Avio S.p.A

Joint mission between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to investigate the interaction between Earth’s protective shield – the magnetosphere – and the supersonic solar wind.

Smile Patch

Vega-C | Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE)

Guiana Space Centre

Ariane Launch Area 1

Vega-C

Join us live on 19 May, as we broadcast the launch of the European-Chinese Smile mission.
 
Smile will head to space on a Vega-C rocket from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.
 
This stream will include live launch footage from the launchpad and control room, as well as real-time interviews with people involved in the mission and its launch.
 
For the first time, Smile is going to reveal what really happens when charged particles from the Sun crash into Earth's magnetic shield.
 
It carries an X-ray camera to make the first X-ray observations of how exactly this shield responds to the solar wind, and an ultraviolet camera to watch the resulting northern lights for 45 hours at a time.
 
Find out more at esa.int/smile

★ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/ESAsubscribe and click twice on the bel...

English

ESA's Smile mission launch

Official Webcast

On 19 May 2026 at 00:52 a.m. local time (03:52 UTC, 05:52 CEST), Avio will launch the European Space Agency’s (ESA) and Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (Smile) scientific satellite. The mission, designated “VV29”, will be carried out by a Vega-C launcher, the first operated by Avio, lifting off from the European Spaceport in French Guiana.
Smile will be released into a circular orbit at an altitude of 700 km for a mission to a high inclination highly elliptical orbit with an apogee of 121.000 km and a perigee of 5000 km. The planned Smile separation time is about 57 minutes.

The satellite will measure the solar wind and its dynamic interactions with the Earth’s magnetosphere, enhancing our understanding of the connection between the ...

Vega C | Flight VV29 | SMILE | Avio

Le 19 mai 2026 à 0 h 52, heure locale (03 h 52 UTC, 05 h 52 CEST), Avio procédera au lancement du satellite scientifique Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE), mission conjointe de l’ESA et de la CAS. Le vol, désigné « VV29 », sera réalisé par un lanceur Vega-C, exploité pour la première fois par Avio, depuis le Centre Spatial Européen en Guyane française.

SMILE sera injecté sur une orbite circulaire à une altitude de 700 kilomètres, avant d’entamer sa mission sur une orbite fortement elliptique et à forte inclinaison, avec un apogée de 121 000 kilomètres et un périgée de 5 000 kilomètres. La séparation du satellite est prévue environ 57 minutes après le décollage.

SMILE mesurera les interactions entre le vent solaire et la magnétosphère terrestre afin d’améliore...

French

Vega C | Vol VV29 | SMILE | Avio

Il 19 maggio 2026 alle 00:52 ora locale (03:52 UTC, 05:52 CEST), Avio lancerà il satellite scientifico Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (Smile) dell’ESA e la CAS. Il volo, denominato “VV29” sarà effettuato da un lanciatore Vega-C, per la prima volta operato da Avio, che decollerà dal Centro Spaziale Europeo in Guyana Francese.

Smile sarà rilasciato in un’orbita circolare ad un’altitudine di 700 chilometri per una missione in orbita fortemente ellittica ad alta inclinazione, con apogeo a 121.000 chilometri e perigeo a 5.000 chilometri. Il volo avrà una durata prevista di circa 57 minuti.

Smile misurerà le interazioni del vento solare con la magnetosfera terrestre per migliorare la nostra conoscenza delle dinamiche tra il Sole e la Terra. Il satellite pesa 2.250 chilo...

Italian

Vega C | Volo VV29 | SMILE | Avio

SpaceX

Of Course I Still Love You

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.

Space X Starlink Mission Patch

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-42

Vandenberg SFB

Space Launch Complex 4E

Falcon 9 Block 5

Starlink Mission

Gulf of Mexico

12th test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle. Maiden Flight of Starship V3.

The flight test’s primary goal will be to demonstrate each of these new pieces in the flight environment for the first time, with each element of the Starship architecture featuring significant redesigns to enable full and rapid reuse that incorporate learnings from years of development and test.

