Space Calendar

Cargo Dragon Undocking
2026-02-26 | Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
After a final reboost of the ISS, CRS-33, SpaceX Cargo Dragon, is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station for return to Earth, with research samples and cargo, via spashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
The reboost capability of Dragon is from the “kit” attached to the outside of the spacecraft that has 6 propellant tanks and 2 thrusters and that will be discarded to burn up on re-entry.
The pressurized capsule that splashes down will be refurbished and reused.

ASCENDxTexas 2026
2026-02-25 - 2026-02-26 | League City TX, USA
Taking place at South Shore Harbour Resort & Conference Center in League City, Texas; ASCENDxTexas is where leaders from government, industry, and academia come together to collaborate on the future of space exploration, commercial innovation, and research partnerships. It’s a high-impact, two-day experience designed to foster progress and community across the entire aerospace ecosystem.
Speakers from Axiom, Starlab, Vast, Blue Origin, NASA, SpaceX. Lockheed, Nokia, many others.

Ground Control Inaugural Event: Monthly Gathering Sponsored by Spaceport Norway
2026-02-25 | Oslo, Norway
Curated content followed by networking and community, this 1st session features “The Galactic Recipe for Exo-Planets” presentation by Stephanie Werner from the University of Oslo and the Centre for Planetary Habitability. What does it take to form an Earth-like planet? is 17:00-18:30, and networking is 18:30-20:00; at Mesh Youngstorget, Møllergata 6, Oslo; no entry fee but limited to 50 participants.

Fireside Chat: BepiColombo: Europe’s Journey to Mysterious Mercury, Prof. David Rothery with Jerry Stone
2026-02-25 | London, United Kingdom
19:00-21:00 UT; Join the Open University’s, Professor David Rothery in person or online for a Fireside Chat with Jerry Stone for ‘BepiColombo: Europe’s Journey to Mysterious Mercury’ From icy polar craters to volcanic plains, Jerry and David will chat about ESA/JAXA’s mission to the inner edge of the Solar System.

Beyond Earth Symposium 2026
2026-02-24 - 2026-02-25 | Washington DC, USA
From Space Habitat to Space Town: Creating a Clear Pathway. Featured speakers include Pete Worden, George Whitesides, Scott Pace and Bhavya Lal. Subjects include Lunar Territorial Allocations, Space Governance Models. At American University Washington College of Law.

Engineers' Week Networking Event
2026-02-24 | Indianapolis IN, USA
Annual Engineers’ Week Networking Dinner, for SAE, AIAA, IEEE Central Indiana, Women in Engineering; meet-and-greet networking at Centerpoint Brewing Company, 1125 East Brookside Avenue Suite 2B; 18:00-20:00 EST.

National Space Science Symposium (NSSS) 2026
2026-02-23 - 2026-02-27 | Meghalaya, Shillong, India
A biennial event organized by ISRO for researchers working in the fields of atmospheric, space and planetary sciences, astronomy and astrophysics, and the exploration of solar system bodies. The first NSSS was held in 1978 at Andhra University, Visakhapatnam. The 23rd National Space Science Symposium will be held at Umiam, Shillong and hosted by the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC). The NSSS 2026 will feature six parallel scientific sessions on diverse themes in space science and technology, including an exclusive student session aimed at fostering young scientific minds. The event will also include public lectures, plenary and interdisciplinary sessions, invited talks delivered by leading experts and professionals from the field and exhibition by industry & government.

Ground Systems Architecture Workshop - GSAW 2026
2026-02-23 - 2026-02-26 | Los Angeles CA, USA
Topical theme is “Ground System Disruption: Reshaping the Status Quo with Commercial Innovation” to focus on commercial systems and capabilities will drive government solutions. Includes tutorials, working groups, plenary presentations, posters, technical exhibits, evening sessions, and classified session for up to 200 USA citizens on the final day at The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo. At Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel. Discounts for students and government personnel including NASA, USGS.

