2026 Space Calendar: Key Missions for Artemis II, Starship, and Lunar Landers

The year 2026 is positioned as a significant period for space exploration, defined by a concentration of governmental and commercial activities targeting the Moon, deep space, and the operational introduction of next-generation launch systems. This timeframe marks a crucial shift from preparatory testing to more complex, crew-enabled missions and essential in-orbit demonstrations required for sustained off-world operations.

NASA’s Artemis II mission is currently scheduled to launch no earlier than February 5, 2026, with a window extending into April 2026. This 10-day flight will carry four astronauts—Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency—on a free-return trajectory around the Moon. This mission is historically significant as it will be the first time humans travel beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972, rigorously testing the Orion spacecraft's life-support and navigation systems in an operational deep-space environment. Victor Glover will be the first person of color, Christina Koch the first woman, and Jeremy Hansen the first Canadian to journey to the vicinity of the Moon.

SpaceX is targeting 2026 for critical milestones with its Starship megarocket, centering on achieving the vehicle's first successful flight to Earth orbit. A paramount technical objective for the year is demonstrating in-orbit cryogenic propellant transfer, a capability deemed essential for future crewed missions to Mars. While CEO Elon Musk has suggested a crewed Mars attempt is possible, orbital refueling demonstrations are considered the more probable near-term milestone underpinning the Artemis architecture for lunar landings. A specific Starship in-orbit refueling demonstration is targeted for June 2026, which, if successful, is projected to enable sustainable lunar and Mars operations.

Commercial and international efforts are also prominent. Blue Origin plans an uncrewed demonstration of its Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1) lunar lander early in 2026, launching atop the New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral. This Pathfinder Mission is targeting a precision landing near the Moon's south pole, carrying the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS) instrument to gather data on engine exhaust interaction with the lunar regolith for future Artemis missions. Boeing’s Starliner-1 mission is scheduled as an uncrewed cargo flight no earlier than April 2026, intended to validate spacecraft upgrades, including redesigned thrusters, before potential crewed certification. Furthermore, Vast is preparing to launch Haven-1, designed to be the world's first privately developed, stand-alone space station, via a SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle no earlier than May 2026.

International deep space science is also advancing. China’s Tianwen-2 spacecraft is scheduled to rendezvous with the near-Earth asteroid Kamoʻoalewa in July 2026, with plans for an inaugural asteroid sample return to Earth in late 2027. Concurrently, China’s Chang'e 7 mission is set for August 2026, targeting the lunar south pole with an orbiter, lander, rover, and a hopping probe to investigate water ice deposits in permanently shadowed craters. The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hera mission is scheduled to arrive at the Didymos asteroid system in November 2026 to analyze the impact crater from NASA's 2022 DART impact on Dimorphos. After an eight-year transit, the joint ESA and JAXA BepiColombo mission will achieve orbit around Mercury in November 2026, commencing a comprehensive study of the planet’s composition and magnetic field.

New launch vehicle development continues, with Rocket Lab planning the inaugural flight of its partially reusable Neutron rocket for mid-2026, aiming for high-cadence, lower-cost operations. Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser space plane is scheduled for its first uncrewed demonstration flight, as a free-flyer, in the fourth quarter of 2026, testing autonomous operation and runway landing capability at the Kennedy Space Center. Finally, NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a powerful infrared observatory, is on track for launch as early as Fall 2026, utilizing a SpaceX Falcon Heavy to reach the Sun-Earth L2 orbit for wide-field surveys and dark energy investigation.