The Starship upper stage will target multiple in-space and reentry objectives, including a payload deployment of 20 Starlink simulators, similar in size to next-generation Starlink V3 satellites, and two specially modified Starlink satellites. The two modified satellites will test hardware planned for Starlink V3 and will attempt to scan Starship’s heat shield and transmit imagery down to operators to test methods of analyzing Starship’s heat shield readiness for return to launch site on future missions. Several tiles on Starship have been painted white to simulate missing tiles and serve as imaging targets in the test. The Starlink simulators will be on the same suborbital trajectory as Starship. A relight of a single Raptor engine while in space is also planned.

For Starship entry, a single heat shield tile has been intentionally removed to measure the aerodynamic load differences on adjacent tiles when there is a tile missing. Finally, the ship will perform experimental actions tested on previous flight tests, including a maneuver to intentionally stress the structural limits of the vehicle’s rear flaps and a dynamic banking maneuver to mimic the trajectory that future missions returning to Starbase will fly.

Starship IFT patch

Starship | Flight 12

Starbase

Orbital Launch Pad 2

Starship V3

A Shortfall of Gravitas

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 10-31

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

Space Launch Complex 40

Rocket Lab

Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.

Viva La Strix Patch

Electron | Viva La StriX (StriX Launch 9)

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1

Unknown Pad

Electron

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-37

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 10-47

CASC

Long March 7A | Unknown Payload

Wenchang Space Launch Site

Long March 7A

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-41

Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, is a mega constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit that will offer broadband internet access, this constellation will be managed by Kuiper Systems LLC, a subsidiary of Amazon. This constellation is planned to be composed of 3,276 satellites. The satellites are projected to be placed in 98 orbital planes in three orbital layers, one at 590 km, 610 km and 630 km altitude.

29 satellites are carried on this launch.

Atlas V 551 | Amazon Leo (LA-07)

Space Launch Complex 41

Atlas V 551

First test launch of CASC’s Long March 10B rocket.

Long March 10B | Demo Flight

Commercial LC-2

Long March 10B

Agency for Defense Development

Note: Launch vehicle name is provisional.

First orbital full version launch of the South Korean military small satellite launch vehicle, after 2 sub-orbital tests of individual stages on 30 March and 30 December 2022, and 1 orbital test flight without the 2nd stage on 4 December 2023. Details TBD.

South Korean ADD Solid-Fuel SLV | Demo Flight

Jeju Island

ADD Offshore launch platform

South Korean ADD Solid-Fuel SLV

Isar Aerospace

Second test flight of the Isar Spectrum launch vehicle. This launch will carry 5 cubesats and 1 non-separable experiment as part of European Space Agency (ESA)'s “Boost!” program:

* CyBEEsat (TU Berlin)
* TriSat-S (University of Maribor)
* Platform 6 (EnduroSat)
* FramSat-1 (NTNU)
* SpaceTeamSat1 (TU Wien Space Team)
* Let It Go (Dcubed, non-separable experiment)

Onward and Upward Patch

Spectrum | Onward and Upward

Andøya Spaceport

Orbital Launch Pad

Spectrum

Mission Name: 'Onward and Upward'

Launch Date: Updates via https://isaraerospace.com/mission-updates-overview

Launch site: Andøya Space

The second flight of our ‘Spectrum’ launch vehicle marks a significant milestone serving as both the vehicle’s qualification mission and its first flight carrying payload.

"Onward and Upward" symbolizes our relentless drive for progress and continuous improvement, reflecting our determination to build upon the successes and lessons learned from our inaugural test flight.

The livestream is produced in collaboration with the @NASASpaceflight team.

More information on the Mission ‘Onward and Upward’ here: https://isaraerospace.com/mission-2

"Onward and Upward" Mission of Isar Aerospace

Mission Name: 'Onward and Upward'

Launch Date: Updates via https://isaraerospace.com/mission-updates-overview

Launch site: Andøya Space

The second flight of Isar's ‘Spectrum’ launch vehicle marks a significant milestone serving as both the vehicle’s qualification mission and its first flight carrying payload.

"Onward and Upward" symbolizes Isar's relentless drive for progress and continuous improvement, reflecting their determination to build upon the successes and lessons learned from our inaugural test flight.

