Space Calendar 2017: Launches, Sky Events & MoreBy SPACE.com Staff | February 3, 2017 10:00am ET
LAST UPDATED Feb. 3: These 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 collected from NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, Spaceflight Now and others.
February
February: Three Expedition 50 astronauts return to Earth from the International Space Station this month at a date to be determined. NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko will undock their Soyuz spacecraft from the International Space Station's Poisk module and touch down in Kazakhstan. Watch Live
February 3: First quarter moon
February 4: 111th birthday of Clyde Tombaugh, the astronomer who discovered Pluto.
February 5: 46th anniversary of the Apollo 14 moon landing
February 6-8: SmallSat Symposium (Mountain View, California)
February 7: NASA TV will air live interviews with International Space Station astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Peggy Whitson at 1:20 p.m. EST (1820 GMT).
February 7-8: 20th Annual FAA Commercial Space Transportation Conference (Washington, D.C.)
February 9: NASA TV will air a live, in-flight educational program with astronaut Peggy Whitson at the International Space Station starting at 12 p.m. EST (1700 GMT).
February 10-11: The full moon of February will occur at 7:33 p.m. EST Tuesday, Feb. 10 (1223 GMT on Feb. 11). It is known as the Full Snow Moon and the Hunger Moon.
Photographer Stojan Stojanovski captured this photo of the penumbral Harvest Moon eclipse at maximum over Macedonia. Credit: Stojan StojanovskiFebruary 10-11: Penumbral Lunar Eclipse – On Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 7:43 p.m. EST (0034 GMT on Feb. 11), a penumbral lunar eclipse will be visible from Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. The moon will pass through Earth's penumbral shadow and appear darker than usual.
February 14: Arianespace will launch an Ariane 5 ECA rocket (VA235) with Intelsat 32e/Sky Brasil 1 and Telkom 3S communications satellites. Intelsat 32e/Sky Brasil 1 will provide television programming for DirecTV Latin America in Brazil. Telkom 3S will support high-definition television broadcasts, internet traffic and mobile networks over Indonesia, Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia. Launch window: 4:39-6:05 p.m. EST (2139-2305 GMT)
February 14: India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, flying on the PSLV-C37 mission, will launch India’s Cartosat 2D high-resolution Earth observation satellite and several smaller payloads from international customers at 10:09 p.m. EST (0309 GMT on Feb. 15) from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India.
February 14: NASA TV will air a live, in-flight educational event at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences in Charleston, West Virginia with International Space Station astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Peggy Whitson.
February 14: SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon spacecraft on a cargo delivery mission (CRS-10) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the International Space Station at 11:34 a.m. EST (1634 GMT).
February 16: NASA TV will air live interviews with International Space Station astronaut Shane Kimbrough.
February 22: A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 66th Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12:58 a.m. EST (0558 GMT).
February 26: Annular Solar Eclipse – on Sunday, Feb 26 an annular solar eclipse will be visible over parts of South America to southern and western Africa. The moon will pass in front of the sun, but it will be too far away to appear large enough to completely cover the size of the sun in the sky.
This image taken by the Hinode satellite shows the annular solar eclipse at its maximum on May 20, 2012. Credit: JAXA/HinodeAlso slated to launch in February (from Spaceflight Now):
• SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket with the EchoStar 23 communications satellite from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The satellite will provide television broadcast services over Brazil. Watch Live
• SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Koreasat 5A communications satellite South Korea from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Koreasat 5A will provide television broadcast and other communications services for Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Guam, Indochina, and South Asia. The satellite will also support maritime communications.
• SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket with the Formosat 5 spacecraft for Taiwan’s National Space Organization and the Sherpa deployer from Spaceflight Industries carrying approximately 90 small payloads and CubeSats for a variety of scientific and commercial customers.
March
March: Expedition 51 Launch: NASA astronaut Jack Fischer and cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos launch to the International Space Station. Their exact launch date is to be determined. Watch Live
March 4: Occultation of Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. Aldebaran will be hidden by the crossing moon for skywatchers in Hawaii, the contiguous United States, Central America and the western Caribbean the evening of Saturday, Mar. 4.