Space Forum: From Orbit to the Classroom with Astronaut Greg Chamitoff
2026-02-23 | Online
From 20:00-21:15 EST (UTC-5), Greg will discuss his career in human spaceflight, including flying aboard the space shuttle and living and working on the International Space Station. He will share insights into daily life on orbit, operating spacecraft systems, and working as part of an international crew in a demanding and highly technical environment.
Greg will also talk about his work today as a professor at Texas A&M University, where he focuses on engineering education and student engagement. Drawing on his experience as an astronaut, he will describe how real-world mission experience can inform how engineers are trained and prepared.
A portion of the discussion will focus on Space Teams Academy, a virtual engineering experience that gives students the opportunity to work in teams to design their own space missions. Participants address challenges such as defining mission objectives, designing spacecraft, and making operational decisions, mirroring many of the considerations faced in actual space programs.
This Space Forum connects firsthand experience in spaceflight with current efforts to educate and prepare the next generation of engineers and space professionals. Register today to explore how lessons from orbit inform how we prepare the next generation.

Launch HASTE / That's Not A Knife (DART AE)
2026-02-23 | SLC-2, ~38°N, Wallops Flight Facility VA, USA
Launch window open 15:00-19:45 EST (10:00-14:25 HT) for scramjet-powered hypersonic vehicle developed by Hypersonix of Australia launching on 2-stage orbital expendable orbital launch vehicle with electric-pump-fed engines.

Astronaut Charlie Precourt Welcomes Awardees of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation
2026-02-23 | Logan UT, USA
Charles J. “Charlie” Precourt flew 4 Space Shuttle missions, including the first to dock with Mir, the Russian Space Station. At Utah State University Engineering Building Room 103, 17:30 MST.

Intuitive Machines IM-1 Mission, Moon Landing Observation (2nd Year)
2026-02-22 | Near Malapert A Crater, 80.13°S 1.44°E, Moon Surface
Second annual observation of 1st successful commercial lunar landing on Moon by Intuitive Machines IM-1 Nova-C Lander “Odysseus”. This mission also marks the USA first return to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
IM-1 lander carried 6 NASA and 6 independent payloads to surface, landing near Malapert A Crater (80.13° S, 1.44°E):
NASA payloads:
SCALPSS (Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies)
ROLSES (Radio-wave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the Photoelectron Sheath)
NDL (Navigation Doppler Lidar for Precise Velocity and Range Sensing)
RFMG (Radio Frequency Mass Gauge)
LRA (Laser Retroreflector Array)
LN-1 (Lunar Node 1 Navigation Demonstrator)
Independent payloads:
Eagle Cam (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)
International Lunar Observatory Association (ILO-X) camera system
Lone Star Data Holdings data demonstration
Omni Heat Infinity (Columbia Sportswear) thermal insulation
Jeff Koons: Moon Phases
Galactic Legacy Labs: Lunaprise

AIAA Carolina Aerospace Symposium
2026-02-21 | Charlotte NC, USA
Showcasing the accomplishments and progress of aerospace engineering; open to professionals, educators, students, retirees. At Energy Production and Infrastructure Center, 8700 Phillips Road, 09:00-18:00 EST.

Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 6-104
2026-02-21 | SLC-40 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA
Launch window 21:04 Feb 21 – 01:04 Feb 22 EST (16:04-20:04 HT) for 29 satellites; newly commissioned Landing Zone 40, where the 1st stage booster for Dragon Crew-12 landed on February 13, 2026, could have the landing of 1st stage Booster B1067 after this 33rd flight, although it has been landing on ASDS ASOG in the Atlantic Ocean.

Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 17-26
2026-02-21 | SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USA
Launch window 12:00-16:00 PST for 25 satellites; 1st stage Booster B1093 expected to make landing on ASDS OCISLY after this 11th flight.

