Rocket Launch Schedule 2022 in Florida

This page lists the complete Kennedy Space Center (KSC) rocket launch schedule for 2022 and the Cape Canaveral rocket launch schedule for 2022.

2022 Florida Rocket Launch Highlights

After 31 rockets launched from Florida in 2021, 2022 was a bumper year with a total of 57 launches, more than one per week.

In the first quarter of 2022 there were 12 launches from the Cape, of which 9 were by SpaceX. In the second quarter there were a further 15 launches.

The third quarter was busy with 14 launches and the final quarter even busier with 16 launches.

Launch statistics breakdown by rocket type:

• SpaceX Falcon 9 — 47
• ULA Atlas V — 6
• Astra Rocket 3.3 — 2 (both unsuccessful)
• SpaceX Falcon 9 Heavy — 1
• NASA SLS — 1

The biggest event of the year was the successful first launch of NASA’s new Space Launch System, Artemis 1.

A number of projected “first” launches were scheduled for 2021 but in the end delays pushed all those launches into 2022 (see below for more details) with many of them pushed back again into 2023.

SpaceX Rocket Launches

SpaceX operated with two autonomous spaceport drone ships (ASDS) “A Shortfall of Gravitas“ and “Just Read The Instructions” based on the East coast.

Both drone ships are named after spaceships from the books of the late science fiction writer Iain M. Banks.

With the two landing zones at the Cape, this gave SpaceX the flexibility to recover up to two Falcon 9 boosters on land and two at sea at any one time.

In 2021 SpaceX abandoned attempts to catch the payload fairing halves before they hit the water but instead they recovered them from the ocean and refurbished them for future flights.

Two former offshore platform supply ships named “Bob” and “Doug”, after NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are used to assist in recovery of the two fairing halves and for towing the ASDS barges out to sea.

2022 was an incredibly busy year as SpaceX continued with their new Starlink and ride-share missions where up to 60 small satellites are launched each time as part of their global internet service.

In total SpaceX made 61 launches in 2022 of which 48 were from Florida. In mid December, in the space of less than 36 hours they launched three rockets, two from Florida and one from California.

In September 2022, SpaceX and NASA announced plans to upgrade launch pad SLC-40 to support Falcon 9 Dragon crewed and supply missions.

There were three further SpaceX crewed missions to the International Space Station (ISS). Two for NASA and one private mission organised by Axiom.

United Launch Alliance (ULA) Rocket Launches

Boeing had been beset with delays with their new CST-100 Starliner spacecraft. The first unmanned demo flight to the ISS in 2019 had to be abandoned and despite hopes to fly a second demo mission in 2021, a number of technical issues pushed this back to 2022 with the first crewed mission now slated for 2023.

The new ULA Vulcan Centaur rocket was also scheduled to make it’s first flight in 2021 but in the end this slipped into 2023.

Its first stage will be powered by the new Blue Origin BE-4 engines which will end the reliance on Russian built RD-180 engines as used in the Atlas V series. Delays meant that both launches of ULA’s Vulcan Centaur and Blue Origin’s New Glenn rockets had to be pushed back.

ULA were originally planning to jettison the first stage engines and recover them in flight using a helicopter but are now moving towards a parachute landing at sea.

In September 2021 ULA confirmed that they would not be ordering any more RD-180 engines and that the Atlas V rocket would be retired in the mid 2020s after the final 29 missions.

NASA Rocket Launches

One of the biggest anticipated launches of 2021 was to have been the first ever flight of the new Space Launch System, Artemis 1. This was delayed several times over the last three years and then further delayed until 2022.

On March 17, 2022 NASA started a wet dress rehearsal by transporting the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft mounted on its Mobile Launcher. The complete rocket was carried on the giant Crawler-Transporter 2 (CT-2) from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to LC-39B.

In November 2022 the Space Launch System, Artemis 1 mission finally got off the ground on a successful first flight to orbit the Moon before returning to Earth.

The crawler was originally built to service the Apollo Saturn V moon missions 50 years ago and went on to transport the Space Shuttles.

Standing 322 feet tall, the SLS is the largest rocket ever built, even larger than the Saturn V.

As well as reactivating LC-39B, a brand new launch pad, LC-48A was constructed about a mile south from shuttle pad LC-39A.

It is described as a “clean” pad to offer maximum flexibility to a range of launch customers. The pad is designed to offer quick turnaround for low-cost smaller launchers.

A company called RocketStar were planning to launch their aerospike powered rocket called CowBell.

A second pad, LC-48B could also be built close by.

Blue Origin Rocket Launches

Like SpaceX, Blue Origin was originally intending to re-use the first stage of their New Glenn rocket with recovery at sea. In preparation for that, in 2018 they purchased a secondhand ship called the “Stena Freighter” which was being modified in Pensacola to become a mobile landing platform.

It was re-christened “Jacklyn” after Jeff Bezos’s mother but in August 2022 it was announced that Blue Origin had abandoned plans to use the converted ship and instead use an autonomous barge similar to those used by SpaceX.

Blue Origin had hoped to make the first test flight in July 2021 but they are now targeting late 2023.

Sierra Nevada Rocket Launches

Sierra Nevada Corporation who are building the “mini shuttle” Dream Chaser were planning to launch their spacecraft on the new United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket. First flight of the Vulcan was planned for 2021 but slipped to 2022 and then 2023.

Astra Space Rocket Launches

Astra Space launched two of their new Rocket 3.3 rockets from launchpad SLC-46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in 2022 but both failed to reach orbit. This followed a successful launch in November 2021 from Alaska.

The Rocket 3.3 was a relatively small two stage rocket with five Delphin engines. It was 42 feet tall with a payload of up to 110 pounds.

Astra was expected to make three launches as part of the NASA Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats mission (TROPICS) but on the first launch on June 12, 2022 the upper stage engine shut down early resulting in the loss of the two cubesats.

In conjunction with Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory, the six satellites were to track hurricane activity. The three launches needed to be completed by July 31, 2022 but this did not happen.

On August 4, Astra Space announced that they were stopping further work on the Rocket 3 design in favour of a larger Rocket 4 with an increased capacity. It is unclear what NASA will now do in an attempt to launch the four remaining TROPICS cubesats.

Complex 46 was originally used to test Trident submarine missiles for the U.S. Navy.

Complete 2022 Florida Rocket Launch Schedule

This page details the historical launches in 2022. Click here for previous launch details for 2021 and future launches for 2023.

All times are local times.

