Boeing

CST-100 Starliner

The Starliner is a next-generation space capsule that will take people to and from low-Earth orbit.

A 21st Century Space Capsule

Boeing’s Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 Starliner spacecraft is being developed in collaboration with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Starliner was designed to accommodate seven passengers, or a mix of crew and cargo, for missions to low-Earth orbit. For NASA service missions to the International Space Station, it will carry up to four NASA-sponsored crew members and time-critical scientific research. The Starliner has an innovative, weldless structure and is reusable up to 10 times with a six-month turnaround time. It also features wireless internet and tablet technology for crew interfaces.

Starliner Design Details

Reusable Capsule

The Starliner uses a proven parachute and airbag system to land on ground, which allows the capsule to be reused up to 10 times.

Autonomous Docking

The Starliner is completely autonomous, which reduces the amount of training time for crews.

Landing on Solid Ground

The Starliner is designed for land-based returns rather than water returns, a first for a space capsule built in the United States. The Starliner landing system includes parachutes as well as airbags, seen here, which are designed to absorb the shock of impact.

User-Control Ready

The Starliner adapted a best practice from the commercial industry, with backup manual controls for the pilot.

Seats for Seven

Boeing designed the Starliner to fit seven passengers comfortably or any combination of crew plus cargo.

Feature Stories

Starliner Touches Down

December 22, 2019 in Space, Starliner

The Boeing CST-100 Starliner’s first mission ended historically when it became the first American orbital space capsule to land on American soil rather than in an ocean.

A Starliner is Born

November 21, 2019 in Space

Boeing Starliner is placed atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket for first flight.

Starliner completes successful pad abort test

Boeing cleared a crucial test on the way to returning the United States to human spaceflight launch capabilities by completing a successful pad abort test of the CST-100 Starliner.

Patches Revealed

September 12, 2019 in Space

Boeing reveals the design of its mission patches for Starliner’s upcoming Orbital Flight Test, Pad Abort Test and Crew Flight Test.

Parachute test proves Starliner can land safely in extreme circumstances

Starliner passed another major test, demonstrating that its parachute landing system can provide a safe landing for the capsule and its crew.

Ready for Orbit! Starliner Passes Environmental Qualification Testing

“Test like you fly” is a mantra Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner team takes to heart, proven by the success of a recent environmental test campaign.

Take a Load Off

February 11, 2019 in Space

Several billion points of data prove Starliner is structurally sound for flight.

Heaven on earth: Starliner environmental testing underway

December 3, 2018 in Space, Technology

Creating space conditions to prove Starliner is ready for flight.

Building a Spaceship

November 21, 2018 in Space

Boeing’s Commercial Crew team readies their first spaceworthy CST-100 Starliner for final preflight testing.

NASA Names First Starliner Crews

NASA introduced the astronauts to pilot the Boeing Starliner.

Boeing’s First Test Pilot Astronaut

Boeing’s first commercial test pilot astronaut and 2 other astronauts will travel to the International Space Station on board the Boeing CST-100 Starliner.

Come Together

The first CST-100 Starliner test vehicle under construction mates the crew and service module.

Sticking the Landing: Starliner Seat Drop Test Success

Using crash dummies, lab test teams simulate what it will feel like inside Starliner when it safely lands back on Earth.

Cosmic Connection

August 31, 2016 in Space, Technology

See how Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner will dock with the International Space Station.

Training on the Ground, Looking to the Stars

April 27, 2016 in Space, Defense

NASA astronauts try out a new generation of training simulators for Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner capsule.

Celebration and Reconfiguration Aboard the International Space Station

The world’s orbital outpost celebrates a milestone as it undergoes a massive reconfiguration project to usher in new era of space exploration.

Towering Toward Space

September 4, 2015 in Space

A tower astronauts will use to board Boeing’s Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 Starliner is rising in the Florida skyline.

Spacecraft Team is Dancing with the Stars

The CST-100 Starliner, Boeing’s Crew Space Transportation vehicle, is scheduled to make its first trip carrying astronauts in 2018. To prepare, employees are testing the spacecraft to the outer limits.

Major Move for U.S. Return to Human Space Flight

CST-100 Starliner Test Article domes mated into full capsule for first time at Kennedy Space Center.

CST-100: Next American Space Capsule

September 16, 2014 in Space

NASA awards Boeing $4.2 billion to build and fly the United States’ next passenger spacecraft, the Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100.

Last Shuttle Commander Virtually Flies Boeing CST-100

February 27, 2014 in Space

Chris Ferguson, commander of the final space shuttle flight, virtually returns to space in the Boeing Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 simulator.

