XMM-Newton Marks Another Year in Space

Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
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European Space Agency (ESA) craft in Very Eccentric Elliptical LEO studying X-ray emissions, star-forming regions, galaxy clusters, environment of supermassive black holes, mapping dark matter, surpasses next full year in space today, launched 1999.

Maryland Space Business Roundtable Luncheon

Martin's Crosswinds 7400 Greenway Center Drive, Greenbelt, MD, United States
Organizer: Maryland Space Business Roundtable (MSBR)

Topic / Speaker TBA

Geminids Meteor Shower Peak

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Appearing to radiate from constellation Gemini, shower can produce 80-130 meteors per hour; bright, medium-slow meteors (35 km/sec), few leave persistent trains; peak 00:00 UTC (Dec 13, 14:00 HST).

Chang’E-3 Lander Marks Another Year on Moon

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China National Space Administration (CNSA) spacecraft at Guang Han Gong "Moon Palace", Sinus Iridum / Mare Imbrium, 44.12°N 19.51°W, surpasses another full year on Moon surface, landed 2013.

WISE / NEOWISE Marks Another Year in Space

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NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer spacecraft (redubbed Near-Earth Object WISE – NEOWISE) surpasses another full year in space today; launched 2009, went into hibernation February 17, 2011 and reactivated August 21, 2013.

Family Overnight

Organizer: Space Center Houston

Tent-camp by Falcon 9 rocket or Independence shuttle replica, and STEM activities.

$80

Ursid Meteor Shower Peak

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Appearing to radiate from β star of Ursa Minor, Ursids are associated with comet 8P/Tuttle, they offer medium speed (33 km/sec), mostly faint with a few fireballs, 9-10 per hour, visible in northern Hemisphere 1 day before Last Quarter Moon; peak 14:00 UTC (00:00 HST).

Mars Express Marks Another Year in Mars Orbit

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ESA spacecraft surpasses next full year in Mars orbit today; will continue to study Mars atmosphere & climate, planet structure, mineralogy, geology, and to search for traces of water; launched June 2, 2003 and arrived at Mars in Dec 2003.

NET 2026 – Launch Long March 10A / First Test Flight

Wenchang Space Launch Center, Hainan Island, China (19° N)
Organizer: China National Space Administration (CNSA)

Launch Long March 10A / First Test Flight: First flight of China Long March 10A rocket, precursor to Long March 10 intended to support crewed / cargo missions to the Moon with 2 launches, one for crew spacecraft Mengzhou and one for lander Lanyue that will rendezvous in lunar orbit; developed […]

NET 2026 – Launch Soorya / Gaganyaan G2

Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
Organizer: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

Launch Soorya / Gaganyaan G2: India planning for 1st crewed flight of Gaganyaan to LEO ~400 km.

NET 2026 — Launch Blue Ghost Lunar Lander Mission 2 & Elytra Dark orbital transfer vehicle

TBD
Organizer: Firefly Aerospace

NET 2026 — Launch Blue Ghost Lunar Lander Mission 2 & Elytra Dark orbital transfer vehicle, TBD: Firefly Aerospace second lunar lander mission under $112M NASA CLPS to land on lunar far side with NASA payloads (RadPC, LuSEE-Night telescope, JPL User Terminal (UT), Australia’s Seismic Payload for Interplanetary Discovery, Exploration, and Research (SPIDER) by […]

NET 2026 — Launch Electron / Venus probe 

Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Organizer: Rocket Lab

NET 2026 — Launch Electron / Venus probe: Independent mission to Venus developed by Rocket Lab and MIT to send tiny probe flying in atmosphere for 5 minutes at altitude 48-60 km.

NET 2026 — Launch Martian Moons eXploration (MMX)

Tanegashima Space Center, Japan
Organizer: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

NET 2026 — Launch Martian Moons eXploration (MMX): Japan planning to launch its first Mars mission consisting of sample return probe; to conduct observations of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, collect Phobos sample, return to Earth.