Abbreviations:

• EDT — Eastern Daylight Time
• EST — Eastern Standard Time (during the winter months)
• NET — “No earlier than”
• TBA — To be announced

January 6, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–5

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the 34th batch of Starlink v1.0 satellites as part of SpaceX’s own Starlink broadband network. Each of the 49 satellites weighs around 500 lb (227 kg) and over 1,900 have been launched prior to this mission with nearly 1,500 currently in service.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch window from 4:49 to 6:47 p.m. EST.

Complimentary launch viewing was available from the launch viewing area on the Atlantis North Lawn.

This mission used booster B1062 which had flown three times before and last flew on September 16, 2021 when it launched the Crew Dragon “Resilience” on the Inspiration4 flight.

The booster was recovered to the Autonomous Drone Ship (ASDS) “A Shortfall of Gravitas”, in the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Bahamas.

January 13, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Transporter 3

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the third Dedicated SSO Rideshare Transporter mission into polar orbit. The payload consisted of 105 small micro satellites and nano satellites for both commercial customers and government agencies.

Some satellites were launched directly from the second stage whilst others were piggybacked on third party orbital transfer carriers like D-Orbit, Alba Orbital Clusters and Fossa PocketPOD deployers.

Individual satellite weights ranged from 1 to 2 pounds for PocketQubes up to the Sich 2–1 satellite at 375 pounds.

The payload included:

• 44 SuperDove Flock 4x CubeSats as part of Planet’s optical image Earth observation fleet
• 2 ICEYE radar imaging satellites for ICEYE US from Finland
• Capella 7 and 8, radar imaging satellites for Capella Space
• Umbra-02 radar imaging satellite for Umbra Space
• Sich 2–1 for the State Space Agency of Ukraine, built by Yuzhnoye
• 5 radar remote sensing micro satellites for ICEYE
• 8 Tevel amateur radio communications satellites developed by the Herzliya Science Center, Israel
• EASAT-2 built by the European University of the Degrees in Aerospace Engineering in Aircraft and in Telecommunication Systems Engineering, Spain
• FOSSASAT-2E5 and 2E6 satellites for FOSSA Systems, Spain
• HADES amateur radio communications satellite for AMSAT EA, Spain
• 5 Lemur-2 weather and ship tracking CubeSats for Spire Global
• 4 Kepler data relay satellites for Kepler Communications of Canada
• 3 MDASat-1 (Maritime Domain Awareness Satellite constellation) traffic tracking nano satellites for Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa
• ETV-A1 high definition video satellite for Sen from the United Kingdom
• HYPSO-1 colour-sensitive hyperspectral imager to monitor oceans for the Norwegian University of Science and Technology
• Gossamer-Piccolomini subsurface imaging satellite for the Gossamer constellation from Lunasonde in Tucson, Arizona
• BRO-5 maritime surveillance satellite for UnSeenLabs, France
• DEWASAT-1 CubeSat to monitor electricity and water networks for the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority
• NuX-1 data relay technologies and a lower-power Hall effect thruster CubeSat for NuSpace, Singapore
• IRIS-A communications demo CubeSat from Taiwan
• LabSat, SW1FT, STORK-1 and STORK-2 CubeSats for SatRevolution, Poland
• VZLUSat 2 technology demonstration satellite from the Czech Aerospace Research Center
• Dodona CubeSat from University of Southern California
• OroraTech-1 wildfire monitors satellite for OroraTech, Germany
• Challenger earth observation picosat for Quub (Mini-Cubes), USA
• CShark Pilot-1 for CShark, Italy
• Delfi-PQ low-frequency array demonstrator for Technical University of Delft, the Netherlands
• Grizu-263a satellite for the Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Turkey
• LAIKA technology demonstrator for Porkchop, Sweden
• MDQube-Sat1 technology demonstrator for Innova Space, Argentina
• PION-BR technology demonstrator for PION Labs, Brazil
• SanoSat-1 weather PocketCube picosat built by Orion Space for Nepal
• SATTLA-2A and 2B PocketCube picosats for Ariel University, Israel
• Unicorn 1 PocketCube picosat built by Alba Orbital UG and ESA
• Unicorn 2A, 2D, 2E and 2TA1 PocketCube picosats Alba Orbital UG
• WISeSAT-1 and 2 for WISeKey, Switzerland

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 at 10:25 a.m. EST.

As the launch was during normal operating hours of the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, two launch viewing opportunities were offered:

• Atlantis North Lawn Viewing Area
• Banana Creek Launch Viewing Area at the Apollo/Saturn V Center

The booster B1058, which had flown nine times before, landed back at Cape Canaveral at Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1), the first time LZ-1 has been used since June last year.

Delayed from December 2021.

January 18, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–6

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched another batch of 49 Starlink satellites taking the total count of Starlink satellites launched to over 2,000 with about 1,800 still in service.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch time of 9:02 p.m. EST.

The booster B1060 was recovered on the ASDS “A Shortfall of Gravitas”, in the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Bahamas. This booster is now one of four Block 5 boosters to make 10 flights having first lifted off in June 2020.

Both fairing halves were also recovered using the support vessel “MS Doug”.

Delayed from January 17, 2022 because of poor weather in the booster recovery zone.

January 21, 2022 – United Launch Alliance Atlas V, USSF-08

The Atlas V rocket launched two military communications satellites (GSSAP 5 and 6) for the U.S. Space Force as part of the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP). The mission was previously known as AFSPC-08.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-41 with a launch time of 2:00 p.m. EST.

Launching viewing was available inside the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex:

• Atlantis North Lawn Viewing Area
• Banana Creek Launch Viewing Area at the Apollo/Saturn V Center

Both areas were included in regular daily admission, click for more details on watching a rocket launch.

Delayed from Quarter 4, 2020, March, August and early September 2021.

January 31, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, CSG2

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the sixth COSMO-SkyMed (CSG2) Earth observation satellite for the Italian Space Agency (ASI).

It was originally planned it would be launched on the Italian built Vega-C rocket but delays in the Vega programme meant it was not possible to secure a suitable launch date from the European Arianespace.

So far five COSMO-SkyMed satellites have been launched, four satellites in the first generation and one second generation (CSG1). The third and fourth second generation satellites are still scheduled to launch with Arianespace.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 6:12 p.m. EST.

As the launch was during normal operating hours of the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, one launch viewing opportunity was offered:

• Banana Creek Launch Viewing Area at the Apollo/Saturn V Center

Read our article on best places to watch a rocket launch for more information.

The booster, B1052, is unusual in that for its first two missions in 2019 it flew as one of the side boosters on Falcon Heavy launches. For its third flight it had been converted into a standalone Falcon 9 booster.