Space Forum: A Conversation with Tory Bruno
2026-02-19 | Online
Currently with Blue Origin, formerly with United Launch Alliance; online; 21:00-22:15 EST (UTC-5).

All Space Considered (Broadcast)
2026-02-19 | Los Angeles CA, USA
Griffith Observatory broadcasts this public program live 19:00-20:30 PST from the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater. Join the Observatory’s curatorial staff as they examine and explain the most-talked-about subjects in astronomy and space science. It is free to attend in-person or stream on YouTube.

spaceNEXT
2026-02-18 - 2026-02-20 | Tysons VA, USA
Inaugural event for visionaries shaping the new space economy, including in-space manufacturing / research and tourism / homesteading, underpinned by technologies in aerospace, robotics, data capabilities. Invited are investors, policymakers, researchers, builders from government, industry and academia. At Capital One Hall, 7750 Capital One Tower Road.
Speakers include Amit Kshatriya of NASA, Namgya Khampa from India speaking on international collaboration, Giovanni Rosanova from NASA Wallops, and representatives of Intuitive Machines, Thales Alenia, iSpace, Axiom, Lockheed Martin, Aerospace Corp and EPRI.

CFD Validation Challenges: Perspectives from Modelers and Measurers
2026-02-18 - 2026-02-19 | London, United Kingdom
Exchange of ideas, networking opportunities and collaborative discussions aimed at fostering innovation and addressing the pressing mathematical issues faced in today’s technological landscape. At Royal Aeronautical Society HQ, 4 Hamilton Place.

Innovate Space: Finance Forum
2026-02-18 - 2026-02-19 | Dallas TX, USA
Focus is on innovative financing models; invited are executives, financiers. investors, public-sector leaders; discussed will be Texas Space Commission US$300M in grant funding. At JW Marriott Dallas Arts District.

12th Annual Space Traffic Conference: Operational Assurance for All
2026-02-18 - 2026-02-19 | Austin TX, USA
Sponsored by the Space Security, Safety, and Sustainability (SSSS) Program at The University of Texas at Austin’s (UT) Strauss Center for International Security and Law in partnership with the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA).
Experts from all over the world gathered to discuss and exchange knowledge on Space Traffic. As the title suggests, space traffic includes safe access to, operations within, and return from space. This interdisciplinary conference seeks to bring together stakeholders to address critical issues: Operations, Economy, and Ecosystems.
More details to come soon.
Venue
The 2026 conference will be held at The University of Texas at Austin, Texas USA.
Abstracts
Abstracts of up to 500 words are invited and must include the precise title of the paper, the topic area of interest, the author’s full name and affiliation, and complete contact information including an email address. The language of the conference is English. All abstracts must follow the STM Conference paper guidelines and the abstract template. Please send your abstracts to ali.prince@austin.utexas.edu
We invite researchers, industry experts, policymakers, and students to submit papers for our upcoming 2026 conference — Space Traffic: Operational Assurance for All. For the purposes of this conference, we define “operational assurance” as the measures taken throughout the space traffic ecosystem — from launch and in-space operations to return — to achieve safe and efficient end-state and functions in accordance with developing norms, established policy, and requirements for all stakeholders. This interdisciplinary conference seeks to bring together stakeholder communities to address critical issues with an emphasis on three thematic areas:
Operations: Assess risks and impacts to space traffic from space debris and congestion; propose and evaluate solutions for maneuver coordination and rules of the road; analyze emerging impacts to third parties from space traffic; discuss advancements and challenges in launch and reentry operations and create innovative solutions and policies to maximize efficiency and sustainability, to include recycling and removal as well as controlled reentry; examine technical systems for regulatory compliance assessment and monitoring; and evaluate orbital use, capacity, and associated policies/metrics.
Economy: Characterize economic behavior of current space traffic and future traffic demand; delve into the emerging fields of in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing, including rendezvous and proximity operations; investigate the role of commercial space situational awareness (SSA) and space traffic coordination; explore integrated assessment models for space traffic; analyze economic impact and results of existing or potential space traffic policies; and explore the concept, viability, and path to a circular space economy.
Ecosystems: Investigate the interactions between systems and infrastructures focusing on, inter alia: spaceports, assured access to space, air/space integration, internationally federated SSA and traffic coordination, information infrastructure, cybersecurity, impacts and interoperability of legal/policy regimes with each other, as well as with technical considerations for space traffic and cislunar/deep space activities. Consider and evaluate possible dual-use approaches to space-based sensor networks in support of threats from uncontrolled reentries.
We welcome papers that present new, forward-thinking perspectives, recommendations, and proposed solutions on these topics. Please submit your abstracts and join us in shaping the future of space traffic and operational assurance for all.

