Space Calendar 2023: Here is the complete list of rocket launches, missions, sky-watching events, and a lot more!

The year 2022 has been quite adventurous for the Space Coast as it experienced a record number of launches through the two facilities, i.e. a total of 57. Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, Space Launch Delta 45 commander stated in January that in the year 2023, there might be potentially 86 to 92 launches. Excited to check the schedule? Here is the up-to-date information we have about the launches from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and the Kennedy Space Center.

Before proceeding, it is important to note that the launch dates presented ahead are subject to change. As firmer dates come up, these dates will be updated in the blog. It is advised to not schedule travel according to the dates you read here, as these are subject to change.
Let's begin with the current month. 

AUGUST

August 7: The Glonass-K2 no. 13L navigation satellites will be launched through a Russian Soyuz rocket from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia. 

The timing of the launch is scheduled to be 10:10 a.m. EDT (14:10 GMT). 

August 8: Yet another batch of Starlink satellites will be launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 from the Vandenberg Space Force Base. 

August 10: Six individuals to suborbital space will be launched by Virgin Galactic. This one would be the very first private astronaut mission of the company. The name of the flight would be Galactic 02, and it will be scheduled to take off at 11:00 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT) from New Mexico Spaceport America. 

August 10: The Luna 25 moon landing mission will be launched by a Russian Soyuz from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. The scheduled timings are 8:10 p.m. EDT (0010 GMT). 

August 13: Here is when you will be able to see the Perseid meteor shower. The shower would be active till late August and commenced in mid-July. 

August 16: It is when the new moon will be arriving exactly at 5:38 a.m. EDT (1038 GMT). 

August 23: The Progress MS-24 (85P) will be launched by a Russian Soyuz to the international space station from Baikonu4 Cosmodrome Kazakhstan. 

August 25: A Crew Dragon spacecraft will be launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 on the 12th crewed flight of the program. The crew will be encompassing a myriad of notable astronauts including Jasmin Moghbeli from NASA  Andreas Mogensen from the European Space Agency, Satoshi Furukawa- a Japanese astronaut, and Konstantin Borisov- a Russian cosmonaut. The astronauts will be spending a total of 6 months aboard the International Space Station.
The scheduled time of the launch is 3:49 a.m. EDT (0749 GMT). The launch will be done from Kennedy Space Center, NASA.

August 26: The Aditya L1 mission will be launched from Satish Dhawan Space Center, India by an Indian PSLV rocket. The Aditya L1 is the very first space-based mission of India to study the sun.

August 29: The classified SILENTBARKER (NROL-107) will be launched by a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket. The launch will be done from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This one is a joint mission between the National Reconnaissance Office and the United States Air Force. The goal of the mission is to offer "satellite threat intelligence and space situational awareness".

August 30: The Blue Moon, or the second full moon of the month of August is scheduled to arrive at 9:36 p.m. EDT (0236 GMT August 31).

SEPTEMBER

The month of September comes with two important events.

September 14: The new moon will be coming at 9:40 p.m. EDT (0240 GMT on September 15).

September 29: The Harvest Moon, i.e. the full moon of September will arrive aT 5:58 a.m. EDT (1058 GMT).

OCTOBER

Just like August, the month of October is also jam-packed with events.

October 5: NASA's Psyche asteroid will be launched by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The spacecraft will be traveling to the asteroid called Psyche. It will then enter the orbit in the year 2029. The scheduled time of the launch is 10:38 a.m. EDT (1438 GMT). The launch is going to be held at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

October 8: The Draconid meteor shower will be active from October 6 to October 10.

October 14: The new moon will be arriving at 1:55 p.m. EDT (1855 GMT). Additionally, an annual solar eclipse will be crossing North, South, and Central America.

October 20: The Orionid meteor shower will be active from September 26 to November 22.

October 28: The full moon of October will be arriving at 4:24 p.m. EDT (2124 GMT). This full moon is called the Hunter's Moon.

NOVEMBER

November 4:The Southern Taurid meteor shower will be active between the dates, September 28 and December 2.

November 9: The beautiful moon and Venus pairing will be seen at 5 a.m. local time.

November 11: The Northern Taurid meteor shower will be active between October 13 and December 2.

November 13: The new moon will be seen at 4:27 a.m. EST (0927 GMT).

November 17: The Leonid meteor shower will be active between November 3 and December 2.

November 27: The full moon called Beaver Moon will be arriving at 4:16 a.m. EST (0916 GMT).

ALSO READ: Supermoon 2023: Stunning Images of Sturgeon Moon From Worldwide 

DECEMBER

December 12: The new moon will be arriving at 6:32 p.m. EST (2332 GMT).

December 14: The Geminid meteor shower will be active between December 4 and December 7.

December 21: It will be the winter solstice for the Northern Hemisphere, and for the Southern Hemisphere, the summer solstice.

December 21: The Ursid meteor shower will be active from December 13 to December 24.

December 26: The full moon of December, called the Cold Moon, will be arriving at 7:33 p.m. EST (0033 GMT on December 27).

This was the complete list of space events for the rest of 2023. We again remind you that the dates presented above are subject to change, and therefore it is advised not to schedule travel tickets before firmer dates come up.

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