Like the Transporter 3 launch a couple of weeks ago, the booster landed back at Cape Canaveral at Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1).

Delayed from mid August, November 18 and December 14, 2021. Delayed from January 27, 28 and 29, 2022 due to inclement weather at the launch site. Delayed again from January 30, 2022 due to a cruise ship sailing into the hazard area.

February 3, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–7

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched another batch of 49 Starlink satellites bring the total so far to 2091.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch time of 1:13 p.m. EST.

As the launch was during normal operating hours of the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, two launch viewing opportunities were offered:

• Atlantis North Lawn Viewing Area
• Banana Creek Launch Viewing Area at the Apollo/Saturn V Center

The booster B1061 had flown on five previous occasions, the last being on December 9, 2021.

The booster was recovered to the Autonomous Drone Ship (ASDS) “A Shortfall of Gravitas”, in the Atlantic Ocean.

Unfortunately a geomagnetic solar storm caused around 38 of the satellites to drop out of orbit and burn up on re-entry.

Delayed from January 29, 30 and 31, 2022 because of slippage of the SpaceX CSG2 launch. Delayed from February 2, 2022.

February 10, 2022 – Astra Space Rocket 3.3, VCLS Demo 2, ELaNa 41

A new customer to Florida, Astra Space launched a second demo flight with their Rocket 3.3 with four cubesat satellites as part of NASA’s Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS) programme.

Prior to this launch attempt, Astra had had one successful launch, from Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska (PSCA), formerly known as Kodiak Launch Complex.

The VCLS Demo 2 mission was named ELaNa 41 after Educational Launch of Nanosatellites.

The four cubesat satellites were:

• QubeSat also from University of California, testing a very small gyroscope
• Ionospheric Neutron Content Analyzer (INCA) from New Mexico State University, testing space weather models
• BAMA 1 from the University of Alabama, drag sail demonstrator
• R5-S1 from NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston, testing speed and efficiency of CubeSats designs

Launch was from launchpad SLC-46 with a launch window starting at 3:00 p.m. EST.

Unfortunately after a successful launch, the second stage tumbled out of control when the second stage engine ignited and the payload was lost. Further investigations revealed there was a technical issue with the fairing separation mechanism and a fault with the upper stage thrust vector control system.

Originally the manifest included two Radio Interferometry Experiment (CURIE) CubeSats from the University of California, Berkeley for detecting solar activity but they were not ready in time and will fly on a future mission.

Delayed from February 5, 2022 due to an issue with the range equipment. Delayed from February 7, 2022 due to a telemetry issue.

February 21, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–8

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a batch of 46 Starlink satellites, slightly fewer than the normal 49 satellites. These were launched into a higher orbit following the loss of most of the previous Starlink mission payload due to a solar storm.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 9:44 a.m. EST.

As the launch was during normal operating hours of the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, two complimentary launch viewing opportunities were offered:

• Atlantis North Lawn Viewing Area
• Banana Creek Launch Viewing Area at the Apollo/Saturn V Center

The booster B1058 had flown on ten previous occasions and this was the third flight for the two payload fairing halves.

The booster was recovered to the Autonomous Drone Ship (ASDS) “A Shortfall of Gravitas”, in the Atlantic Ocean, northeast of the Bahamas.

Delayed from February 20, 2022 due to bad weather in the recovery zone.

NET March 1, 2022 – United Launch Alliance Atlas V, GOES-T

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V Rocket launched a third Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) for NASA and NOAA.

As the launch was during normal operating hours of the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, two launch viewing opportunities were offered:

• Atlantis North Lawn Viewing Area (included with daily admission)
• Banana Creek Launch Viewing Area at the Apollo/Saturn V Center ($20 in addition to daily admission)

You can find more information on the best places to watch a rocket launch.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-41 with a launch window from 4:38 to 6:38 p.m. EST.

Delayed from December 7, 2021, January 8 and February 16, 2022.

March 3, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–9

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a batch of 47 Starlink satellites.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch time of 9:25 a.m. EST.

As the launch was during normal operating hours of the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, complimentary launch viewing opportunities were offered:

• Atlantis North Lawn Viewing Area

The booster B1060 had flown on ten previous occasions.
The booster was recovered to the Autonomous Drone Ship (ASDS) “Just Read the Instructions”, in the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Cape Canaveral.

This launched marked nine SpaceX Falcon 9 launches in the first nine weeks of 2022.

March 9, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–10

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a batch of 48 Starlink satellites bringing the total operational Starlink satellites to over 2,000.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 8:45 a.m. EST.

The booster was recovered to the Autonomous Drone Ship (ASDS) “A Shortfall of Gravitas”, in the Atlantic Ocean, northeast of the Bahamas.

Booster B1052 made its fourth successful flight.

The Starlink 4–10 launch was the tenth successful SpaceX Falcon 9 launch in as many weeks this year (two missions launched from California and eight from Florida).

March 19, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–12

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a batch of 53 Starlink satellites, bringing the total to 2,335 with over 2,000 operational and in orbit.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 12:42 a.m. EDT.

The booster B1051 had flown on 11 previous occasions and its twelfth flight set a new record.

The booster was recovered to the Autonomous Drone Ship (ASDS) “Just Read the Instructions”, in the Atlantic Ocean, east of the Carolinas.

April 1, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Transporter 4

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the fourth Transporter mission which is a rideshare flight.

The payload consisted of the large Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program (EnMAP) hyperspectral imaging satellite for the Germany space agency DLR. This was deployed first and then the second stage rocket made two further burns before deploying the remaining 39 small micro satellites and nano satellites for both commercial customers and government agencies.

The remaining payload included:

• 5 NewSat Earth imaging satellites for Satellogic, Argentina
• 3 HawkEye RF monitoring satellites for HawkEye 360, USA
• 2 Omnispace prototypes for 5G communications
• Shakuntala hyperspectral satellite imagery technology demonstrator for Pixxel, India
• Lynk Tower 1 mobile phone communications satellite for Lynk Global, Virginia
• MP42 for NanoAvionics, Lithuania
• BRO-7 maritime surveillance CubeSat for UnseenLabs, France
• 6 ARCSAT UHF tactical communications for the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment
• BDSAT technology demonstrator for the Czech Republic
• AlfaCrux technology demonstrator for the University of Brasilia, Brazil
• 12 picosatellites for Swarm Technologies

A separate Italian D-Orbit satellite carrier deployed seven satellites including:

• 4 satellites to detect and locate radio frequency transmission for Kleos Space, Luxembourg
• 3 CubeSats for Chile

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 12:24 p.m. EDT.