Astronaut Dreams

Helping to design a space capsule would be amazing, but Kavya Manyapu is designing a space capsule she might ride in one day.

Water Recovery: It’s Only a Test

A 21st Century Spacesuit

Lightweight. Highly mobile. Minimalistic. Innovative. The architecture of Boeing’s newly designed spacesuit combines the first-hand experience of veteran astronaut Chris Ferguson with David Clark Co.’s decades of suit design, development, test and evaluation insight as the makers of more than a dozen air and space suits, including those for Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle missions. The “Boeing Blue” suit will be worn by all Starliner crew members during launch, ascent and re-entry and will be customized for each crew member to maximize protection, capability and comfort.

Want more images of the spacesuit? Check out the Starliner Gallery.

Spacesuit Design Details

COMFORTABLE HEAD PROTECTION

Rate-sensitive foam in the helmet provides comfort while a hard cranial band – seen here in blue – provides head protection.

MORE FREEDOM TO MOVE

Mobility joints in the shoulders and elbows allow for ease of movement even when the suit is pressurized.

MAINTAINING PRESSURE

The dual suit controller keeps suit pressure at a safe level.

COMFORT WHEN SITTING OR STANDING

Waist zipper helps maintain comfort while transitioning from sitting to standing.

STORAGE ROOM

The suit has breathable leg pockets to hold a survival kit and personal items.

SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOOTWEAR

Lightweight, specialized footwear was collaboratively developed by David Clark Co. and Reebok.

TOUCH SCREEN-FRIENDLY GLOVES

Lightweight, leather gloves are enabled for tablets and touch screens.

STAY COOL AND DRY

The airflow diverter valve helps keep astronauts cool and comfortable, while permeable layers allow water vapor – but not air – to pass through the suit fabric.

CREW COMMUNICATIONS

The Communications Cap Assembly within the helmet connects to the Starliner spacecraft, providing a critical communications loop with ground and space crews. Chris Ferguson, director of Starliner Crew and Mission Systems, is shown here wearing the Communications Cap Assembly.

SOFT HELMET WITH ZIPPER CLOSURE

The soft, lightweight helmet zips instead of latches. Chris Ferguson, director of Starliner Crew and Mission Systems, is shown here zipping closed the Starliner helmet.

Space calendar 2020: Rocket launches, sky events, missions & more!

LAST UPDATED March 10: 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.

Watch NASA webcasts and other live launch coverage on our “Watch Live” page, and see our night sky webcasts here. Find out what’s up in the night sky this month with our visible planets guide and skywatching forecast.

Wondering what happened today in space history? Check out our “On This Day in Space” video show here!

March

March 14: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is expected to launch a fifth batch of approximately 60 satellites for the company’s Starlink broadband network in a mission designated Starlink 5. It will lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, at 9:35 a.m. EDT (1335 GMT).

March 16: A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch a Glonass M navigation satellite from the Plesetsk Cosmosdrome in Russia, at 2:23 p.m. EDT (1823 GMT).

March 16: India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk. 2 (GSLV Mk.2) may launch the county’s first GEO Imaging Satellite, or GISAT 1. It is scheduled to lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India, at 8:13 a.m. EDT (1213 GMT). The launch was postponed from March 6 due to technical problems with the rocket.

March 19: Happy Equinox! Today marks the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of fall in the Southern Hemisphere.

March 19: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite for the U.S. military. The AEHF-6 mission will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, during a 2-hour launch window that opens at 3:22 p.m. EDT (1922 GMT).

March 20: The waning, crescent moon will make a close approach to Jupiter in the dawn sky. It will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 2:21 a.m. EDT (0621 GMT), and the pair will be above the southeastern horizon for a few hours before sunrise.

March 21: A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch approximately 32 satellites into orbit for the OneWeb satellite constellation. The mission, called OneWeb 3, will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, at 1:07 p.m. EDT (1707 GMT).

March 23: An Arianespace Vega rocket will launch on the Small Spacecraft Mission Service, or SSMS, proof-of-concept mission carrying 42 microsatellites, nanosatellites and cubesats. The rideshare mission will lift off from the Guiana Space Center near Kourou, French Guiana, at 9:51 p.m. EDT (0151 GMT on March 24). Watch it live.

March 24: New moon

March 26: Rocket Lab will launch an Electron rocket on a rideshare mission carrying three payloads for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. Also on board will be the ANDESITE CubeSat for Boston University and NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative, which will study Earth’s magnetosphere and space weather, and the M2 Pathfinder satellite, a technology demonstration mission that is a collaboration between the Australian government and the University of New South Wales Canberra Space. The mission, nicknamed “Don’t Stop Me Now,” will lift off from the company’s New Zealand launch facility on the Mahia Peninsula.

