Illustration: the night side of North America seen from orbit, city lights under a thin blue atmosphere.

Mars is the finish line.

NASA's Space Launch System rocket with the Orion spacecraft on Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center under clouds on September 3, 2022, the day its second launch attempt was called off. NASA photograph.

FEATURE

How a Launch Gets Scrubbed, and What the Countdown Is Really Checking

A rocket can be fueled, the crew strapped in and the whole world watching, and still not go. Here is what the countdown checks, who can stop it, and why a scrub can cost a day or a month.

The Earth setting behind the Moon's far side, photographed by the Artemis II crew from Orion on April 6, 2026.

Moon Tracker

Artemis II crew, Apr 6, 2026 · NASA

Artemis II (crewed lunar flyby)Apr 2026

Artemis III (Orion + lander docking test)Mid 2027

Artemis IV (crew on the Moon)2028

Sustained lunar presence2029+

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Long March 12 | Unknown Payload

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation · Go

Oct 9

Falcon 9 Block 5 | SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer A

SpaceX · Go

Watch on YouTube (SPACE AFFAIRS)

Oct 10

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-25

SpaceX · Go

Watch on X (SpaceX)

Oct 11

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Dragon CRS-2 SpX-35

SpaceX · Go

Watch on NASA+ (NASA)

Oct 13

Falcon 9 Block 5 | USSF-xxx ("TH-2")

SpaceX · TBC

Oct 15

Source: Launch Library 2 (The Space Devs) · updated Oct 8 · every launch

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Mars is the finish line.

THE MORNING DEW

NEXT LAUNCHES

EDITORIAL WATCHLIST