Booster B1061 made its seventh launch and was recovered to the ASDS “Just Read the Instructions”, in the Atlantic Ocean between Cuba and the Bahamas.

April 8, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Axiom Space-1 (AX-1)

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Crew Dragon spacecraft C206 “Endeavour” on behalf of Axiom Space and flew four space “tourists” to the International Space Station (ISS) for around a one week stay. Axiom Space are saying this is not a typical tourist mission and all the members of the crew will be conducting experiments whilst on the ISS for organisations like ISS National Lab, Mayo Clinic, Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Ramon Foundation.

Crew Dragon “Endeavour” has flown twice before.

The crew consists of:

• Michael Lopez-Alegria, retired astronaut and VP of Axiom Space — Commander
• Larry Conner — Mission Pilot
• Eytan Stibbem former Israeli fighter pilot — Mission Specialist 1
• Mark Pathy — Mission Specialist 1

The Dragon spacecraft docked with the Harmony module and the original plan was to stay for little over a week. This was the first all private civilian crew to dock at the ISS.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch time of 11:17 a.m. EDT.

Booster B1062 completed its fifth launch and second crewed flight and landed on the ASDS “A Shortfall of Gravitas”, in the Atlantic Ocean, around 340 miles from Cape Cananeral.

As this was crewed launch during the normal operational hours of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, in anticipation of larger crowds, anyone wanting to view the launch at the complex had to pre-purchase one of three ticket packages to gain admission.

The Crew Dragon “Endeavour” was scheduled to depart the ISS on April 19 but bad weather in the recovery zones, delayed the undocking until April 24 which pushed back the launch of the next NASA mission.

SpaceX announced the deal with Axiom Space in March 2020. Tickets are expected to cost around $55 million per seat. On June 2, 2021 Axiom signed up for a further three flights.

Currently NASA are allowing up to two “private” astronaut missions to the ISS each year.

Originally the actor Tom Cruise and film director Doug Liman were expected to launch on AX-1 but they will now fly on a later mission. During the time at the ISS it was expected that Cruise and Liman would shoot a movie.

Delayed from February 21, 2021 and March 30, 2022. Delayed from April 3, 2022 due to technical issues with NASA’s SLS rocket being tested for the upcoming Artemis 1 lunar mission on the nearby launchpad LC-39B. Delayed from April 6, 2022 due to issues with the Dragon spacecraft.

April 21, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–14

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched another batch of 53 Starlink satellites bringing the total launched so far to 2,388 of which some 2,121 are still operational.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 1:51 p.m. EDT.

Booster B1058 had already launched 11 times before and was successfully recovered to the ASDS “Just Read the Instructions”, in the Atlantic Ocean east of Charleston, South Carolina.

NET April 27, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, USCV-4 (NASA Crew Flight 4)

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the fourth new Crew Dragon spacecraft. The purpose of the mission was to take the 4th crew flight for NASA to the International Space Station.

The spacecraft C212 has been named “Freedom”.

The crew consists of:

• Kjell Lindgren (NASA) — Commander
• Robert Hines (NASA) — Pilot
• Samantha Cristoforetti (ESA) — Mission Specialist
• Jessica Watkins (NASA) — Mission Specialist

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch time of 3:52 a.m. EDT.

As this was crewed launch and it was originally during the normal operational hours of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, anyone wanting to view the launch at the complex had to pre-purchase one of two ticket packages to gain admission.

This mission used booster B1067 which had flown three times before. it landed on the ASDS “A Shortfall of Gravitas”, in the Atlantic Ocean.

Delayed from February 4, 2022. Delayed from April 15, 2022 due to push back of the Axiom AX-1 mission. Delayed from April 19, 2022 to complete final prelaunch operations following the Axiom launch on April 8.

Delayed from April 23 and 26, 2022 due to bad weather in the recovery zone forcing the crew of the AX-1 mission to delay their departure from the ISS. Until their Crew Dragon had left the ISS, there was nowhere for NASA Crew Flight 4 to dock.

April 29, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–16

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a batch of 53 Starlink satellites.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 5:27 p.m. EDT.

SpaceX had already made sixteen launches this year and five this month.

The Booster B1062 had flown five times before, the most recent being on April 8, 2022 just 21 days ago, a new turnaround record.

The booster was recovered to the Autonomous Drone Ship (ASDS) “Just Read the Instructions”, in the Atlantic Ocean, off the Florida coastline.

May 6, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–17

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a further batch of 53 Starlink satellites.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch time of 5:42 a.m. EDT.

The booster B1058 had flown on 11 previous occasions and is the third booster to complete twelve missions.

The booster was recovered to the Autonomous Drone Ship (ASDS) “A Shortfall of Gravitas”, in the Atlantic Ocean, east of Charleston, South Carolina.

Delayed from May 5, 2022.

May 16, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–15

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a batch of 53 Starlink satellites bringing the total Starlink satellites launched to over 2,600. It is estimated that some 2,200 are currently operational.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 4:40 p.m. EDT.

This mission used a brand new booster B1073.

The booster was recovered to the Autonomous Drone Ship (ASDS) “Just Read the Instructions”, in the Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Cape Canaveral.

SpaceX has now launched and recovered 20 Falcon 9 rockets so far in 2022 with 16 lifting off from the Cape.

Delayed from May 8, 2022.

May 18, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–18

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a batch of 53 Starlink satellites.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch time of 6:59 a.m. EDT.

Moved up from May 21, 2022.

The booster B1052 had flown four times before and was recovered to the Autonomous Drone Ship (ASDS) “A Shortfall of Gravitas”, in the Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Cape Canaveral.

This marks the 20th launch from the Cape so far this year with two more launches scheduled for May.

May 19, 2022 – United Launch Alliance Atlas V, CST-100 Starliner Orbital Flight Test 2 (OFT-2)

Following the issues with the first test flight of the unmanned Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew module to the International Space Station (ISS) in December 2019, Boeing and NASA decided to attempt a second unmanned test mission before their first crewed mission.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket successfully launched the unmanned Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft to the ISS. Having spent around a week at the ISS, the Starliner will return to Earth and land in the western United States.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-41 with a launch time of 6:54 p.m. EDT.

Originally as this was a special launch, to gain admission to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (KSC) on launch day, you had to purchase a special launch viewing package, regular one day, multi-day tickets or annual passes were not admissible.