March 28: The waxing, crescent moon will make a close approach to Venus in the evening sky. It will be in conjunction with Venus at 6:37 a.m. EDT (1037 GMT), and the pair will still appear close the evenings before and after. Look for them above the southwestern horizon after sunset.

March 30–April 2: The 36th annual Space Symposium takes place in Colorado Springs.

March 30: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the SAOCOM 1B Earth observation satellite for Argentina. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, at 7:21 p.m. EDT (2321 GMT).

March 31: A Russian Proton rocket will launch the Express 80 and Express 103 communications satellites for the Russian Satellite Communication Company. It will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

March 31: Conjunction of Saturn and Mars. The Ringed Planet and the Red Planet meet up for a special conjunction in the dawn sky. Saturn will pass less than 1 degree north of Mars at 6:56 a.m. EDT (1056 GMT).

Also scheduled to launch in March (from Spaceflight Now):

• A Chinese Long March 7A rocket will launch a satellite known as TJS 6. This will be the first flight of the Long March 7A rocket variant. It will lift off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan, China.
• India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) will launch the RISAT 2BR2 radar Earth observation satellite for the Indian Space Research Organization. It will lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India.

April

April 2: SpaceX’s Dragon CRS-20 cargo craft will depart the International Space Station and return to Earth. NASA will provide live coverage of its departure beginning at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), and it is scheduled to be released at 11:24 a.m. EDT (1524 GMT). The capsule will splash down in the Pacific Ocean a few hours later, but NASA will not broadcast the splashdown. Watch it live.

April 7: Super Pink Moon. The full moon of April, known as the Pink Moon, coincides with a supermoon.

April 9: A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch the Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft to the International Space Station with three new Expedition 62 crewmembers: NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and two Russian cosmonauts, Anatoli Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner. (Originally, cosmonauts Nikolai Tikhonov and Andrei Babkin were slated for this flight, but they were replaced by their backup crew for “medical reasons” in February). The rocket will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Watch it live.

April 10: An Arianespace Soyuz rocket will launch the second Composante Spatiale Optique (CSO-2) military reconnaissance satellite for the French space agency CNES and DGA, the French defense procurement agency. It will lift off from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. Watch it live.

April 14: The last-quarter moon will make a close approach to Jupiter and Saturn in the dawn sky. It will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT), followed by a conjunction with Saturn on April 15 at 5:18 a.m. EDT (0918 GMT). Catch the trio in the morning sky, before sunrise.

April 21-22: The Lyrid meteor shower peaks.

April 22: New moon

April 25: A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch the 75th Progress cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station. It will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Watch it live.

April 26: The waxing, crescent moon will make a close approach to Venus in the evening sky. It will be in conjunction with Venus at 11:23 a.m. EDT (1523 GMT), and the pair will still appear close the evenings before and after. Look for them above the southwestern horizon after sunset.

April 28: Shining brightly at mag -4.5, the “evening star” Venus reaches its greatest brightness of the year.

April 29: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the U.S. Air Force’s third third-generation navigation satellite, designated GPS 3 SV03, for the Global Positioning System. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Also scheduled to launch in April (from Spaceflight Now):

• An Arianespace Soyuz rocket will launch the Falcon Eye 2 Earth-imaging satellite for the United Arab Emirates. It will lift off from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana.
• A Chinese Long March 5B rocket will launch on a test flight with an unpiloted prototype for China’s new human-rated crew capsule, which is designed for future human missions to the moon. This will be the first flight of a Long March 5B rocket. It will lift off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan, China.
• India’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) will launch on its first orbital test flight from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India.

May 7: Crew Dragon Demo 2: SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to take its first crewed test flight to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken on board. This will be the Crew Dragon’s first test flight with astronauts on board following the uncrewed Demo-1 mission in March. It will lift off on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

May 7: The full moon of May, also known as the Flower Moon, occurs at 6:45 a.m. EDT (1045 GMT).

May 12: See the moon, Jupiter and Saturn huddled together in the predawn sky. The waning, gibbous moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 5:41 a.m. EDT (0941 GMT), followed by a conjunction with Saturn at 2:11 p.m. EDT (1811 GMT).

May 14: The last-quarter moon will make a close approach to the Red Planet. It will be in conjunction with Mars at 10:02 p.m. EDT (0202 GMT on May 15). Look for the pair above the southeastern horizon before sunrise.

May 18: Jupiter and Saturn will make a close approach in the early morning sky. The pair will be in conjunction at 12:45 a.m. EDT (0445 GMT).

