenchang, Hainan, China
With theme “Exploring New Industrial Models, Empowering the New Aerospace Economy”. 2025 marks a crucial stage for the Hainan Free Trade Port, coinciding with the full-scale customs closure operation of the island and the accelerated development of Wenchang International Aerospace City. The Forum will further leverage its unique advantages of “Launch Capacity + Industrial Clusters + Institutional Innovation” to contribute to the sustainable development of the global aerospace industry.

December Solstice
2025-12-21 | Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
Occurs 05:01 HST, 15:01 UTC; It is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, resulting in the shortest day and longest night of the year; and conversely, it is the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, bringing the longest day and shortest night.

Family Overnight
2025-12-20 - 2025-12-21 | Houston TX, USA
Tent-camp by Falcon 9 rocket or Independence shuttle replica, and STEM activities.

Human Space Activity Past, Present, Future
2025-12-20 | Rolling Hills Estates CA, USA
Moderated by Madhu Thangavelu. 10:00-17:00 PT. Panels include: Cis-Lunar / Lunar, Artemis, Starship / SLS, Space Architecture / Philosophy / Art / Agriculture, others. Online participation available; send email to register, either <contact@aiaa-lalv.org> or <events.aiaalalv@gmail.com>.
Suggested $5 donation to this 501(c)3 nonprofit for either the organization itself or its scholarship fund. Lunch not provided.

Gaia Spacecraft Begins Next Year in Space
2025-12-19 | Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point
ESA spacecraft surpasses 12 full years in space today, begins year 13, in extended mission phase working to map more than 1 billion stars.