When the launch was rescheduled for May 2022, KSC dropped the need for a special ticket to get admission to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex but were offering launch viewing from (standard admission ticket still required):

• LC-39 Observation Gantry, closest viewing
• Banana Creek Launch Viewing Area
• Atlantis North Lawn Viewing Area, complimentary viewing

Delayed from Quarter 3, 2020. Delayed from January 4 and 5, 2021. Moved up from March 29, 2021 and then moved back to April 2, 2021.

Bad weather and power cuts in Texas resulted in a week long halt to software testing. Coupled with that, a Russian Soyuz capsule was due to dock on April 9 followed by a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule departing the ISS on April 17 and then the next Crew Dragon due to arrive April 22.

As a result the Starliner launch slipped into May 2021 at the earliest.

In April it was announced it would most likely be further delayed to the August/September timeframe due to docking port availability at the ISS and United Launch Alliance booster availability.

Delayed from July 30, 2021 due to a malfunction on the newly arrived Russian Nauka module at the ISS when its thrusters fired unexpectedly.

Launch scrubbed on August 3 due to technical issues with 13 propulsion system valves in the service module that are part of the abort system being stuck in the closed position.

After moving the rocket back to ULA’s Vertical Integration Facility to further investigate the problems, all but 4 of the valves were freed. It was suspected that water vapour in the air reacted with the oxidiser chemicals in the fuel system causing corrosion, following a torrential downpour the day before the planned lift-off.

There was a limited launch window for Starliner as a SpaceX Cargo Dragon capsule was scheduled to arrive at the ISS on August 28 and use the same docking port which meant the Starliner would have to launch no later than August 20.

The next launch from the SLC-41 pad was another Atlas V rocket carrying the Lucy asteroid mission satellite in mid October. If the Lucy mission missed its launch window, the mission would be delayed by a year.

After over a week of trying to resolve the issues whilst at the launch site, the decision was taken to move the capsule back to the Boeing Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (former Orbiter Processing Facility 3) at the Kennedy Space Center.

Delayed from November 2021 and then pushed back into 2022.

May 25, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Transporter 5

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the fifth Transporter mission which is a rideshare flight. The payload consists of 59 small micro satellites and nano satellites for both commercial customers and government agencies.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 2:35 p.m. EDT.

The booster B1061 returned to Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The booster has now flown a total of eight missions.

Amongst the payloads were several transfer vehicles:

• the first orbital transfer vehicle built by a startup named Momentus featuring a water-based propulsion system
• another Sherpa transfer vehicle from Spaceflight
• another Italian D-Orbit transfer vehicle

It was originally planned to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

June 8, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Nilesat 301

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Nilesat 301 communications satellite for the Egyptian company Nilesat. The Nilesat 301 satellite has been built by the European company Thales Alenia Space.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 5:04 p.m. EDT.

There were complimentary viewing opportunities from the Atlantis North Lawn.

Booster B1062 was used for its seventh launch and was recovered to the ASDS “Just Read the Instructions”, in the Atlantic Ocean, around 400 miles east of Cape Canaveral.

Delayed from April 30, 2022.

June 12, 2022 – Astra Space Rocket 3.3, TROPICS 1 & 2

Following the failed launch in February, Astra Space launched two small cubesats for NASA’s Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS). The satellites will measure inner-core conditions of tropical cyclones.

Launch was from launchpad SLC-46 with a launch time of 1:43 p.m. EST.

Unfortunately the upper stage engine shut down early, resulting in the two cubesats failing to reach orbit.

The Rocket 3.3 code was LV0010.

Delayed from April 2022.

June 17, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–19

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched another batch of 53 Starlink satellites.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch time of 12:09 p.m. EDT.

Complimentary launch viewing was available from Banana Creek Launch Viewing area and Atlantis North Lawn.

The booster, B1060 was attempting a record breaking 13th launch and was successfully recovered to the ASDS “A Shortfall of Gravitas” northeast of Cape Canaveral in the Atlantic Ocean.

This marks the 100th launch of a previously launched Falcon 9 booster.

June 19, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Globalstar-2 FM15

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a spare date relay communications satellite for Globalstar. The mission may have included other payloads.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 12:27 a.m. EDT.

Booster B1061 had flown 8 previous missions and was recovered to the ASDS “Just Read the Instructions”, in the Atlantic Ocean east of Charleston, South Carolina.

This completed three Falcon 9 launches and recoveries in the space of 36 hours, two from Florida and one from California.

June 28, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, SES-22

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the SES-22 C-band television broadcast services satellite for SES. The satellite has been built by Thales Alenia Space in France.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 5:04 p.m. EDT.

Booster B1073 had flown one previous mission and was recovered to the ASDS “A Shortfall of Gravitas” east of Cape Canaveral.

July 1, 2022 – United Launch Alliance Atlas V, USSF-12

The Atlas V rocket launched a payload for the U.S. Space Force including a Wide Field of View Testbed missile-warning satellite (WFOV).

The mission also launched additional classified rideshare payloads from the USSF 12 Ring spacecraft.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-41 at 7:15 p.m. EDT.

Launch viewing tickets (in addition to daily admission) were available:

• LC-39 Observation Gantry, closest viewing at $49
• Atlantis North Lawn Viewing Area, complimentary viewing

Delayed from January 2022 and from April 2022 due to a request by US Space Systems Command.

Delayed from June 29 and 30 due to weather constraints.

July 7, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–21

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a further batch of 53 Starlink satellites on the 50th Starlink mission bringing the total Starlink satellite count to 2759 though some have subsequently been decommissioned.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 9:11 a.m. EDT.

Complimentary viewing was available from the Atlantis North Lawn launch Viewing Area.

Booster B1058 “NASA” had flown 12 times before and was recovered to the ASDS “Just Read the Instructions”, in the Atlantic Ocean around 400 miles northeast of Cape Canaveral. Booster B1058 has matched the record 13 launches and recoveries of booster B1060.

Delayed from June 26, 2022 and moved from launch pad LC-39A.

Jul 14, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, CRS 25

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the 27th Dragon spacecraft. The purpose of the mission was to take the 25th resupply cargo load to the International Space Station.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch time of 8:44 p.m. EDT.

The booster B1067 had flown four times before and made a successful landing on the ASDS “A Shortfall of Gravitas” east of Jacksonville.

Delayed from May 1 and June 7, 2022. Delayed from June 9 following a propellant leak in a Draco thruster valve inlet joint. Further delayed from June 10, June 28 and July 11, 2022.