May 22: New moon

May 23: The one-day-old moon will make a close approach to Venus in the evening sky. It will be in conjunction with Venus at 10:40 p.m. EDT (0240 GMT on May 24). Look for them above the southwestern horizon just after sunset.

May 31–June 4: The 236th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society takes place in Madison, Wisconsin.

Also scheduled to launch in May (from Spaceflight Now):

• A Japanese H-2B rocket will launch the HTV-9 cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station. It will lift off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan.
• A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch the AFSPC-7 mission for the U.S. Air Force. The mission’s primary payload is the X-37B space plane, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle, will fly on the program’s sixth mission (OTV-6).
• A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch approximately 36 satellites into orbit for the OneWeb constellation of communications satellites. The mission, titled OneWeb 4, will launch from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia.
• A Chinese Long March 3B rocket will launch a satellite for the country’s Beidou navigation network toward geostationary orbit. It will lift off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the country’s Sichuan Province.

June 5: A penumbral lunar eclipse will be visible from Asia, Australia, Europe and Africa. The moon will begin passing through Earth’s shadow at 1:45 p.m. EST (1745 GMT), and the eclipse will last for 3 hours and 18 minutes.

June 5: The full moon of June, known as the Strawberry Moon, occurs at 3:12 p.m. EDT (1912 GMT).

June 8: The waning, gibbous moon will form a small triangle with Jupiter and Saturn in the morning sky. It will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 1:21 p.m. EDT (1721 GMT), followed closely by a conjunction with Saturn about 9 hours later at 10:12 p.m. EDT (0212 GMT on June 9).

June 12: Just a day before reaching last quarter phase, the moon will make a close approach to Mars in the predawn sky. The pair will be in conjunction at 7:55 p.m. EDT (2355 GMT), but they will be below the horizon for skywatchers in the U.S. at that time. You can find them above the southeastern horizon for a few hours before sunrise.

June 19: The one-day-old moon will make a close approach to Venus in the evening sky. It will be in conjunction with Venus at 4:53 EDT (0853 GMT). Look for them above the eastern horizon just before sunrise.

June 20: Happy Solstice! Today marks the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of Winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

June 20: An Arianespace Vega rocket will launch the SEOSat-Ingenio Earth observation satellite and the Taranis scientific research satellite from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.

June 21: An annular solar eclipse will be visible from parts of Africa and Asia.

Also scheduled to launch in June (from Spaceflight Now):

• A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavyrocket will launch a classified spy satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The mission, titled NROL-44, will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

July 4: Happy Aphelion Day! Earth is farthest from the sun today.

July 4-5: A penumbral lunar eclipse will be visible from the Americas and parts of Africa and Antarctica. The moon will begin passing through Earth’s shadow on July 4 at 11:07 p.m. EST (0307 GMT on July 5), and the eclipse will last for 2 hours and 45 minutes.

July 5: The full moon of July, known as the Beaver Moon, occurs at 12:44 a.m EDT (0444 GMT). That same day, the moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 5:38 p.m. EDT (2138 GMT). The moon will also be in conjunction with Saturn on July 6 at 4:38 a.m. EDT (0838 GMT). The trio will form a small triangle in the night sky before fading into the dawn.

July 8: The “morning star” Venus is at its greatest brightness for the year, shining at magnitude -4.5 in the morning sky.

July 11: The waning, gibbous moon will make a close approach to the Red Planet in the early morning sky. It will be in conjunction with Mars at 3:38 p.m. EDT (1938 GMT).

July 14: Jupiter reaches opposition, which means the planet will appear at its biggest and brightest. This happens about once a year, when Jupiter’s position is almost directly opposite the sun in the sky. Around the same time, Jupiter will also make its closest approach to Earth.

July 17: NASA’s Mars 2020 rover launches to the Red Planet! It will lift off on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Watch it live.

July 17: The crescent moon will be in conjunction with Venus, the “morning star,” at 3:27 a.m. EDT (0727 GMT). Look for the pair above the eastern horizon before dawn.

July 20: New moon

July 20: Saturn reaches opposition, which means the planet will appear at its biggest and brightest. This happens about once a year, when Saturn’s position is almost directly opposite the sun in the sky. Around the same time, Saturn will also make its closest approach to Earth.

July 23: A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch the 76th Progress cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station. It will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Watch it live.

July 26: The ExoMars lander, a joint effort by the European Space Agency and Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, will launch to the Red Planet. It will lift off on a Russian Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Also scheduled to launch in July (from Spaceflight Now):

• The United Arab Emirates plans to launch its first Mars orbiter, the Hope Mars Mission. It will launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan on a Japanese H-2A rocket.
• China plans to launch an orbiter and a small rover to Mars. The mission, called Huoxing 1, will lift off on a Long March 5 rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan, China.

