Space calendar 2023: Rocket launches, skywatching events, missions & more!

By Space.com
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Keep up to date with the latest space events with our 2023 space calendar!

Graphic illustration with "space calendar" in large blue neon letters and 2023 below it in smaller white letters. Below the title are four neon images depicting a meteor or comet, a telescope, a rocket launch and an astronaut's helmet. There is a starry background to the entire image.
Keep up to date with the latest space events with our space calendar. (Image credit: Neon images: Zeybart via Getty Images. Image assembled with Canva by Daisy Dobrijevic)
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2023 is a busy year for spaceflight and exploration enthusiasts with countless launches, mission milestones and skywatching events to look forward to.

With so much going on, it's hard to keep track of everything. Never fear — keep up with the latest events in our 2023 space calendar. You can also Find out what's up in the night sky this month with our visible planets guide and skywatching forecast. 

Please note: Launch dates are subject to change and will be updated throughout the year as firmer dates arise. Please DO NOT schedule travel based on a date you see here. Launch dates are collected from NASA events, ESA news, Roscosmos space launch schedule, Spaceflight Now launch schedule, Everyday Astronaut and others.

Related: Wondering what happened today in space history? Check out our "On This Day in Space" video!

November

Skywatching
This image was taken during the 1999 Leonid meteor storm as part of NASA's Leonid Multi-Instrument Aircraft Campaign (Leonid MAC). The image was captured with a 28 mm camera.
Skywatching
Leonid meteor shower peaks

Nov. 17: The Leonid meteor shower peaks tonight! The shower is active between Nov. 3 and Dec. 2. Up to 15 meteors per hour are predicted during the peak of the shower, occurring overnight on Friday, Nov. 17 in the Americas. At that time, Earth will be traversing the densest part of the comet's debris train.

Rocket Launch
SpaceX conducts a static fire test with its Ship 25 Starship prototype on June 26, 2023 at the company's Starbase site in South Texas.
Rocket Launch
2nd test launch of SpaceX's Starship rocket

SpaceX is planning to launch the second test flight of its Starship rocket, pending environmental reviews. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Oct. 31 the completion of its Starship safety review. SpaceX and its founder and CEO, Elon Musk, have said that the latest vehicle has passed all of its prelaunch tests and is ready to go.

A full moon is seen rising between industrial metal railings ang guards.
Full Moon

Nov. 27: The November Full Moon, traditionally known as the Beaver Moon or Frost Moon, always shines within or near the stars of Taurus and Aries. The moon will reach its full phase, opposite the sun in the western pre-dawn sky, at 4:16 a.m. EST, 1:16 a.m. PST, or 09:16 GMT.

December

Dec. 1: Russia will launch a Soyuz rocket carrying the Progress MS-25 spacecraft to the International Space Station on a cargo and resupply mission.

Dec. 12: The new moon will arrive at 6:32 p.m. EST (2332 GMT).

Dec. 14: The Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight! The shower is active between Dec. 4 and Dec. 17.

Dec. 21: Today is the winter solstice for the Northern Hemisphere and the summer solstice for the Southern Hemisphere.

Dec. 21: The Ursid meteor shower peaks tonight! The shower is active from Dec. 13 to Dec. 24.

Dec. 24: A United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket will launch on its inaugural flight with the Peregrine commercial lunar lander for Astrobotic. It will lift off from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Dec. 26: The full moon of December, known as the Cold Moon, will occur at 7:33 p.m. EST (0033 GMT on Dec. 27). 

December: A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the USSF 51 mission for the U.S. Space Force. 

2024

Jan. 3-4: The time of the shower's peak is set for about 4 a.m. EST on Jan. 4, which favors eastern North America, as previously reported on Space.com. Viewing conditions for the Quadrantids is good for 2024 as there will be a 47% illuminated waning crescent moon in the constellation Virgo during the peak, providing much less of a hindrance to meteor viewing compared to 2023.

Jan. 10: Axiom Space's third private astronaut mission will launch to the ISS from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, using SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket. The four crewmembers include a former NASA astronaut, a European Space Agency reserve astronaut and a passenger who flew to suborbital space with Virgin Galactic earlier this year.

Jan. 12: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the IM-1 mission with the Nova-C lander built and owned by Intuitive Machines from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 

Jan. 25: January's full moon, known as the Wolf Moon, or Micro Moon, will rise.

Feb. 9: The moon will be at its closest point to Earth in orbit — but unfortunately, this "supermoon" will be too close to the sun to be visible to skywatchers on the ground. Despite its proximity to Earth, skywatchers won't be able to see the moon, because it will be a new moon. It will be too near to the sun to be seen, and will be invisible as it passes across our daytime sky. 

April: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on its first crewed flight. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Mike Fincke, along with an unidentified third crew member, will fly on the mission. The Crew Test Flight to the International Space Station will lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. 

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News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor. 

