Rocket launches and moon trips to look forward to in 2018

Elon Musk and his company's rocket scientists aim to make an early mark on 2018's calendar of space launch events

If you love space and astronomy, 2018 will be an exciting year. NASA has announced windows of time for sending spacecraft to Mars and the sun. Japanese and American probes already in space are set to enter orbit around two near Earth asteroids. And a variety of eclipses and meteor showers offer ample opportunities for skygazing.

We’ve put dates for these events and more on The Times’s Astronomy and Space Calendar. But while some dates are certain or proximate, there’s a lot to be unsure about down here on Earth.

Sometimes spacecraft aren’t ready on time for launch. Or their launches get