This was the 30th launch from the Kennedy Space Center/Cape Canaveral this year. Coincidentally it was also SpaceX’s 30th launch of the year, including several from Vandenberg, California.

July 17, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–22

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a batch of 53 Starlink satellites.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 10:20 a.m. EDT.

Complimentary viewing was available from both the Atlantis North Lawn launch Viewing Area and the Banana Creek Launch Viewing Area.

This mission flew on booster B1051 which has now made 13 launches so far. These equals the tally of B1058 and B1060.

It was successfully recovered to the ASDS “Just Read the Instructions”, in the Atlantic Ocean east of Charleston.

July 24, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–25

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched another batch of 53 Starlink satellites.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch time of 9:38 a.m. EDT.

The Kennedy Space Center opened at 7:00 a.m. and complimentary launch viewing was available from the North Lawn Viewing Area.

This mission flew on booster B1062 on its 8th launch so far and made a successful landing on the ASDS “A Shortfall of Gravitas”, northeast of Cape Canaveral.

August 4, 2022 – United Launch Alliance Atlas V, SBIRS GEO 6

The Atlas V rocket launched the sixth Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous satellite (SBIRS), for the U.S. Space Force. The SBIRS GEO satellites are for missile early-warning detection.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-41 with a launch window from 6:29 to 7:09 a.m. EDT.

Delayed from June 18 and July 31, 2022.

August 4, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, KPLO

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) and Lunar Impactor CubeSat for the Korea Aerospace Research Institute of South Korea. This was the second Florida launch in a single day.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 7:03 p.m. EDT.

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex were offering launch viewing from two locations:

• Atlantis North Lawn in the main visitor complex (included in admission)
• LC-39 Observation Gantry, just 3.4 miles from the launch pad ($49 including light snacks and a souvenir)

Booster B1052 made it sixth launch and recovery to the ASDS “Just Read the Instructions” east of Cape Canaveral.

Delayed from August 2, 2022.

This launch marks the 34th launch of the year of which 32 rockets have successfully reached orbit. The previous two Astra Rocket 3.3 launches in 2022 both suffered technical malfunctions which prevented them reaching orbit.

The previous record of successful launches in a year was in 2021 when there were 31 launches. Looking back over the last 365 days there have actually been 42 launches.

August 9, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–26

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a batch of 52 Starlink satellites.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch time of 10:14 p.m. EDT. Earlier launch time was delayed due to strong upper level winds.

This mission flew on booster B1073 which had previously made two launches. The booster made a successful recovery on the ASDS “A Shortfall of Gravitas”, east of Charleston, South Carolina.

This brings the total Starlink launch count to over 3,000.

August 19, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–27

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a batch of 53 Starlink satellites.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 3:24 p.m. EDT.

This launch used booster B1062 which had flown eight times so far landed on the ASDS “A Shortfall of Gravitas”, east of Charleston, South Carolina.

August 27, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–23

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a batch of 54 Starlink satellites, the heaviest payload so far for a Falcon 9 weighing in at 16.7 metric tons.

This brings the total Starlink satellites launched to 3,162.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 11:41 p.m. EDT.

Booster B1069 which was damaged following a heavy landing on an ASDS last December following its maiden flight, had been fully refurbished for this flight.

Like the two previous launches, the booster landed on the ASDS, “A Shortfall of Gravitas”, east of Charleston, South Carolina.

September 4, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–20 & Sherpa-LTC2

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a batch of 51 Starlink satellites as part of a rideshare mission with a Sherpa-LTC2 space tug. The tug carried a satellite for the Boeing Varuna Technology Demonstration Mission into a higher launch orbit.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 10:09 p.m. EDT.

Booster B1052 which had flown six times before is allocated to this mission was recovered to the ASDS “Just Read the Instructions” east of Charleston, South Carolina.

September 10, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–2 & BlueWalker 3

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a batch of 34 Starlink satellites as part of a rideshare mission with a prototype BlueWalker 3 test cellular broadband satellite for AST SpaceMobile.

In total, SpaceX has now launched 3,293 Starlink satellites.

The BlueWalker satellite is the first of 168 satellites providing communications to mobile phone networks.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch time of 9:20 p.m. EDT.

The booster B1058 has now made a record breaking 14 launches and recoveries since it first flew in May 2020. The latest being to the ASDS, “A Shortfall of Gravitas”, east of Charleston, South Carolina.

The first stage also made a record breaking five engine burns to complete the deployment of its payload.

September 18, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–34

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched another batch of 54 Starlink satellites.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 8:18 p.m. EDT.

Delayed from September 11, 2022. Delayed from September 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17, 2022 due to weather constraints.

The booster B1067 made a successful recovery to the ASDS “Just Read the Instructions” east of Charleston, South Carolina.

This was the 6th flight of B1067 and the 40th orbital launch attempt from Cape Canaveral so far this year.

September 24, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–35

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a batch of 52 Starlink satellites.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 7:32 p.m. EDT.

Booster B1073 which had flown three times before landed on the ASDS “A Shortfall Of Gravitas” east of Charleston, South Carolina.

Delayed from September 19, 2022 due to the knock-on effect of bad weather on the launch of the Starlink 4–34 mission.

October 4, 2022 – United Launch Alliance Atlas V, SES-20 & SES-21

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V Rocket launched the SES-20 and SES-21 commercial TV satellites for SES. Both satellites have been built by Boeing.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-41 with a launch window from 5:36 to 6:16 p.m. EDT.

Delayed from June and August 2022. Delayed from September 30 due to Hurricane Ian.

October 5, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, USCV-5 (NASA Crew Flight 5)

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Crew Dragon spacecraft C210 “Endurance” which had flown once before. The purpose of the mission is to take the 5th crew flight for NASA to the International Space Station.

The crew consists of:

• Nicole Aunapu Mann (NASA) — Commander
• Josh Cassada (NASA) — Spacecraft Pilot
• Koichi Wakata (JAXA, Japan) — Mission Specialist
• Anna Kikina (Roscosmos, Russia) — Mission Specialist

Both Mann, Wakata and Cassada were scheduled to fly on a Boeing Starliner but have been switch to SpaceX after further delays in the Starliner program.

This will be the first time a Russian cosmonaut has flown with SpaceX.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch time of 12:00 p.m. EDT.

As this is a crewed launch and in anticipation of larger crowds, anyone wanting to view the launch at the complex had to either purchase a normal one day admission ticket (on a first-come first-served basis) or pre-purchase one of two ticket packages to gain admission.

The booster B1067 had been scheduled for this launch having made four previous launches but it was damaged in transit to Florida and was substituted for a brand new booster B1077.