August

Aug. 1: The nearly-full moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 7:32 p.m. EDT (2332 GMT). The following morning (Aug. 2), it will be in conjunction with Saturn at 9:10 a.m. EDT (1310 GMT). Look for the trio in the evening sky.

Aug. 3: The full moon of August, known as the “Sturgeon Moon,” occurs at 11:59 a.m. EDT (1559 GMT).

Aug. 9: The waning, gibbous moon will make a close approach to the Red Planet in the early morning sky. It will be in conjunction with Mars at 4 a.m. EDT (0800 GMT).

Aug. 11-12: The Perseid meteor shower peaks.

Aug. 15: The crescent moon will be in conjunction with Venus, the “morning star,” at 9:01 a.m. EDT (1301 GMT). Look for the pair above the eastern horizon before dawn.

Aug. 18: Black Moon: The third new moon in a season with four new moons is known as a “black moon.” (A black moon can also be the second new moon in a single calendar month.)

Aug. 28/29: The waxing, gibbous moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 9:35 p.m. EDT (0235 GMT on Aug. 29). The following day, it will be in conjunction with Saturn at 12:32 p.m. EDT (1632 GMT). Look for the trio in the evening sky.

Aug. 31: Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus NG-14 cargo spacecraft will launch to the International Space Station on an Antares rocket. It will lift off from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

Also scheduled to launch in August (from Spaceflight Now):

• A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the U.S. Air Force’s fourth third-generation navigation satellite, designated GPS 3 SV04, for the Global Positioning System. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida

September

Sept. 1: Asteroid 2011 ES4 will make a close flyby of Earth, passing by at a safe distance of 0.0005 AU, or 46,000 miles (75,000 kilometers).

Sept. 2: The full moon of September, known as the “Harvest Moon,” occurs at 1:22 a.m. EDT (0522 GMT).

Sept. 6: The waning, gibbous moon will make a close approach to the Red Planet in the early morning sky. It will be in conjunction with Mars at 12:46 a.m. EDT (0446 GMT).

Sept. 11: Neptune is at opposition. If you have the right equipment and a sky dark enough to see it, now is the best time all year to look!

Sept. 14: The crescent moon will be in conjunction with Venus, the “morning star,” at 12:44 a.m. EDT (0444 GMT). Look for the pair above the eastern horizon before dawn.

Sept. 17: New moon

Sept. 22: Happy Equinox! At 9:15 a.m. EDT (1315 GMT), autumn arrives in the Northern Hemisphere while the Southern Hemisphere will have its first day of spring.

Sept. 25: The waxing, gibbous moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 2:48 a.m. EDT (0648 GMT). The following day, it will be in conjunction with Saturn at 4:38 p.m. EDT (2038 GMT). Look for the trio in the evening sky.

Also scheduled to launch in September (from Spaceflight Now):

• A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch a classified spacecraft payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The mission, NROL-101, will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

October

Oct. 1: The full moon of October, known as the “Hunter’s Moon,” occurs at 5:05 p.m. EDT (2105 GMT).

Oct. 2: The waning, gibbous moon will make a close approach to the Red Planet in the early morning sky. It will be in conjunction with Mars at 11:25 a.m. EDT (0325 GMT).

Oct. 7-8: The Draconid meteor shower peaks.

Oct. 13: Mars is at opposition, which means it’s bigger and brighter than any other time of year. Look for the glowing Red Planet above the eastern horizon after sunset.

Oct. 14: A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch the crewed Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft to the International Space Station with members of the Expedition 65 crew: Russian cosmonauts Anatoli Ivanishin, Ivan Vagner and Nikolay Chub. It will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Watch it live.

Oct. 16: New moon

Oct. 21-22: The Orionid meteor shower peaks.

Oct. 22: Just a day before reaching first quarter phase, the moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 1:12 p.m. EDT (1712 GMT). That same day, it will be in conjunction with Saturn at 11:42 p.m. EDT (0324 GMT on Oct. 23). Look for the trio in the evening sky.

Oct. 29: The waxing, gibbous moon will be in conjunction with Mars at 12:16 p.m. EDT (0325 GMT). Look for the pair above the eastern horizon after sunset.

Oct. 30: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Dragon cargo resupply mission (CRS-21) to the International Space Station. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Watch it live.

Oct. 31: Uranus is at opposition. This is the best time of year to view the planet, as it is at its biggest and brightest. If the sky is dark enough, you may be able to spot it with your bare eyes.

Oct. 31: This month has two full moons, which means we’ll have a “Blue Moon” on Halloween. The moon reaches full phase at 10:49 a.m. EDT (1449 GMT).