14 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Christmom3
    Admin said:
    Here's a LhZJPyDGPmMNxwDMmG4D8Se to SpaceX's launch schedule, other rocket missions, astronomical events of the next year, as well as milestones for spacecraft already in travel.

    Space Launch Calendar 2019: Sky Events, Missions & More : Read more
    May you please post a link to the 2020 space launch calendar? Thanks so much
    Reply
  • Wolfshadw
    Christmom3 said:
    May you please post a link to the 2020 space launch calendar? Thanks so much

    The article was updated on 7-31-20 to list upcoming events through the end of 2020.

    -Wolf sends
    Reply
  • EdnRno
    first time at your site - Great!
    You might check your Jan 2 comment "perihelion" - pretty sure it's "closest" to the sun. My mnemonic was always "pretty close"/ counterintuitive for during our "winter" . Thanks.

    "Jan. 2: Happy perihelion day! Earth is farthest from the sun today. "
    Reply
  • rel
    Need clarification of time zones....
    In the calendar on Jan 6 states "10:10 a.m. EST (1410 GMT)."
    10:10am EST is NOT 1410GMT! This needs to be corrected

    Likewise Jan 11th 9:25 a.m. EST (1325 GMT) also needs to be corrected.
    Reply
  • badhack
    Is this 2021 calendar available as a google calendar (or even a cal file)? NYTimes has one but this one is so much more complete. That would be super cool!
    Reply
  • yohandz007
    badhack said:
    Is this 2021 calendar available as a google calendar (or even a cal file)? NYTimes has one but this one is so much more complete. That would be super cool!
    https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=N2J0bXBwZ205czFvN25nb2Y4bzh1OW9zZmNAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQSince there is no calendar, I made one for my self on Google Calendar. You can use it too. I have not completed it yet, but I will in a few days.
    Reply
  • badhack
    yohandz007 said:
    https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=N2J0bXBwZ205czFvN25nb2Y4bzh1OW9zZmNAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQSince there is no calendar, I made one for my self on Google Calendar. You can use it too. I have not completed it yet, but I will in a few days.

    Awesome thank you very much yohandz007. btw your calendar is not public but I sent a request.
    Reply
  • Marin Tomuta
    Equinox is the mid-day of spring ppl! Equinox is in the middle at the equator, therefore it is the middle of spring. Isn't it?
    Am I the only on who thinks the equinox is mid-Spring/mid-Autumn and not the first day of? I mean its kind of a bit of a difference. Its the 1st day of the Sun shining at 90° at the equator and soon to be in northern hemisphere.
    Otherwise how would the summer solstice, being the longest day of the year not be the middle of summer? Summer begins when daylight starts to wane? No. It begins 1.5 moons before the solstice/equinox. 1st day of spring was 03Feb. I confirmed it by noticing plants flowering!
    Reply
  • Marin Tomuta
    Marin Tomuta said:
    Equinox is the mid-day of spring ppl! Equinox is in the middle at the equator, therefore it is the middle of spring. Isn't it?
    Am I the only on who thinks the equinox is mid-Spring/mid-Autumn and not the first day of? I mean its kind of a bit of a difference. Its the 1st day of the Sun shining at 90° at the equator and soon to be in northern hemisphere.
    Otherwise how would the summer solstice, being the longest day of the year not be the middle of summer? Summer begins when daylight starts to wane? No. It begins 1.5 moons before the solstice/equinox. 1st day of spring was 03Feb. I confirmed it by noticing plants flowering!
    I am at 33.8°N 118°W. Thats why flowers bloomed so early.
    On Northern Vernal Equinox Day, if one is at the North Pole, it is the 1st day of Spring; but if one is at the equator its the middle of Summer. Wherever the dynamic equator is, there its the midSummer. So when its the Northern Summer Solstice, its midSummer at the tropic of Cancer all the way up to the North Pole. I'm thinking the July/August heatwave is just that as the climate/solar wind folds onto itself as the dynamic equator moves South, as Earth reaches Aphelion.

    So, it all depends where one is located on Earth in relation to the Sun that determines actual 1st days of seasons.
    Hardly anyone lives at the North Pole. Not even Santa, I think. Most diverse biota are located within the tropics.
    Plz, no development within the Tropics! Plz, keep it natural. Thank you. 🙏
    Reply
  • darrenwebster
    yohandz007 said:
    https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=N2J0bXBwZ205czFvN25nb2Y4bzh1OW9zZmNAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQSince there is no calendar, I made one for my self on Google Calendar. You can use it too. I have not completed it yet, but I will in a few days.


    yohandz007 said:
    https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=N2J0bXBwZ205czFvN25nb2Y4bzh1OW9zZmNAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQSince there is no calendar, I made one for my self on Google Calendar. You can use it too. I have not completed it yet, but I will in a few days.

    Hey, I hope you’re well. Is the calendar still available? I tried adding the calendar using the url and it says it doesn’t exist.
    Reply