Booster B1077 made its first successful landing on the ASDS “Just Read the Instructions”, northeast of the Kennedy Space Center.

Delayed from September 1, 2022. Delayed from September 29, 2022 to allow extra separation between spacecraft movements at the ISS.

Delayed from October 3 and 4, 2022 because of impact of Hurricane Ian.

October 8, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Galaxy 33 and 34

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Galaxy 33 and Galaxy 34 satellites for Intelsat.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch window of 7:05 to 8:15 p.m. EDT.

Booster B1060 launched on its 14th flight and was recovered to the ASDS “A Shortfall of Gravitas” about 400 miles east of Cape Canaveral.

Delayed from October 5 due to earlier launches being pushed back. Delayed from October 6 when the countdown clock was stopped at T-30 seconds due to an issue with the helium system in the first stage. Delayed from October 7.

October 14, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Hotbird 13F

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Hotbird 13F satellite for Eutelsat.

Hotbird 13F is a next generation all-electric television broadcasting spacecraft built by Airbus.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 11:22 a.m. EDT.

Booster B1069 which had flown twice before was recovered to the ASDS “Just Read the Instructions” over 400 miles east of Cape Canaveral.

October 20, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–36

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched another batch of 54 Starlink satellites.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 10:50 a.m. EDT.

Booster B1062 had made nine previous launches and successfully landed on the ASDS “A Shortfall Of Gravitas” east of Charleston, South Carolina.

Delayed from September 30 due to Hurricane Ian.

November 1, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon Heavy, US Space Force 44 (USSF-44)

The SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launched two classified payloads (formerly known as AFSPC-44) for the U.S. Space Force. They are:

• Shepherd Demonstration
• Long Duration Propulsive ESPA (LDPE 2) with six payloads of which three will remain attached to the spacecraft and three will be deployed

There was also a secondary payload, the Tetra-1 micro-satellite developed by Millennium Space Systems.

For the first time, the SpaceX mission attempted to launch the payload directly into geostationary orbit (GEO) at around 22,000 miles above the Earth.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch time of 9:41 a.m. EDT.

It is over 3 years since the last launch of a Falcon Heavy and crowds were expected to be high.

In anticipation of larger crowds, anyone wanting to view the launch at the complex had to either purchase a normal one day admission ticket (on a first-come first-served basis) or pre-purchase a special launch package to gain admission:

• Main Visitor Complex — view from the visitor complex, visible once the rocket clears the tree line (included with normal admission)
• Feel the Heat package — the closest viewing option at Banana Creek next to the Apollo/Saturn V building

Feel the Heat Package price was $250 and included two launch viewing attempts plus an additional day admission to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (to be used within 30 days of launch), souvenirs and a complementary meal. Read about the launch viewing ticket package options for more details.

On the three previous Falcon Heavy launches, the two side boosters have landed back at the Cape at pads LZ-1 and LZ-2 but SpaceX has yet to successfully recover the special centre core.

On the first and third attempts, the centre booster missed the autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS) and though the booster made a successful landing on the second attempt it then toppled over due to heavy seas.

For the USSF-44 mission, SpaceX recovered both the side boosters onshore back at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at LZ-1 and LZ-2 but the centre core booster B1066 was expended due to insufficient fuel reserve to effect a landing.

All three boosters, B1064, B1065 and B1066 were brand new.

Delayed from Quarter 4, 2020 and Quarter 2, 2021. Delayed from July 2021 to “accommodate payload readiness”, presumably due to delays in one of the USSF-44 payloads. The second Falcon Heavy launch, USSF-52 has likewise been pushed back from October 2021 to 2023.

In October 2021 it was announced that “payload readiness“ issued have further delayed the launch until early 2022. Launch was predicted for June 2022 but it was further delayed until Quarter 4, 2022.

Delayed from October 28, 2022.

November 3, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Hotbird 13G

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Hotbird 13G all electric television broadcasting satellite for Eutelsat.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 1:22 a.m. EDT.

The booster B1067 which had flown six times before was recovered to the ASDS “Just Read the Instructions”.

November 12, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Galaxy 31 and 32

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Galaxy 31 and Galaxy 32 satellites for Intelsat.

Because these two satellites were launched into a higher orbit, the booster B1051 which had flown 13 times before was expended and not recovered.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 11:06 a.m. EST.

Delayed from November 8, 2022 due to bad weather caused by the approach of Tropical Storm Nicole.

November 16, 2022 – Space Launch System, Artemis 1

This was the first launch of the new Space Launch System (SLS) heavy lift rocket which replaces the cancelled Constellation programme and the retired Space Shuttle programme. Originally called Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) the mission is now known as Artemis 1.

Launch attempts on September 5 or 6 were called off after scrub on September 3. NASA decided to try and repair a faulty seal at the pad but in the end the rocket had to be returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building.

The SLS is currently the most powerful rocket ever built with 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. The rocket consists of two Northrop Grumman solid-propellant boosters and four refurbished and upgraded Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25 main engines from the Space Shuttle programme.

Segments of the solid rocket boosters are also repurposed from the shuttle programme.

The mission is to send an unmanned Orion capsule around the moon and deploy 10 (originally 13) small rideshare CubeSat payloads deployed from the Orion Stage Adapter.

Three payloads had to be withdrawn from the launch due to various delays. These included the Lunar Flashlight built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The Flashlight is designed to shine laser beams into the dark craters on the Moon to ascertain the composition and if they contain water ice.

Two further small satellites developed at Cornell University, called the Cislunar Explorers also missed the mission, as was the CU-E3 from the University of Colorado that was set to test deep space communications.

This left 10 small CubeSat payloads to be deployed in lunar orbit:

• ArgoMoon – take high resolution images of the upper stage of the SLS after deployment of the Orion Stage Adapter (Italian Space Agency and Argotec)
• BioSentinel – investigate deep space radiation (NASA’s Ames Research Center, California)
• CuSP – observe particles and the magnetic field around the Sun (Southwest Research Institute)
• EQUULEUS – image Earth’s plasmasphere (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the University of Tokyo)
• LunaH-Map (Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper) – map the hydrogen content of the South Pole (Arizona State University)
• Lunar IceCube – check for water and organic molecules using an infrared spectrometer (Moorhead State University, Kentucky)
• LunIR – collect thermal imagery of the Moon’s surface using infrared imaging (Lockheed Martin)
• NEA Scout – perform a flyby of a small asteroid using a solar sail (NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Marshall Space Flight Center)
• OMOTENASHI – attempt a “semi-hard” landing on the lunar surface powered by a solid rocket motor (JAXA and the University of Tokyo)
• Team Miles – test a small plasma drive into deep space (Miles Space and Fluid & Reason LLC)

Launch was from launch pad LC-39B, one of the two former shuttle launch pads, with a two hour launch window starting at 01:04 a.m. EST.