November

Nov. 12: The crescent moon will be in conjunction with Venus, the “morning star,” at 4:30 p.m. EST (2130 GMT). Look for the pair above the eastern horizon before dawn.

Nov. 15: New moon

Nov. 16-17: The Leonid meteor shower peaks.

Nov. 19: The waxing, crescent moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 3:57 a.m. EST (0857 GMT). Shortly afterward, it will be in conjunction with Saturn at 9:51 a.m. EST (1451 GMT). Look for the trio in the evening sky.

Nov. 25: The waxing, gibbous moon will be in conjunction with Mars at 2:46 p.m. EST (1946 GMT). Look for the pair above the eastern horizon after sunset.

Nov. 30: A penumbral lunar eclipse will be visible from the Americas, Australia and Asia. The moon will begin passing through Earth’s shadow at 2:32 a.m. EST (0732 GMT), and the eclipse will last for 4 hours and 20 minutes.

Nov. 30: The full moon of November, known as the “Beaver Moon,” occurs at 4:30 a.m. EST (0930 GMT).

Also scheduled to launch in November (from Spaceflight Now):

• A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Sentinel 6A satellite (also known as Jason-CS A), a joint mission between the European Space Agency, NASA, NOAA, CNES and Eumetsat to continue recording sea level data that was previously collected by the Jason series of satellites. It will lift off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

December

Dec. 13-14: The Geminid meteor shower peaks.

Dec. 14: The only total solar eclipse of 2020 will cross through the southern tip of South America. The moon’s shadow will take a similar path to the one it did for the “Great South American Eclipse” of July 2, 2019.

Dec. 16/17: The waxing, crescent moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 11:30 p.m. EST (0430 GMT on Dec. 17). A few hours later on Dec. 17, it will be in conjunction with Saturn at 12:20 a.m. EST (0520 GMT). Look for the trio near the southwestern horizon just after sunset. .

Dec. 21: The solstice arrives at 4:47 a.m. EST (0947 GMT), marking the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

Dec. 21: Jupiter and Saturn will make a close approach in the evening sky. The pair will be in conjunction at 8:24 a.m. EST (1324 GMT).

Dec. 21-22: The Ursid meteor shower peaks.

Dec. 23: The waxing, gibbous moon will be in conjunction with Mars at 1:31 p.m. EST (1831 GMT). Look for the pair above the eastern horizon after sunset.

Dec. 29: The full moon of December, also known as the Cold Moon, occurs at 10:28 p.m. EST (0328 GMT).

Also scheduled to launch in December (from Spaceflight Now):

• A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch the 77th Progress cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station. It will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Space launch calendar 2020

Find out about the biggest space missions and rocket launches scheduled for this year, with details of upcoming missions from NASA, the European Space Agency, SpaceX and more.

Space travel in 2020

This page will be regularly updated with information about space missions taking place in 2020, from NASA’s Mars mission to ambitious plans to return to the surface of the Moon.

The main part of the page includes the key missions scheduled the year ahead, while the list below covers further projects and rocket launch dates.

These dates are subject to change. Information comes courtesy of NASA, the European Space Agency, SpaceX, Boeing and more.

Many of these missions will be streamed live. Where possible, we will include details on how to watch the key events online.

To find out about general night sky events and highlights, check out our monthly stargazing blog from astronomers at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

Space launches in 2020: the key missions

Artemis 1

What is the NASA Artemis Program? NASA aims to land the first woman on the Moon and the next man on the Moon by 2024. This mission is known as the Artemis Program (Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology).

The timeframe is ambitious, and there will be a number of stages before that final mission in 2024. Artemis 1 is the first milestone: the mission is designed to test the crew spacecraft Orion and NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket NASA has ever built. Find out more

The three-week-long Artemis 1 spaceflight aims to travel 280,000 miles from the Earth and thousands of miles beyond the Moon before returning home. Crewed Artemis missions will follow, culminating in humans returning to the Moon’s surface by 2024.

NASA had been aiming for a launch date in late 2020 for Artemis 1. However, Administrator Jim Bridenstine suggested in December 2019 that the launch might not take place until 2021.

Artemis NASA launch dates

• Artemis 1: November 2020-early 2021 (TBC)
• Artemis 2: 2022-2023 (TBC)
• Artemis 3: 2024

NASA Mars 2020 Rover

What is Mars 2020? This is NASA’s latest mission to explore Mars, and one of four potential journeys to the Red Planet in summer 2020. The new NASA Mars rover will search for signs of life, collect rock samples, and test a new technique for producing oxygen from the Martian atmosphere which could pave the way for future human missions to Mars. This experiment is called the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment, or MOXIE for short.

