Upcoming Rocket Launches This Week: Live Schedule, Mission Details, and How to Watch

Rocket launch schedules are alive. They move because of weather, range availability, technical checks, marine warnings, airspace notices, customer readiness, and sometimes because a rocket simply needs more time on the pad.

That is why the right question is not only "when is the next launch?" The better question is: what is scheduled, what is confirmed, what is still no earlier than, and where should you check before liftoff?

Below is the current launch watchlist for the coming days, based on public launch schedule sources as of May 8, 2026.

Quick answer: the next rocket launches to watch

The next scheduled launch on the global manifest is China's Tianzhou-10 mission on a Long March 7 from Wenchang Space Launch Site, listed for May 11, 2026, described as the ninth cargo delivery mission to the Chinese space station.

For U.S. launch watchers, the next major SpaceX missions listed include NROL-172 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, CRS SpX-34 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Starlink Group 17-37 from Vandenberg, and Starship Flight 12 from Starbase.

Upcoming rocket launches this week

Launch times change often, so treat every entry below as a live planning guide rather than a fixed calendar. Always re-check the provider or mission page before launch.

Tianzhou-10

• Target date: May 11, 2026
• Rocket: Long March 7
• Provider: CASC
• Launch site: Wenchang Space Launch Site, China
• Why it matters: Tianzhou-10 is listed as a cargo delivery mission to the Chinese space station.

NROL-172

• Target date: May 11, 2026
• Rocket: Falcon 9 Block 5
• Provider: SpaceX
• Launch site: Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
• Why it matters: NROL-172 is listed as a reconnaissance satellite constellation mission for the National Reconnaissance Office, with SpaceX and Northrop Grumman involvement.

Unknown Payload (Long March 6A)

• Target date: May 12, 2026
• Rocket: Long March 6A
• Provider: CASC
• Launch site: Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China
• Why it matters: Payload details were still listed as TBD in public launch schedules.

CRS SpX-34

• Target date: May 12, 2026
• Rocket: Falcon 9 Block 5
• Provider: SpaceX
• Launch site: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
• Why it matters: CRS SpX-34 is a NASA commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station carrying supplies and research payloads.

Unknown Payload (ZhuQue-2E)

• Target date: May 13, 2026
• Rocket: ZhuQue-2E
• Provider: LandSpace
• Launch site: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China
• Why it matters: This LandSpace mission was rescheduled for May 13 according to public schedule updates.

Starlink Group 17-37

• Target date: May 15, 2026
• Rocket: Falcon 9 Block 5
• Provider: SpaceX
• Launch site: Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
• Why it matters: Starlink Group 17-37 is listed as a batch of 24 Starlink satellites for SpaceX's internet constellation.

Starship Flight 12

• Target date: NET May 15, 2026
• Rocket: Starship V3
• Provider: SpaceX
• Launch site: Starbase, Texas
• Why it matters: Starship Flight 12 is listed as the twelfth test flight of the Starship launch vehicle and the maiden flight of Starship V3.

Launches to watch after this week

If you follow spaceflight closely, the launch calendar after this week is just as important. The next wave includes Starlink Group 17-42 from Vandenberg, SMILE on Vega-C from French Guiana, EOS-05 on India's GSLV Mk II, Rocket Lab's Viva La StriX mission, Starlink Group 10-31 from Cape Canaveral, and ULA's Amazon Leo LA-07 mission on Atlas V.

The pattern is clear: the near-term manifest is dominated by satellite deployment, cargo resupply, Earth observation, national security payloads, and test flights. That is what modern spaceflight looks like now. Not one giant launch every few months, but a constant movement of infrastructure into orbit.

How to watch a rocket launch live

The best place to watch a launch depends on the provider. SpaceX usually publishes launch and mission pages through its own launches section. For NASA missions, NASA+ and the NASA app are often the most reliable starting points — NASA+ is free, ad-free, available without a subscription, and accessible through iOS, Android, web browsers, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and other platforms.

You can also use CosmoHub's watch rocket launches live page to find active streams and upcoming launch coverage.

What "NET" and "TBD" mean

If a launch is marked NET, it means "no earlier than." The rocket is not expected to launch before that date or time, but it can still move later.

If a launch is marked TBD, the launch timing is still to be determined. A TBD mission can still be real and important, but it is not something you should plan around until the window tightens.

This is why launch tracking is not just a list. A useful launch calendar needs dates, time zones, mission details, provider updates, livestream links, and a way to notify you when the schedule changes.

The launches that matter most this week

NROL-172

NROL-172 is one of the most important launches to watch because it sits at the intersection of commercial launch capacity and national security space infrastructure. The mission is described as a reconnaissance satellite constellation batch built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the National Reconnaissance Office.

CRS SpX-34

CRS SpX-34 matters because it is not only another Falcon 9 launch. It is a Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station, carrying supplies and research material for work onboard the orbital laboratory.

Starship Flight 12

Starship Flight 12 is the high-volatility item on the list. It is listed as the twelfth test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle and the maiden flight of Starship V3, with timing marked NET May 15 and still to be confirmed.

Starlink Group 17-37

Starlink Group 17-37 is another reminder that the launch market is now infrastructure deployment at scale. The mission is listed as a batch of 24 satellites for SpaceX's Starlink internet constellation.

How CosmoHub can help you follow launches

Launch schedules are messy because spaceflight is operational, not theatrical. A mission can move by minutes, hours, days, or weeks. A livestream can appear late. A launch window can change because of weather, range coordination, or a technical issue.

CosmoHub is built to be your mission control layer for that noise. Use it to follow upcoming launches, check mission details, find livestreams, track satellites, track the International Space Station, check the space weather forecast, and subscribe to updates so you do not have to manually refresh five different sites.