Space calendar 2024: Rocket launches, skywatching events, missions & more!

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Keep up to date with the latest space events with our 2024 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.
(Image credit: Neon images: Zeybart via Getty Images. Image assembled with Canva by Daisy Dobrijevic)
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2024 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 2024 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, Supercluster and others.

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

December

Rocket Launch
a white rocket fires flames from its engines as it flies above a curve of the Earth into space.
Rocket Launch
ESA, Vega-C Copernicus Sentinel-1C

December 4: The European Space Agency (ESA) is scheduled to launch the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite Dec. 4, lifting off from Kourou, French Guiana, during an instantaneous launch window Dec. 4, at 4:20 p.m. EST (2120 GMT, 22:20 CET — local time).

This will be the third mission for ESA's medium-lift rocket, and its first launch since a failure in the vehicle's second stage led to the complete loss of its last payload in October 2022.

Related: Watch Europe's Vega-C rocket launch today on 1st flight since 2022 (video)

Rocket Launch
a red and white indian rocket launches into a gray sky
Rocket Launch
ISRO, Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) - Proba-3

December 5: A European mission that will use two satellites to create artificial eclipses in Earth orbit will launch early Thursday morning (Dec. 5). The European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba-3 formation-flying mission is scheduled to lift off atop an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from Satish Dhawan Space Center on Thursday at 5:42 a.m. EST (1042 GMT; 4:42 p.m. local time in India).

Related: India to launch European Proba-3 satellites on Dec. 5 to create artificial eclipses in space. Watch the liftoff live

Rocket Launch
rocket engines spit fire
Rocket Launch
SpaceX, Falcon 9 - SiriusXM-9

December 5: SpaceX will launch the tenth satellite for SiriusXM radio, designed and built by Maxar. A Falcon-9 rocket is scheduled to liftoff from Space Launch Complex-40, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 11:40 a.m. EST (1640 GMT).

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
Geminid Meteor Shower

December 13-14: The Geminid meteor shower occurs between Nov.19 to Dec. 24 and this year will peak on the nights of Dec.13 and Dec. 14. The shower can produce 130 to 140 meteors per hour on a clear sky. Year after year, the Geminids are the strongest meteor shower in terms of rates, with well over 100 possibly appearing per hour.

Read more: Meteor showers 2024: When is the next one?

Skywatching
The Cold Moon rises over Catania Italy with a clear sky at 18.30 local time on December 25, 2023
Skywatching
Full Cold Moon

December 15, 4:02 a.m. EST (0902 GMT): December's full moon, called the Cold Moon, falls on Dec. 15 and will be situated amidst the season's brightest constellations as it says goodbye to 2024.

Skywatching
The winter solstice of 2022 has arrived.
Skywatching
Winter Solstice

December 21: Winter arrives to the Northern Hemisphere December 21, marking the shortest day of the year. Earth's axis will be titled the farthest away from the sun. In the lead-up to the Winter Solstice, the days become shorter and shorter, then on the evening of the solstice  —  in the Northern Hemisphere occurs annually on the 21st or 22nd of December —  winter begins, according to a NASA resource. From then onwards the days become increasingly long leading up to the Summer Solstice, or the June Solstice, and the longest day of the year.

Rocket Launch
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket on the pad at Launch Complex 36 (LC-36) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 21, 2024.
Rocket Launch
Blue Origin, New Glenn Debut

November: Blue Origin will launch its New Glenn rocket from Launch Complex 36 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The rocket stands about 322 feet (98 meters) tall and can send 50 tons (45 metric tons) to low Earth orbit, and will be Blue Origin's first orbital rocket. The company is now in the final stretch of preparations for the upcoming launch. New Glenn will carry the company's new Blue Ring spacecraft platform on a National Security Space Launch certification flight.

Related: Blue Origin fires up 2nd stage of huge New Glenn rocket ahead of debut launch (video)

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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