After a packed spring season, the space industry is easing into summer with a relatively slow start. Only a handful of missions are confirmed for June, though the month could see more activity as tentative launch windows solidify. SpaceX remains the most active player, with a number of scheduled Falcon 9 launches, including a private astronaut mission to the International Space Station and three deployments of Starlink satellites. These come shortly after a high-profile setback for SpaceX’s Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, which failed to return intact following a propellant leak that caused it to spin out of control.
China is also expected to continue expanding its satellite network, with two Long March rocket launches tentatively scheduled. Below are the key space missions to watch in June:
June 2, June 3 and June 8: SpaceX launches back-to-back Starlink missions. SpaceX will kick off the month with consecutive Falcon 9 missions. On June 2, a Falcon 9 will launch a batch of Starlink v2-mini satellites (Starlink 12-19) into low-Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida. The next day, another Falcon 9 will lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying 22 additional Starlink v2-mini satellites (Starlink 11-22). Then, on June 8, a third batch of Starlink satellites (Starlink 15-8) will lift off from Vandenberg.
June 8:Axiom Mission 4 launches to the ISS. A SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a private crewed mission to the ISS, following a delay from late May. Operated by Texas-based Axiom Space, the mission will carry four astronauts who will spend up to 14 days conducting scientific research aboard the ISS. The crew is led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson—her second time commanding a private spaceflight. Joining her are Shubhanshu Shukla, ESA astronaut Sławomir Uznański, and Tibor Kapu. Shukla will make history as the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS.
June 23 or June 24: Japan launches the final mission of Mitsubishi’s H-2A rocket. Japan plans to launch an Earth-observing satellite no earlier than June 23 from the Tanegashima Space Center. The satellite is a joint effort by the Ministry of the Environment, the National Institute for Environmental Studies, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). This mission will also mark the final flight of the H-2A rocket, developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
TBD: Starship’s 10th orbital test. SpaceX is expected to conduct the 10th orbital test of its Starship vehicle in June. The most recent flight, on May 27, ended in failure, but Elon Musk said on X that the next three tests would be scheduled roughly three to four weeks apart—placing the next launch within June.
TBD: China launches two Long March missions. China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has two Long March missions planned for June. These launches will deliver communication satellites into low-Earth orbit as part of China’s expanding space infrastructure.
TBD: Sierra Space sends a spaceplane to the ISS. Colorado-based Sierra Space is preparing for a milestone mission: the first launch of its reusable Dream Chaser spaceplane to the ISS. The spaceplane will ride aboard a ULA Vulcan Centaur rocket from Cape Canaveral, marking the first time a winged commercial spacecraft visits the space station.
