Upcoming Spaceflight Launches
H-IIB 304 | Kounotori 8 (HTV-8)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | JPNTanegashima, Japan
Sept. 23, 2019, 4:30 p.m.
Long March 3B / YZ-1 | Beidou-3 M19 & M20
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | CHNXichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Sept. 24, 2019, midnight
Soyuz-FG | Soyuz MS-15
Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) | RUSBaikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
Sept. 25, 2019, 1:57 p.m.
Status: Go
Mission: Human Exploration
Soyuz MS-15 begins expedition 61 by carrying NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka and United Arab Emirates’ Hazzaa Ali Almansoori, a Roscosmos spaceflight participant and first Emirati in space that will spend only 8 days aboard ISS before returning to Earth aboard a Soyuz MS-12.
Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat | EKS 3 (Tundra 3)
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center | RUSPlesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
Sept. 26, 2019, 7 a.m.
Kuaizhou-11 | Maiden Flight
ExPace | CHNJiuquan, People's Republic of China
Sept. 30, 2019, midnight
Proton-M/Briz-M | Eutelsat 5 West B & MEV-1
International Launch Services | USABaikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
Sept. 30, 2019, 10:26 a.m.
Status: Go
Mission: Communications
Eutelsat 5 West B will replace the Ku-band capacity of Eutelsat 5 West A (formerly Stellat 5) satellite, a key digital infrastructure addressing predominantly French, Italian and Algerian broadcast markets. Eutelsat 5 West B will provide business continuity and improved quality for these services via a Ku-band payload. The satellite is built on Orbital ATKs GEOStar-2e bus and carries 35 equivalent 36 MHz Ku-band transponders connected to three service areas. Switchable transponders will also increase commercial flexibility. Co-passenger on this flight will be provided Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems. MEV-1 (Mission Extension Vehicle-1) incorporates flight-proven technologies the company has used in its commercial satellite and space logistics businesses. After successfully completing a series of in-orbit tests, the MEV-1 will begin its mission extension service for Intelsat-901 satellite in the graveyard orbit. MEV-1 will relocate the satellite scheduled for the mission extension service, which is planned for a five-year period, after which Intelsat 901 will be place back into graveyard orbit. Intelsat will also have the option to service multiple satellites using the same MEV. MEV-1 is based on the company’s GEOStar-3 spacecraft bus platform. Controlled by the company’s satellite operations team, the MEV-1 uses a reliable, low-risk docking system that attaches to existing features on a customer’s satellite. The MEV-1 provides life-extending services by taking over the propulsion and attitude control functions. The vehicle has a 15-year design life with the ability to perform numerous dockings and undockings during its life span.
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Dragon In-Flight Abort Test
SpaceX | USAKennedy Space Center, FL, USA
Oct. 1, 2019, midnight
Status: TBD
Mission: Test Flight
A Falcon 9 will launch carrying a Dragon capsule and will simulate a failure whilst flying through max-q to demonstrate the dragons ability to escape in the event of a catostrophic failure of the launch vehicle. The booster has flown three times before.
Sub-Orbital
Long March 3B | Fengyun-4B
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | CHNXichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Oct. 1, 2019, midnight
LauncherOne | Test Flight
Virgin Orbit | USAAir launch to orbit
Oct. 1, 2019, midnight
Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M | Gonets-M27, Gonets-M28, Gonets-M29
Russian Space Forces | RUSPlesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
Oct. 1, 2019, midnight
Long March 11
- Success
Long March 4
- Success
Kuaizhou
KX-09 & TY-1-07 (Xiaoxiang-1-07) - Success
Developed by the DFH Satellite Co., the microgravity experimental satellite KX-09 (supposedly Kuxue-09) will conduct studies in microgravity. Established in August 2001, DFH Satellite Co., Ltd. is ...
Rokot / Briz-KM
Geo-IK-2 N13L (Kosmos 2540) - Success
Geo-IK-2 is a Russian geodesy mission to deliver precise three-dimensional maps of the Earth’s surface and gravitational data for use in scientific studies and military applications. Using GLONASS ...
Delta IV M+(4,2)
GPS III SV02 "Magellan" - Success
GPS-IIIA (Global Positioning System) is the first evolution stage of the third generation of the GPS satellites. It consists of the first ten (known as "tranche") of GPS III satellites.
Soyuz 2.1A
Soyuz MS-14 Uncrewed - Success
Uncrewed Soyuz MS spacecraft to bring cargo to the space station. This demo flight tests a modified motion and navigation control system, as well as mating to Soyuz-2.1a rocket. The results will be...
Electron
Look Ma, No Hands - Success
Mission carries a satellite for the future UNSEENLABS maritime tracking constellation, a BlackSky Global-4 Earth observation satellite, and two experimental satellites for United States Air Force S...
Long March 3
Zhongxing-18 (Chinasat-18) - Success
Zhongxing-18 (Chinasat-18) is a Chinese communications satellite based upon a DFH-4E bus. The Chinasat-18 provides Ku commercial communications services with 30 Ku-band transponders, Ka broadband ...
Smart Dragon 1
Maiden Flight - Success
First launch of the new solid-fueled rocket by Chinarocket Co., Ltd., which is a commercial subsidiary of CASC. On this launch Smart Dragon 1 will also carry payloads for four private companies.
Atlas V 551
AEHF-5 - Success
This is the fifth satellite in the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) system, which is a series of communications satellites operated by the United States Air Force Space Command. It provides...