March 6: An Arianespace Vega rocket will launch the Sentinel 2B Earth observation satellite for the European Space Agency and the European Commission at 8:49 p.m. EST (0149 GMT on Mar. 7) from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana.
March 7-9: 55th Annual Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium (Greenbelt, Maryland)
March 8: A United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket will launch the ninth Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft, formerly known as the Wideband Gapfiller Satellite (WGS 9) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The geostationary communications spacecraft will serve the U.S. military. Launch window: 6:35-8:36 p.m. EST (2335-0136 GMT)
March 12: The full moon of March, also known as the Full Worm Moon, will occur on Sunday, March 12 at 10:54 a.m. EDT (1554 GMT).
March 15: Japan will launch a radar-equipped Information Gathering Satellite (IGS) for the Japanese government's spy satellite program. It will lift off atop an H-2A rocket at the Tanegashima Space Center between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. EDT (01300-0300 GMT on March 16).
March 16: A Cygnus cargo spacecraft (OA-7) will launch to the International Space Station on an Atlas 5 rocket provided by the United Launch Alliance. Watch Live
March 20-24: 48th Annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (Woodlands, Texas)
March 21: Arianespace will launch an Ariane 5 ECA rocket from French Guiana carrying Brazil's Geostationary Defense and Strategic Communications Satellite (SGDC) and Koreasat 7, which will provide broadcasting and telecommunications services over Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia and India.
March 27: A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch two new crewmembers to the International Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Expedition 50/51 crewmembers Jack Fischer of NASA and Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos will dock at the space station after a two-day orbital chase. Watch Live
Also slated to launch in March (from Spaceflight Now):
• SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with the SES 10 communications satellite owned by SES of Luxembourg. The satellite will provide TV broadcasting and other telecommunication services for Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America. It will also support offshore oil and gas exploration.
• A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch the Kanopus-V-IK infrared Earth observation satellite along with Russia’s Zond solar research satellite and multiple small spacecraft from U.S. companies.
• India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk.2 (GSLV Mk.2) will launch the GSAT 9 communications satellite, which will provide communications services over India and neighboring countries.
April
April 3-6: 33rd Space Symposium (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
April 4: An Arianespace Soyuz rocket will launch from the Guiana Space Center carrying the SES 15 communications satellite for SES of Luxembourg.
April 7: Jupiter at opposition. This is a great time to observe Jupiter, as the planet's face will be fully illuminated by the sun.
April 11: The full moon of April occurs at 2:08 a.m. EDT (0708 GMT) on Tuesday, April 11. It is known as the Full Pink Moon as well as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon.
April 22-23: The Lyrid meteor shower peaks overnight on Saturday, April 22 into the early morning of Sunday, April 23. A waning crescent moon will make for favorable viewing conditions, with little moonlight obstructing the view of the meteors. Lyrid meteors will be visible April 16-25.
Also slated to launch in April (from Spaceflight Now):
• India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk.3 (GSLV Mk.3) will launch on its first orbital test flight with the GSAT 19E experimental communications satellite.
• A Chinese Long March 7 rocket will launch the Tianzhou 1 cargo freighter with supplies and fuel for the Tiangong 2 space lab.
• A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 10 satellites for the Iridium NEXT mobile communications fleet from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
May
May 4: Happy Star Wars Day! May the fourth be with you.
May 6: The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks overnight on Saturday, May 6 and into the early morning on Sunday. Meteors will be visible from around Apr. 19 to May 28.
May 10: The full moon of May will occur on Wednesday, May 10 at 5:43 p.m. EDT (2243 GMT). It is known as the Full Flower Moon, the Corn Planting Moon and the Milk Moon.
May 29: A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch a crewed Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station with members of the next crew (51S). Watch Live
Also slated to launch in May (from Spaceflight Now):
• An Orbital ATK Minotaur-C rocket will launch six SkySat Earth observation satellites for Google/Skybox Imaging.