The rover features a number of new scientific instruments, including a drilling tool designed to extract and ‘cache’ rock samples that could be brought back to Earth by future missions. It also includes a tiny ‘helicopter’, designed to explore Mars from the skies.

NASA Mars 2020 launch dates: 17 July-5 August 2020

Landing date: 18 February 2021

ExoMars 2020

What is ExoMars 2020? The favourable alignment of Mars and Earth makes 2020 a major year for Mars exploration. As well as the NASA Mars mission, the European Space Agency (ESA) is planning to send its own rover – Europe’s first – to the planet. The rover is called Rosalind Franklin after the British DNA pioneer, and is designed to extract and analyse rock samples and search for traces of life on Mars.

The project however is facing a ‘race against time’ to be ready for the 2020 launch window. During testing the parachutes designed to safely land the rover on Mars failed. ESA is now seeking assistance from NASA, with further tests planned for February 2020.

However, if these also prove unsuccessful, ExoMars could be delayed until the next favourable launch window in 2022.

ExoMars 2020 launch dates: 26 July-11 August 2020

Landing date: 19 March 2021

China Mars probe and Hope Mars mission

Two further Mars missions are planned for 2020. China aims to launch what would become the country’s first successful Mars mission, with the project combining a Martian orbiter and a planetary rover in one.

The Hope Mars mission meanwhile is an orbiter project run by the United Arab Emirates, and is set to be the nation’s first mission beyond Earth’s orbit.

Launch dates: July-August 2020

Starlink – SpaceX

What is Starlink? Commercial space company SpaceX plans to launch a pioneering new satellite system, with the aim of providing global high speed internet connection from space.

According to the plan, thousands of communication satellites will be launched in the 2020s. The first 60 satellites launched in May 2019, but the company has permission to launch a total of at least 12,000 in order to build its global network.

The project has been criticised by some astronomers worried about the satellites’ impact on night sky observation, while others have highlighted the increased risk of mid-orbit collisions.

In October 2019, SpaceX founder Elon Musk claimed he had successfully sent the first tweet via Starlink satellite broadband.

Starlink SpaceX launch dates SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell confirmed that the company is planning up to 24 separate satellite launches in 2020, with each launch delivering batches of 60 satellites into orbit.

Solar Orbiter

What is Solar Orbiter? The European Space Agency and NASA’s new probe is designed to study our Sun close up. Launching in 2020, the mission will help us analyse the ‘heliosphere’, the vast bubble of charged particles that surrounds the whole Solar System, and examine the Sun in greater detail than ever before. The seven-year mission will perform numerous fly-bys of both the Earth and Mercury before it reaches its eventual destination.

Solar Orbiter launch date: 10 February 2020 at 4.03am GMT (date subject to change)

Chang’e 5

What is Chang’e 5? The China National Space Administration (CNSA) is planning to launch a mission to the Moon, reportedly in late 2020. The mission will consist of both a lunar rover and a system designed to land on the Moon, collect samples, take off again and return the samples to Earth.

If successful, China will become only the third country in the world to collect lunar samples after the USA and the Soviet Union. China’s previous mission Chang’e 4 landed a lunar rover on the far side of the Moon in January 2019.

China’s timeframe is dependent however on its new ‘Long March 5’ rocket system successfully completing its first mission in December 2019.

Chang’e 5 launch date: late 2020 (TBC)

SpaceX Crew Dragon

What is the SpaceX Crew Dragon? Commercial space companies and national bodies are working closer together in an effort to reduce the costs of space travel. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon is just one example.

Since the Space Shuttle was retired in 2011, the only way that astronauts have been able to travel to and from the International Space Station (ISS) has been via Russian Soyuz spacecraft. NASA has therefore commissioned private companies SpaceX and Boeing to deliver new spacecraft designed to ferry astronauts to the ISS and back.

In March 2019 the SpaceX-designed ‘Crew Dragon’ became the first privately owned spacecraft to successfully dock with the ISS. That mission was known as Demo-1; Demo-2 will be the first crewed test flight of the spacecraft.

Crew Dragon suffered an explosion during engine testing in April 2019. The first crewed test flight is currently scheduled for the first quarter of 2020.

Crew Dragon Demo-2 launch date: Early 2020 TBC (abort test due from 4 January)

Boeing CST-100 Starliner

What is Starliner? SpaceX is not the only company working to transport astronauts to the ISS. Boeing’s spacecraft, known as CST-100 Starliner, is also designed to carry both crew and cargo to the space station. Both companies are aiming to be the first to send astronauts into space from American soil since 2011. However, like SpaceX, Starliner has faced launch delays.