NSF/NASASpaceflight LLC is providing live stream production services for Isar Aerospace's second flight of Spectrum.

More information on the Mission ‘Onward and Upward’ here: https://isaraerospace.com/mission-2

LDAPAABJRG2UMCU3

Isar Aerospace Launches the "Onward and Upward" Mission

Unofficial Webcast

ROSCOSMOS

Note: Payload identities uncertain.

Batch of 16 Rassvet-3 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Russian Byuro-1440 (Bureau 1440) constellation for broadband high-speed internet access in Russia.

Soyuz 2.1b | 16 x Rassvet-3

Plesetsk Cosmodrome

Soyuz 2.1b

ISRO

GISAT-1A (GEO Imaging Satellite) is an Indian earth observing satellite operating from geostationary orbit to facilitate continuous observation of Indian sub-continent, quick monitoring of natural hazards and disaster.

GSLV Mk II | GISAT-1A (EOS-05)

Satish Dhawan Space Centre

Satish Dhawan Space Centre Second Launch Pad

GSLV Mk. II

Arianespace

Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, is a mega constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit that will offer broadband internet access, this constellation will be managed by Kuiper Systems LLC, a subsidiary of Amazon. This constellation is planned to be composed of 3,276 satellites. The satellites are projected to be placed in 98 orbital planes in three orbital layers, one at 590 km, 610 km and 630 km altitude.

35-40 satellites will be carried on each Ariane 6 launch.

Ariane 64 Block 2 | Amazon Leo (LE-03)

Ariane Launch Area 4

Ariane 64 Block 2

Shenzhou 23 will be the 23rd flight of the Shenzhou program.

Shenzhou 23 Patch

Long March 2F/G | Shenzhou 23

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

Launch Area 4 (SLS-1 / 921)

Long March 2F/G

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Test flight of the H3-30 variant of the H3 launch vehicle with 3 LE-9 engines in the first stage and no SRBs. The flight will carry a dummy main payload (Vehicle Evaluation Payload 5, VEP-5) and several hitchhiking small satellites:

* PETREL

* STARS-X

* BRO-22

* VERTECS

* HORN-L/R

H3-30 | H3-30 Test Flight

Tanegashima Space Center

Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2

H3-30

Northrop Grumman Space Systems

Contracted by NASA under the Small Business Innovation Research Phase 3 contract, Katalyst Space Technologies' LINK servicing spacecraft will rendezvous and attach to NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to re-boost its orbit. This aims to demonstrate a key capability for the future of space exploration and extending the Swift mission’s science lifetime in gamma ray astronomy.

Pegasus XL | Swift Rescue Mission

Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site

Air Launch

Pegasus XL

Tranche 1 Transport Layer F is one of six missions by the United States Space Force Space Development Agency (SDA) for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) Tranche 1 Transport Layer constellation, which will provide assured, resilient, low-latency military data and connectivity worldwide to the full range of warfighter platforms from Low Earth Orbit satellites.

The constellation will be interconnected with Optical Inter-Satellite Links (OISLs) which have significantly increased performance over existing radio frequency crosslinks. It is expected to operate over Ka band, have stereo coverage and be dynamically networked for simpler hand-offs, greater bandwidth and fault tolerance.

Falcon 9 Block 5 | SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer F

Rocket Factory Augsburg

First flight of the RFA One launch vehicle. Will carry 7 satellites for various companies and organizations coordinated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

* AllBertEinStein
* ARTICA
* Curium Two
* ERMINAZ
* PCIOD
* Separation Ring Mission
* SpaceDREAM

RFA One | Maiden Flight

SaxaVord Spaceport

Launch Pad Fredo

RFA One

Tranche 1 Tracking Layer A is one of five missions by the United States Space Force Space Development Agency (SDA) for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) Tranche 1 Tracking Layer constellation, which will provide global indications, warning, tracking, and targeting of advanced missile threats, including hypersonic missile systems.

Falcon 9 Block 5 | SDA Tranche 1 Tracking Layer A

Dedicated rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers.

Rocket Launches Today