The launch took place at 1:47 a.m. after having to resolve a hydrogen leak in a replenish valve on the mobile launcher at the pad.

It was the 50th launch from the Kennedy Space Center in 2022.

A further launch window was on November 19, another nighttime launch.

Mission length will be around 25 days with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

As this was a momentous launch, admittance to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex was limited to those who bought a launch viewing ticket package:

• Main Visitor Complex package — from the visitor center and car park itself (excluding the Atlantis North Lawn viewing area)
• Feel the Fun package — from the Atlantis North Lawn in the main complex
• Feel the Heat package — the closest viewing option at Banana Creek next to the Apollo/Saturn V building

Prices ranged from $99 to $250 and include a 2-day admission to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, souvenirs and a complementary meal (Feel the Fun and Feel the Heat packages only).

Tickets for the August 29 launch attempt went on sale at 11:00 EDT on August 2, 2022 and as expected sold out very quickly. Tickets for that launch were valid for the September 3 launch and a few additional Main Visitor Complex tickets were available for purchase.

Following the second scrub the Kennedy Space Center confirmed that tickets would still be valid for the next launch attempt.

As the rocket had to return to the Vehicle Assembly Building to escape Hurricane Ian, the next launch period was November 12 to November 27.

Unlike on the previous Shuttle programme, the boosters will not be recovered after lift-off.

On its return, the Orion capsule will splash down in the Pacific Ocean.

Delayed from November 2018, December 2019, June and November 2020. Delayed from February 12, March, April and May 2022. Delayed from June 6, 2022 due to issues during the “wet” dress rehearsal at the pad.

First launch attempt scrubbed during an unplanned hold at T-40 minutes on August 29, 2022 due to an issue with the hydrogen bleed flow on the No. 3 engine of the core stage.

Second launch attempt on September 3, 2022 also scrubbed, this time due to a leak in the hydrogen fill/drain line.

The September 27 launch date had to be scrubbed due to the threats from Hurricane Ian and Artemis was returned to the VAB.

Delayed from November 14, 2022 due to the approach of Tropical Storm Nicole.

Previous launch windows in 2022 were:

• April 8 to April 23
• May 7 to May 21
• June 6 to June 16
• June 29 to July 12
• August 23 to September 6
• September 19 to October 4
• October 17 to October 31

November 22, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Eutelsat 10B

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Eutelsat 10B broadband communications satellite, built by Thales Alenia Space.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 9:57 p.m. EST.

The booster B1049 was not fitted with landing legs or titanium grid fins and was expended to allow the payload to be lofted to a higher orbit. The booster had previously flown ten times.

Delayed from November 21, 2022 for additional pre-flight checks.

November 26, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, CRS 26

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the 28th Dragon spacecraft. The purpose of the mission is to take the 26th resupply cargo load to the International Space Station.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch time of 2:20 p.m. EST.

The booster B1076 is brand new and made a successful recovery to the ASDS “Just Read the Instructions” drone ship east of Jacksonville, Florida.

Delayed from October, November 18 and 21, 2022. Scrubbed on November 22 due to bad weather conditions.

December 8, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, OneWeb 15

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a batch of 40 broadband communication satellites for OneWeb. Total OneWeb satellites in the constellation now stands at 504 out of projected 648.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch time of 5:27 p.m. EST.

Launch viewing tickets were available from either the main Visitor Complex (included with admission) or from the Banana Creek launch viewing area next to the Apollo/Saturn V Center ($20 per person).

The booster B1069 returned to Landing Zone 1 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station after its fourth flight.

Delayed from December 6, 2022

December 11, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, ispace Mission 1 (M1)

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Mission 1, part of the HAKUTO-R programme. The aim of the mission is to land in the Atlas Crater in the Lacus Somniorum region of the Moon.

The lunar lander has been built by the Japanese company ispace in collaboration with ArianeGroup.

Amongst its payload are two small lunar rovers from Japan and the United Arab Emirates.

The Japanese two wheeled rover is the size of a baseball and built by the JAXA Space Agency whilst the Rashid Rover is a larger four wheeled rover built by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai.

A further payload is the NASA Lunar Flashlight CubeSat.

If successful it will be first time a commercial company as opposed to a government agency has landed on the moon.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 2:38 a.m. EST.

The booster B1073 returned to Landing Zone 2 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station after its fifth successful launch.

Delayed from November 22 and 28, 2022. Delayed from November 30 to allow additional pre-flight checks. Delayed from December 1 and rocket rolled back to the hangar. Delayed from December 7, 2022.

December 16, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, O3b mPOWER 1 & 2

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the first group of two O3b mPOWER broadband communications satellites for SES, Luxembourg. The satellites have been built by Boeing and in total 11 satellites are planned.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 5:48 p.m. EST.

The booster was B1067 which had flown seven times before. It landed on the ASDS “A Shortfall Of Gravitas”.

Delayed from May, June, August, November and December 13, 2022.

December 17, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 4–37

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched another batch of 54 Starlink satellites. Total Starlink satellites launched now stands at 3,612 though not all are still operational.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A with a launch time of 4:32 p.m. EST.

The booster was B1058 “NASA” which has now flown 15 times setting a new record for the number of launches of the Falcon 9. It was recovered to the ASDS “Just Read the Instructions” over 400 miles northeast of Cape Canaveral.

There was originally the potential for a second launch from SpaceX on December 16, this time from LC-39A just 18 minutes apart. In the end SpaceX achieved three launches in 48 hours, two from Florida and one from California.

Delayed from October and November, December 5, 6 and 16, 2022.

December 28, 2022 – SpaceX Falcon 9, Starlink 5–1

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched another batch of 54 Starlink satellites, the first group for the Shell 5 constellation and the first of the next generation 2 (Gen2) satellites.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-40 with a launch time of 4:30 a.m. EST.

The booster B1062 was on its eleventh flight and landed on the ASDS “A Shortfall Of Gravitas”.

There are no further planned launches in 2022, 2023 launches can be found here.

Sources

• Kennedy Space Center
• Space Flight Now
• Space Launch Schedule
• SpaceX
• United Launch Alliance

See also:- NASA tours | NASA tickets | current launch schedule