June
June 1: SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon spacecraft on the 12th cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
July 3: Earth at Aphelion – Happy Aphelion Day! Earth is farthest from the sun for the year today at a distance of 94,505,901 miles (152,092,505 kilometers).
June 4-8: 230th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) (Austin. Texas)
June 9: The full moon of June occurs at 9:10 a.m. EDT (1410 GMT) on Friday, June 9. Known as the Full Strawberry Moon, it is also known as the Rose Moon and the Hot Moon.
June 13: A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch a classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.
June 14: A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch the 67th Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station. Watch Live
June 15: An air-launched Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket will send NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) satellite into orbit.
June 15: Saturn will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This will be the best time to view Saturn and its moons.
June 22: The U.S. military will launch its fourth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite aboard an Atlas 5 rocket provided by the United Launch Alliance. It will launch from pad SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
June 27-29: NewSpace 2017 Conference in Seattle, Washington. Private and commercial space industry experts will converge on Seattle for the annual NewSpace conference.
Also slated to launch in June (from Spaceflight Now):
• A Eurockot Rockot launch vehicle with the Sentinel 5 Precursor Earth observation satellite for the European Space Agency and the European Commission.
July
July 6: An Orbital ATK Antares rocket will launch of the ninth Cygnus cargo freighter on the eighth operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station (OA-8). Watch Live
July 9: The full moon of July, known as the Full Buck Moon, will occur at 12:07 a.m. EDT (1707 GMT). This full moon is also called the Thunder Moon.
July 28-29: The Delta Aquarid meteor shower peaks overnight on Friday, July 28. Delta Aquarid meteors will be visible from July 12 to Aug. 23.
Also slated to launch in July (from Spaceflight Now):
• Orbital ATK will launch a Minotaur 4 rocket carrying a mission for the U.S. military’s Operationally Responsive Space program. ORS 5, also known as SensorSat, will scan for satellites and debris to help track objects in Earth's orbit.
August
August 3: A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-075, will launch the NASA's TDRS-M communications and data relay satellite. The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) connects mission control with the International Space Station and other satellites.
August 7: The full moon of August, also known at the Full Sturgeon Moon, will occur on Monday, Aug. 7 at 2:11 p.m. EDT (1911 GMT). A partial lunar eclipse will coincide with this full moon and can be seen from Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
August 7-9: National Astronomy Teaching Summit Conference (Ft. Meyers, Florida)
August 12-13: One of the brightest meteor showers of the year, the Perseid meteor shower peaks on the night of Saturday, Aug. 12 and the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug. 13. A waning gibbous moon may hamper the view of the meteor shower's peak this year. Perseid meteors will appear in the sky from July 17 to Aug. 24.
The total solar eclipse of moves through its phases in this collage taken by astrophotgrapher Justin Ng from Palu, Indonesia on March 9, 2016. Credit: Justin Ng/ www.justinngphoto.comAugust 21: The "Great American Total Solar Eclipse" will sweep across the United States on Monday, Aug. 21. The moon will pass before the sun, first casting its shadow over Oregon that will move across the country all the way to South Carolina. Viewers across the continental U.S. who are outside the path of totality will still be able to see the eclipse in its partial form.
August 31: A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch a classified spacecraft payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Also slated to launch in August (from Spaceflight Now):
• An Arianespace Vega rocket will launch with the Optsat 3000 high-resolution reconnaissance satellite for the Italian military and the French-Israeli Venus environmental satellite to monitor the health of vegetation and test an experimental plasma thruster system in orbit.
September
September 6: The full moon of September will occur on Wednesday, Sep. 6 at 3:03 a.m. EDT (0803 GMT). September's full moon is known as the Full Harvest Moon.
September 12: Expedition 53/54 crewmembers Mark Vande Hei of NASA and Alexander Misurkin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos will launch atop a Russian Soyuz rocket on a mission to the International Space Station. Watch Live
September 13: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 15th Dragon spacecraft on the 13th operational cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station.
September 15: NASA's Cassini orbiter will plunge into Saturn, ending a nearly 20-year mission.