In December 2019, Starliner was meant to complete a full uncrewed test flight to the ISS and back. However, an issue with the craft’s onboard timing system meant that the capsule found itself in the wrong orbit, and could not complete its docking with the space station.

The capsule did later successfully return to Earth and land safely in New Mexico, but it is unclear whether Boeing will have to complete another uncrewed test before astronauts are able to travel to the ISS in Starliner.

Boeing CST-100 Starliner launch dates: 2020 (TBC following unsuccessful uncrewed test in December 2019)

Space mission launch calendar 2020

Dates are subject to change, and will be updated throughout the year as launch schedules are confirmed

4 January 2020 (earliest possible date) SpaceX Crew Dragon in-flight abort test

10 February 2020 Solar Orbiter (European Space Agency/NASA) – 4.03am GMT (date subject to change)

Early 2020 International Space Station Expedition 62 (Russian and US astronauts to form part of the new ISS crew)

Early 2020 SpaceX Crew Dragon Demonstration Mission 2

Early 2020 OneWeb satellite launch (OneWeb/Roscosmos)

Mid 2020 China Space Station first module launch

June 2020 New International Space Station module ‘Nauka’ launched (Roscosmos)

July 2020 Mars 2020 Rover (NASA)

July 2020 ExoMars 2020 Rover and surface platform (European Space Agency and Roscosmos)

July 2020 Mars Global Remote Sensing Orbiter and Small Rover (China National Space Administration)

July 2020 Hope Mars Mission (United Arab Emirates)

December 2020 Gaganyaan orbital spacecraft test flight (Indian Space Research Organisation)

December 2020 Hayabusa2 (Japanese asteroid sample return mission due to land back on Earth)

Late 2020 Chang’e 5 (China National Space Administration)

2020 Boeing CST-100 Starliner Crew Flight Test

Throughout 2020 Starlink (SpaceX)

Space-A Travel for Military Families

Plan Your Trip With Space-A Travel

Service members and their families can use Space-Available flights – formally known as Military Airlift Command or MAC flights – to travel around the country and world at little to no cost. Though sometimes unpredictable, military flights are perfect for families with flexible plans and limited travel budgets. With the right planning and documentation, Space-A travel can be the best way to take a trip with your family.

Space-A Tips and Tricks

Learn how to take Space-A flights like a seasoned pro with these seven tips.

Space-A travel basics

These flights are not commercial, but rather military flights with a mission. That means there are certain restrictions to travel, including:

• Only service members, retirees and their families are eligible. Only with certain qualifications are reservists, National Guardsmen and family members without an accompanying active-duty sponsor permitted.
• Flights are typically free of charge, but you should contact your closest Air Mobility Command, or AMC, passenger terminal or the terminal at the location you intend to depart from for specific information.
• Most terminals have a Facebook page where they post flight information, including their 72-hour flight schedule.

Space-Available travel eligibility

Once you sign up for a Space-A journey, you’ll be put into a category that determines your priority for a flight. A complete listing of eligible passengers by category is contained in DoD Instruction 4515.13. For the most recent instruction, search the DoD Directives Division website for “Air Transportation Eligibility.” Categories include:

• Category I: Emergency Leave Unfunded Travel.
• Category II: Accompanied Environmental and Morale Leave, or EML.
• Category III: Ordinary Leave, Relatives, House Hunting Permissive Temporary Duty, Medal of Honor Holders and Foreign Military.
• Category IV: Unaccompanied EML.
• Category V: Permissive Temporary Duty (Non-House Hunting), Students, Dependents, Post Deployment/Mobilization Respite Absence and Others.
• Category VI: Retired, Dependents, Reserve, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program and Civil Engineer Corps members.

Prepare for your Space-A flight

AMC has a travel page that includes the following important information about Space-A travel. You should review this travel page for up-to-date information, including what type of identification is required for you and your family, baggage allowance for checked and hand carried baggage, and prohibited items.

• Travel instructions: travel eligibility; locations; required travel documents; registration, flight schedule and checking-in information.
• AMC Form 140, Space Available Travel Request (fill out a form online and email it to your desired AMC passenger terminal)
• Listing of Facebook pages for stateside and overseas locations.
• AMC passenger terminal contact information.
• Various travel information links.
• Legal information for Space-A travel.
• Operations security for social media and travelers.

Fly commercial with TSA Precheck

If Space-A travel isn’t right for your plans, take advantage of TSA Precheck to expedite your time at the airport when flying commercial. Use your Department of Defense ID as your known traveler number.

You’ll bypass long security lines without removing your shoes or jacket or taking your laptop from your bag. Family members under the age of 12 can pass through expedited screening with you.