Launch Falcon Heavy / Astrobotic Griffin Lander Mission 2

TBD
Organizer: SpaceX

NET 2026 — Launch Falcon Heavy / Astrobotic Griffin Lander Mission 2: Astrobotic Griffin planned to carry satellites to cislunar space and take commercial payloads to landing near Moon South Pole this year.

NET 2026 — Launch Atlas V / Starliner

SLC-41, Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA
Organizer: United Launch Alliance (ULA)

NET 2026 — Launch Atlas V / Starliner: Next launch of Starliner crew vehicle set to occur "early 2026", unknown whether craft will carry crew on this mission.

247th Meeting of the AAS

Phoenix Convention Center Phoenix, AZ, United States
Organizer: American Astronomical Society (AAS)

The 247th AAS meeting (joint with the High Energy Astrophysics and Historical Astronomy Divisions) will be held 4-8 January in Phoenix, Arizona.

7th China-Chile Bilateral Astronomy Conference (CCBC2026)

Organizer: University of Hong Kong Laboratory for Space Research (HKU-LSR)

The 7th China-Chile Bilateral Astronomy Conference for 2026 will be organized by the Laboratory for Space Research, FoS, the University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chilean Astronomical Society, is scheduled to take place from January 5th to […]

AIAA SciTech Forum

Organizer: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)

AIAA SciTech Forum—the premier aerospace R&D event of the year exploring the science, technologies, and capabilities that are transforming aerospace.

Nichelle Nichols Space Camp

Organizer: Nichelle Nichols Foundation

Offering space, aviation and robotics program for girls ages 14-18, inspiring young women to aim for the stars.

SPIE Photonics West Conference

Organizer: Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

SPIE Photonics West and subconference on Optical Power Delivery, key to development of Space Solar Power.

Birthday of Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, born January 20, 1930

Organizer: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Although he went to the Moon with the name Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr., he legally changed his name later. His older sister Fay Ann, as a toddler, mispronounced "brother" as "buzzer" when he was born. He was the 2nd person to walk on the Moon, arriving as the Lunar Module […]

Celebrate STS-1 & STS-135 with Bob Crippen and Chris Ferguson

West Palm Beach FL, USA
Organizer: Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF)

NASA Astronauts Bob Crippen and Chris Ferguson will share personal highlights, stories and special moments of these historic flights, 45 years after STS-1 and 15 years after STS-135, at gala to raise funds for the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. At Marriott West Palm Beach. Only 38 individual tickets are available, and […]

$1,000

Apollo 1, 59th Observation

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Increasing space awareness and education, remembrances and events honor three Apollo 1 crew members lost in 1967 during a launch pad test: Command Pilot Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Senior Pilot Edward H. White and Pilot Roger B. Chaffee.

Challenger STS-51L, 40th Observation

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Educational and ceremonial events held worldwide to advance space technology / education and honor 7 crew members killed in Shuttle accident 28 January 1986: Commander Francis R. “Dick” Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, Astronaut Christa McAuliffe (the 1st ‘Teacher in Space’), Mission Specialists Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnick and […]

Explorer 1, 68th Observation

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American Artemis Return to the Moon For Good is underway, Mars attention and planning advancing, Outer Solar System search for life ongoing, and Interstellar craft on outgoing trajectories while first USA satellite launch on this day in 1958 ‘Explorer 1’ is celebrated and remembered.

Celebrating 100 Years of Robert Goddard; Entries Due for The Goddard 100 Contest

Online
Organizer: National Space Society (NSS)

Entries Due by 11:59 UTC: Contest for youth ages 9-19 in three divisions, Junior, Intermediate and Senior, for storytelling via comic strip or infographic and essay, describing the future of space travel, space propulsion or interplanetary travel. Robert Goddard is called the father of modern rocketry, accomplishing the first flight […]

NET Feb — Launch SLS / Orion / Artemis 2

SLC-39B, Kennedy Space Center FL, USA
Organizer: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Planned 1st fully-crewed Orion Moon flight to last 10-14 days with 3 USA and 1 Canada Astronaut: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen; mission will also deploy numerous CubeSats.

