LIVETime on Mars 23:52Perseverance’s day 2,004Curiosity’s day 5,039Earth–Mars 240.2M km · 149.2M miRadio delay 13 minSeason: start of northern springMars Year 39, day 9
Monthly brief

Tracker · launches, arrivals and sky events

Mars launch calendar

Next launch: MMX launches to Phobos, Oct 19, 2026 at 19:41 UTC. Every upcoming Mars launch, arrival, landing and sky event, from the next Launch windowA launch window is the stretch of time, about every 26 months, when Earth and Mars line up so a spacecraft can reach Mars using the least fuel.More in the glossary to Mars’s next OppositionOpposition is when Earth passes between the Sun and Mars, so Mars rises at sunset, stays up all night and looks its brightest — about every 26 months.More in the glossary, with dates only as exact as the people flying them have given.

Updated Sources (32)

How exact is each date?

We never guess a time. Each date shows how precise its source is.

  • Oct 20261919:41 UTCExact timeA live countdown, to the second.
  • Oct 202611Day“In N days”, no clock. ≈ means our own calculation.
  • MonthNov 2026Month, season or yearShown as given. No count.
  • No dateNo date yetListed so you know it’s coming.

Calendar

20 events

20264 events

  1. Oct 202611
    Sky · Night skyMars passes the Beehive clusterBefore dawn, in front of the Beehive (M44) in Cancer: try binoculars
    Scheduledin 2 daysAdd to calendar
  2. Oct 20261919:41 UTC
    Launch · JAXAMMX launches to PhobosH3 flight 10 · Oct 20, 04:41:03 JST
    Scheduledin 10d 07h 52m 43sOct 19, 2026 at 19:41 UTCAdd to calendar
  3. MonthNov 2026
    Departure · NASAESCAPADE leaves for MarsEarth flyby and trans-Mars burn for the twin Blue and Gold orbiters
    ScheduledNovember 2026
  4. Dec 2026≈5
    Launch window · Orbital mechanicsMars 44° ahead of EarthThe textbook launch angle; NASA’s lowest-energy day to leave this window is Oct 31
    Scheduledin about 57 days

20274 events

  1. Year2027
    Arrival · JAXAMMX reaches MarsAfter about a year’s journey, JAXA says
    Scheduled2027
  2. Feb 202719
    Sky · Night skyMars at oppositionBrightest Mars of this cycle, up all night
    Scheduledin 134 daysAdd to calendar
  3. MonthMar 2027
    Target · SpaceXStarship’s uncrewed Moon landing (target)WSJ reported March 2027 (Feb 2026); in Aug 2026 SpaceX said it would follow Artemis III, planned for 2027
    TargetMarch 2027
  4. MonthSep 2027
    Arrival · NASAESCAPADE arrives at MarsFirst coordinated multi-spacecraft science mission in Mars orbit, NASA says
    ScheduledSeptember 2027

20287 events

  1. Year2028
    Launch · NASA · Relativity SpaceAeolus launchesNASA instruments on a Relativity Space orbiter, to map Mars’s weather daily
    Scheduled2028
  2. Year2028
    Launch · China (CNSA)Tianwen-3 launchesChina’s Mars sample return; samples due back around 2031
    ScheduledAround 2028
  3. Year2028
    Target · SpaceXFirst Starship cargo flights to MarsSpaceX’s Mars page: no earlier than 2028
    TargetNo earlier than 2028
  4. Season2028
    Launch window · Orbital mechanicsThe 2028–29 Mars launch windowLate 2028 into early 2029 — Rosalind Franklin and Tianwen-3 planned
    ScheduledLate 2028 – early 2029
  5. SeasonLate 2028
    Launch · ESA · NASARosalind Franklin launchesEurope’s rover, on a NASA-provided Falcon Heavy
    ScheduledLate 2028
  6. SeasonLate 2028
    Launch · NASASR-1 Freedom launchesNASA’s first fission-powered interplanetary spacecraft, carrying the SkyFall helicopters
    ScheduledLate 2028
  7. Dec 202831
    Milestone · NASA · Blue OriginMars Telecommunications Orbiter dueBlue Origin must deliver NASA’s relay orbiter no later than this date
    ScheduledBy Dec 31, 2028

20291 event

  1. Mar 202925
    Sky · Night skyMars at oppositionIts best view after 2027, in Virgo
    Scheduledin 898 daysAdd to calendar

20301 event

  1. Year2030
    Landing · ESARosalind Franklin lands on MarsAbout two years after launch, ESA says, at Oxia Planum
    Scheduled2030

20311 event

  1. Year2031
    Arrival · JAXAPhobos samples land on EarthMMX’s return capsule brings back material from a Martian moon
    ScheduledJapan’s fiscal 2031 (Apr 2031 – Mar 2032)

No date yet2 steps

  1. No date
    Next step to MarsUncrewed landing on MarsNo date has been set. In February 2026 Elon Musk wrote that SpaceX would “also strive to build a Mars city and begin doing so in about 5 to 7 years”.
    Not scheduledNo date announced
  2. No date
    Next step to MarsHumans on MarsNo agency or company has a funded, dated plan to land people on Mars.
    Not scheduledNo date announced

How we keep the calendar honest

  • Each date comes from the people flying the mission: the agency or company first, then reputable news outlets, labeled as such. The sources for every date are listed at the end of this page.
  • A date is only as exact as its source. If JAXA gives a launch time to the second, you get a countdown. If ESA says “late 2028”, that’s what you see.
  • Targets are marked as targets. A company’s goal, such as SpaceX’s for Starship, has a dashed tag, so it’s never confused with a schedule.
  • Sky events are calculated, then checked. Oppositions come from our engine and NASA JPL’s Horizons system, and match the published sky guides.

