Upcoming Spaceflight Launches
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Epsilon S | SOLAR-C
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency | JapanUchinoura Space Center, Japan
TBD November, 2028
Status: To Be Determined
Mission:
SOLAR-C is a Japan-led international mission with the cooperation by the US and European countries. It aims to gain new insights into the fundamental physical mechanisms driving solar plasma dynamics by performing three simultaneous UV observations. The first consists to observe the broad range of temperatures, spanning over three orders of magnitude from the 10,000 Kelvin chromosphere to the million Kelvin corona, and even to the 15 million Kelvin solar flares. The second consists to resolve the elemental structures at high spatial (0.4 arcsec) and temporal (1 sec) resolution and trace their evolutions by increasing the ability to collect the solar UV rays 10 to 30 times as much as before. The third consists to conduct a high dispersion spectroscopy (equivalent to a velocity resolution of 2 km/s) to obtain spectroscopic information that enables quantitative diagnostics (such as velocity, temperature, density, ionization degree, and abundance). By combining the three observations, SOLAR-C can analyze the dynamically evolving solar atmospheres over a wide altitude range from the chromosphere to the corona while resolving elemental structures.
Sun-Synchronous Orbit
H3 | DESTINY+
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | JapanTanegashima Space Center, Japan
TBD December, 2028
Status: To Be Determined
Mission:
DESTINY+ (Demonstration and Experiment of Space Technology for INterplanetary voYage with Phaethon fLyby and dUst Science) is a planned asteroid exploration mission to 3200 Phaethon, the parent body of the Geminids meteor shower. It will demonstrate further improvements of low cost solar electric propulsion in deep space and innovative light-weight solar array panel technology. The spacecraft will carry 3 science instruments: * DESTINY Dust Analyzer (DDA) * Telescopic Camera for Phaethon (TCAP) * Multiband Camera for Phaethon (MCAP)
Asteroid
Spectrum | AOS-Demo & Precursor
Isar Aerospace | GermanyAndøya Spaceport
TBD December, 2028
Status: To Be Determined
Mission:
Two satellites for the Norwegian Space Agency’s Arctic Ocean Surveillance (AOS) program. AOS-Demo will be built by thr Norwegian engineering company Eidel to demonstrate maritime monitoring technologies. AOS-Precursor will be built by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace as the first operational satellite of the system to track maritime activities in the Arctic.
Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Starship | Starlab
SpaceX | United States of AmericaKennedy Space Center, FL, USA
TBD December, 2028
Falcon 9 Block 5 | SEOPS Rideshare Mission
SpaceX | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
TBD December, 2028
Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M | Luna 27
Progress Rocket Space Center | RussiaVostochny Cosmodrome, Siberia, Russian Federation
TBD December, 2028
Status: To Be Determined
Mission:
Luna 27 (also named Luna-Resurs 1) is a planned lunar lander mission by Roscosmos to send a lander to the South Pole–Aitken basin, an area on the far side of the Moon. The purpose is to prospect for minerals, volatiles (nitrogen, water, carbon dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen, methane and sulfur dioxide, and lunar water ice in permanently shadowed areas of the Moon and investigate the potential use of these natural lunar resources. On the long term, Russia considers building a crewed base on the Moon's far side that would bring scientific and commercial benefits. The lander will feature 15 science instruments that will analyse the regolith, plasma in the exosphere, dust, and seismic activity. The payload will include a sampling drill.
Lunar OrbitFalcon 9 Block 5 | Al Yah 5
SpaceX | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
TBD December, 2028
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Crew-12
SpaceX | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
TBD March, 2029
SLS Block 1B | Artemis V
National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of AmericaKennedy Space Center, FL, USA
TBD September, 2029
Long March 5 | Chang'e 8
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | ChinaWenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China
TBD December, 2029
Status: To Be Determined
Mission:
Chang'e 8/CE-8 is scheduled to launch in 2028, including a lander, a rover and a legged robot. The mission will land in the South Pole regions of the Moon to study lunar surface environment around the South Pole and experimenting with resource utilization, including testing an enclosed terrestrial ecosystem in the lunar environment.
Lunar OrbitLong March 6
Tianping-3A-02
Launch Complex 16 - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaSatellite be used as calibration target for ground based orbital objects surveillance services such as atmospheric space environment study and orbita…
Long March 2D
4 x SatNet test satellites
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaOfficially described as "Satellite-Internet Technology Demonstration Satellites". Probable 4 test satellites for the Chinese state-owned LEO communic…
Falcon 9
Fram2
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USAFram2 is the world’s first astronaut mission to polar orbit. Named after the Norwegian polar research ship Fram, the Crew Dragon spacecraft will laun…
Falcon 9
Starlink Group 6-80
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USAA batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Spectrum
Maiden Flight
Orbital Launch Pad - Andøya SpaceportFirst flight of the Isar Spectrum launch vehicle.
Long March 7A
TJSW-16
201 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of ChinaChinese classified satellite claimed to be for communication technology test purposes. Actual mission not known.
Falcon 9
Starlink Group 11-7
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USAA batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Long March 3
Tianlian 2-04
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaTianlian is a Chinese data tracking and relay communications geostationary satellite series. The TL 2 (Tian Lian 2) satellites represent the second g…
Electron
Finding Hot Wildfires Near You (OroraTech OTC-P1)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand8 satellites for a constellation of satellites developed by Orora Technologies (OroraTech) of Germany, with thermal infrared cameras that can provide…
Falcon 9
NROL-69
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USAClassified payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office