ISU-DC Space Cafe with JAXA Washington Office Deputy Director
2026-02-18 | Washington DC, USA
Kenta Tsuchiya of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Washington DC office will be the special guest, 18:00-20:00 EST at 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue NW ground level conference room, for International Space University USA Alumni Association Washington DC Chapter and the interested public; a casual forum that encourages interaction and discussion.

Secure World Foundation Results of Research Fellowship
2026-02-18 | Online
Space Sustainability Research Fellows selected in 2025 present their research: Deborah Housen-Couriel on information sharing, and Beril Saadet Turnbull / Calum Turner on “the circular space economy”; followed by audience Q&A; 10:00-11:30 EST.
Description of Fellows here: https://www.swfound.org/news/announcing-swfs-2025-space-sustainability-research-fellows

5th Anniversary of Mars Perseverance Rover Landing on Mars
2026-02-18 | Mars Surface
Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover reaches 5 full years on Mars surface having landed in Jezero Crater on this day in 2021; it carried Ingenuity helicopter – the first craft to successfully complete powered flights off-Earth.

Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 17-25
2026-02-17 | SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USA
Launch window 12:00-16:00 PST for 25 satellites; 1st stage Booster B1063 expected to land after this 31st flight on ASDS OCISLY.

Annular eclipse of the Sun
2026-02-17 | Global / Inter-Global
Begins 11:42 UTC (01:42 HST), maximum at 12:13 UTC, creating a “ring of fire” visible primarily over remote parts of Antarctica and the southern ocean; 96% of the sun obscured.

Lunar New Year
2026-02-17 | China (Zhongguo) / Worldwide
Lunar New Year 2026 Spring Festival marks the Year of the Horse.

LOGIC Working Meeting: Lunar Operating Guidelines for Infrastructure Consortium
2026-02-17 | Online
February Working Group meeting, 10:00-11:30 EST (UTC-5). Lunar Operating Guidelines for Infrastructure Consortium brings together the international and commercial lunar community around adopting, adapting and potentially authoring interoperability standards, ensuring that lunar infrastructure systems can function within a cohesive ecosystem.
Sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and managed by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), LOGIC’s mission is to become the trusted, independent focal point for architecting interoperability and facilitating information sharing in support of a commercial, international lunar economy.
Lunar Operating Guidelines for Infrastructure Consortium brings together the international and commercial lunar community around adopting, adapting and potentially authoring interoperability standards, ensuring that lunar infrastructure systems can function within a cohesive ecosystem.
Sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and managed by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), LOGIC’s mission is to become the trusted, independent focal point for architecting interoperability and facilitating information sharing in support of a commercial, international lunar economy.

Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 10-36
2026-02-17 | SLC-40 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA
Launch window 17:00-21:00 EST (12:00-16:00 HT) for 29 satellites. Booster B1092, after this 10th reuse, expected land on JRTI ASDS in the Atlantic Ocean.

Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 6-104
2026-02-16 | SLC-40 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA
Launch window 02:05-06:05 EST (21:05 Feb 15 – 01:05 Feb 16 HT) for 29 satellites. Booster B1077 expected to make 26th landing on JRTI ASDS barge in the Atlantic Ocean.