Questions

What is the next launch to Mars?

MMX launches to Phobos, Oct 19, 2026 at 19:41 UTC. H3 flight 10 · Oct 20, 04:41:03 JST.

What is the next mission to Mars?

MMX launches to Phobos. After that comes ESCAPADE leaves for Mars (November 2026). The calendar above lists every mission planned so far, with the date each agency has given.

When is the next Mars launch window?

Late 2026. NASA calculates the lowest-energy day to leave as Oct 31, 2026. Windows come round about every 26 months.

Is SpaceX launching to Mars soon?

Not before 2028. SpaceX’s Mars page says Starship cargo flights to Mars start no earlier than 2028. No company or agency has a date for a crewed flight.

Why don’t all events have a countdown?

Because most dates aren’t exact yet. When an agency gives only a month or a year, we show just that. A countdown would pretend to know more than anyone does.

Can I add a launch to my calendar?

Yes, for events with a set day or time. Use “Add to calendar” next to the event. Check back before the day: launch times often move.

Sources

  1. SpaceX — Mars & BeyondPrimary · checked Oct 4, 2026
  2. NASA Glenn Research Center — Interplanetary Mission Design Handbook: Earth-to-Mars Mission Opportunities 2026 to 2045 (NASA/TM-2010-216764)Primary · checked Oct 4, 2026
  3. SpaceX — Starship Flight 14Primary · checked Oct 1, 2026
  4. Space.com — SpaceX launches Starship into orbit for 1st timeSecondary · checked Oct 1, 2026
  5. Spaceflight Now — Starship returns to Earth, rocket splashes down north of Hawaii after three-hour flightSecondary · checked Oct 1, 2026
  6. NASA Planetary Data System — start_mars_year (data dictionary)Primary · checked Oct 4, 2026
  7. NASA GISS — Mars24 Sunclock — algorithm and worked examplesPrimary · checked Sep 28, 2026
  8. ESA — Happy New Year on MarsPrimary · checked Oct 4, 2026
  9. EarthSky — Visible planets and night sky guide for OctoberSecondary · checked Oct 4, 2026
  10. Space.com (Joe Rao) — Jupiter disappears behind the moon, Saturn shines at its best, and Mars meets the Beehive: October 2026 planet guideSecondary · checked Oct 4, 2026
  11. JAXA — Launch of the MMX spacecraft onboard the H3 Launch Vehicle No. 10Primary · checked Oct 1, 2026
  12. JAXA — JAXA press release, Aug 20, 2026Primary · checked Oct 1, 2026
  13. NASA Science (ESCAPADE blog) — NASA's Second ESCAPADE Spacecraft Completes Trajectory ManeuverPrimary · checked Oct 4, 2026
  14. NASA Science — ESCAPADE blogPrimary · checked Oct 1, 2026
  15. UC Berkeley SSL — ESCAPADE mission designPrimary · checked Oct 1, 2026
  16. NASA JPL SSD — Approximate Positions of the PlanetsPrimary · checked Sep 28, 2026
  17. JAXA — MMX: Martian Moons eXplorationPrimary · checked Oct 4, 2026
  18. Reuters (via WHBL) — SpaceX delays Mars plans to focus on 2027 moon landing, WSJ reportsSecondary · checked Oct 1, 2026
  19. The Motley Fool — SpaceX Q2 2026 earnings call transcript (Gwynne Shotwell on the Moon plan)Secondary · checked Oct 4, 2026
  20. NASA — NASA, Blue Origin Launch Two Spacecraft to Study Mars Solar WindPrimary · checked Oct 4, 2026
  21. NASA Science (ESCAPADE blog) — Mission Facts About ESCAPADEPrimary · checked Oct 4, 2026
  22. NASA — NASA Announces Public-Private Partnership to Advance Mars SciencePrimary · checked Oct 4, 2026
  23. China National Space Administration (CNSA) — China celebrates Space Day with a sneak peek at Tianwen 3's tech (Apr 24, 2026, from China Daily)Primary · checked Oct 6, 2026
  24. Xinhua — Update: China unveils international partners for Tianwen-3 Mars missionSecondary · checked Oct 4, 2026
  25. NASA — Space Reactor-1 FreedomPrimary · checked Oct 1, 2026
  26. ESA — ExoMarsPrimary · checked Oct 1, 2026
  27. ESA Exploration Science — ExoMars Rosalind Franklin (RFM)Primary · checked Oct 4, 2026
  28. NASA Science — NASA Begins Implementation for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Mission to MarsPrimary · checked Oct 4, 2026
  29. NASA — NASA Selects Blue Origin as Mars Telecommunications Network ProviderPrimary · checked Sep 28, 2026
  30. NASA JPL Solar System Dynamics — Horizons SystemPrimary · checked Oct 4, 2026
  31. BBC Sky at Night Magazine — Mars opposition 2027 and the Red planet at its bestSecondary · checked Oct 4, 2026
  32. ESA — FAQ: The ‘rebirth’ of ESA’s ExoMars Rosalind Franklin missionPrimary · checked Oct 4, 2026