September 17-22: European Planetary Science Congress 2017 (Riga, Latvia)
September 23: A United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket will launch the first spacecraft in the Joint Polar Satellite System, NOAA’s next-generation series of polar-orbiting weather observatories.
October
October 3: A United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket will launch a classified spacecraft payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.
October 5: The full moon of October occurs on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 2:40 p.m. EDT (1940 GMT). It is also known as the Full Hunter's Moon.
October 8: The Draconid meteor shower will peak on Sunday, Oct. 8. Draconid meteors will appear Oct. 6-10 and are best viewed in the early evening hours.
October 12: A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch the 68th Progress cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station. Watch Live
October 15: Occultation of Regulus.The brightest star in the constellation Leo will be covered by a crescent moon in the early morning of Sunday, Oct. 15. The occultation will be visible from the United States and the Caribbean.
October 19: Uranus will be at opposition in its closest approach to Earth, and the planet's face will be fully illuminated by the sun. This the best time to observe Uranus, though a telescope is required to do so.
October 21-22: The Orionid meteor shower peaks on the night of Friday, Oct. 20 and the early morning of Saturday, Oct. 21. Orionid meteors will be visible from Oct. 2 to Nov. 7.
October 26: A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch a crewed Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station with members of the Expedition 54/55 crew: Scott Tingle of NASA, Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos. Watch Live
October 27: An Atlas 5 rocket provided by the United Launch Alliance will launch the U.S. military’s fourth Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous satellite (SBIRS GEO 4) for missile early-warning detection.
November
November 4: The full moon of November will occur on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 12:23 a.m. EDT (0523 GMT). It is also known as the Full Beaver Moon.
November 4-5: The Taurid meteor shower will peak on the night of Saturday, Nov. 4 and the early morning of Sunday, Nov. 5. Taurid meteors will be visible from Sep. 7 to Dec. 10. This is a minor meteor shower with 5-10 meteors per hour, and light from the full moon may obstruct the view during the meteor shower's peak.
November 5: Occultation of Aldebaran. For the second time this year, the moon crosses in front of orange Aldebaran Nov. 5. This time the waning gibbous moon will be nearly full. The occultation will be visible from most of North America in the early evening.
November 13: A spectacular conjunction of Venus and Jupiter will be visible in the evening sky. The two bright planets will be extremely close, appearing only 0.3 degrees apart. Look for this impressive pairing in the Eastern sky just before sunrise.
November 17-18: The Leonid meteor shower peaks between Thursday, Nov. 17 and Friday, Nov. 18. But Leonid meteors will be visible in the sky throughout the month of November.
November 17: An Orbital ATK Antares rocket will launch a Cygnus cargo freighter on the ninth cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station from Wallops Island, Virginia. Watch Live
Also slated to launch in November (from Spaceflight Now):
• SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for an uncrewed test flight to the International Space Station.
• A Chinese Long March 5 rocket will launch the Chang’e 5 mission to return samples from the moon.
• Arianespace will use an Ariane 5 ES rocket to launch four Galileo full operational capability satellites for Europe’s Galileo navigation constellation from the Guiana Space Center.
• A United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket will launch NASA’s ICESat 2 satellite to measure ice sheet elevation and ice sheet thickness changes linked to climate change, along with measurements of Earth’s vegetation biomass.
December
December 3: The full moon of December, also known as the Full Cold Moon, occurs at 10:47 a.m. EDT (1547 GMT) on Monday, Dec. 3. This will also be the only "supermoon" of 2017.
December 5-7: SpaceCom 2017 (Space Commerce Conference and Exposition)
December 13-14: The Geminid meteor shower peaks on the night of Wednesday, Dec. 13 and the early morning hours of Thursday, Dec. 14. Geminid meteors will be visible Dec. 7-16.
December 21-22: The Ursid meteor shower peaks on the night of Thursday, Dec. 21 and the early morning hours of Friday, Dec. 22. Ursid meteors will appear in the sky Dec. 17-25.
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