Columbia STS-107, 23rd Observation

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Annual international conferences and events take place to further space exploration efforts in remembrance of Columbia 7 loss: Commander Richard D. Husband, Mission Specialist Laurel Clark, Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon (the ‘1st Israeli astronaut’) and Astronauts: William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, David M. Brown and Kalpana Chawla (the ‘1st […]

Singapore Space Summit 2026

Organizer: Office for Space Technology & Industry Singapore (OSTIn)

Space Summit 2026 is a space-focused conference with a boutique exhibition, highlighting trends, challenges and opportunities in the global space industry. As the only space show in Singapore endorsed by the Economic Development Board (EDB), the Office for Space Technology & Industry (OSTIn), supported by Singapore’s Defence Sciences and Technology […]

Journey Through the Universe

Organizer: Gemini Observatory

Annual event in its 22nd year, inviting STEAM professionals and Maunakea Observatories staff to participate in 200+ Hawai'i classroom visits, career panels, and community events.

2026 Singapore Airshow (10th Edition)

Organizer: Civial Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)

Singapore Airshow is one of the world’s most influential international aerospace and defence exhibitions, providing a platform for stakeholders to forge strategic alliances and collaborate to shape the future of the global aviation industry. The event offers a unique platform for industry thought leadership through its strategic forums, and co-located […]

Lunar New Year

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Lunar New Year 2026 Spring Festival marks the Year of the Horse.

57th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference

Organizer: Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI)

Expecting 2,000+ for the latest science, research, discoveries; at Waterway Marriott and online

$400 – $700

45th Observation of STS-1 Columbia Flight

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Commemorations occur today in honor of 1st ever NASA Space Shuttle Columbia carrying John Young and pilot Robert Crippen around Earth on 54.5-hour mission in 1981.

Pōwehi Day

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Recognized proclamation to celebrate the first-ever imaged black hole M87* by Event Horizon Telescope collaboration involving Mauna Kea Observatories, given the Hawaiian name Pōwehi; imaged in April 2017 and released Apr 10, 2019.

Yuri’s Night Celebrations

Organizer: Yuri’s Night

Launching parties around the world every year on or around April 12th, in commemoration of Yuri Gagarin becoming the first human to venture into space on April 12, 1961, and the inaugural launch of the first Space Shuttle on April 12, 1981. We use space to bring the world together, […]

ASCE Earth & Space 2026 Conference

Organizer: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

20th International Conference on Engineering, Science, Construction and Operations in Challenging Environments: ASCE Earth & Space 2026

International Space Day

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First Friday in May, events and presentations to promote STEM education and inspire people to continue the work of Space explorers; originally began as ‘National Space Day’ in 1997 by Lockheed Martin Corp.

Asia-Pacific Regional IAU Meeting (APRIM 2026)

Organizer: International Astronomical Union (IAU)

The Asia Pacific Regional International Astronomical Union (IAU) Meeting is a highly anticipated gathering that convenes astronomers, researchers, and enthusiasts from countries across the Asia Pacific region. This prestigious event provides a platform for the exchange of cutting-edge research, innovative ideas, and collaborative efforts in the field of astronomy and […]

2026 ASCEND Conference

Organizer: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)

Accelerating Space Commerce, Exploration, and New Discovery

John F. Kennedy 1st Moon Speech

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NASA Artemis program to land 1st Woman and Person of Color on Moon is well underway as today is recognized for Kennedy declaring to congress “I believe that this Nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning […]

International Space Summit Africa

Pretoria, South Africa
Organizer: South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO)

Expecting 300 exhibitors, 500 companies, 25 countries, 3,000 B2B (business to business) meetings