What are the best space news sites for following missions and launches as an amateur astronomer?

If you want to follow missions, launch schedules, and what’s visible from the ground as an amateur astronomer, these are some of the best space news sites and trackers:

Best overall space news sites

1. Spaceflight Now

• Great for launch coverage, mission updates, and concise articles.
• Especially useful if you want what’s launching, when, and from where.
• Also has a solid launch schedule.

2. NASA (News + Launch Schedule)

• Best for official mission info.
• Useful for NASA missions, ISS updates, and major public events.
• The launch schedule is reliable, though not always the most user-friendly.

3. Space.com

• Broad space news with lots of coverage of missions, astronomy, and launch events.
• Easy to browse and good for keeping up with major headlines.
• More general-audience oriented than technical.

4. NASASpaceflight

• Excellent for detailed launch and mission coverage.
• Strong for commercial spaceflight, Starship, rockets, and real-time launch reporting.
• Very popular among enthusiasts who want more depth than mainstream news.

5. The Orbital Index

• A good weekly roundup of space industry and launch news.
• Helpful if you want a digest instead of constant headlines.

Best for launch tracking and visibility

6. Heavens-Above

• Not a “news” site in the usual sense, but very useful for amateur astronomers.
• Tracks satellites, ISS passes, visible flares, and orbital predictions.
• Great for figuring out what you can actually observe.

7. CelesTrak

• Best for satellite orbit data and TLEs.
• More technical, but very valuable if you track objects yourself.

8. FlightClub / launch visualization tools

• Helpful for understanding launch trajectories and orbital inserts.
• Not always news-focused, but great for visual learners.

9. Next Spaceflight

• Very useful app/site for launch schedules, mission details, and alerts.
• Good for quick, practical launch tracking.

If you want “what can I see tonight?”

Pair a news site with:

• Heavens-Above
• Stellarium
• ISS tracking apps
• Next Spaceflight for launch notifications

Best combo for an amateur astronomer

If I were choosing just a few:

1. NASASpaceflight for serious launch coverage
2. Spaceflight Now for schedules and updates
3. Heavens-Above for visibility and observing
4. NASA for official mission info

If you want, I can also make you a ranked list by “most beginner-friendly,” “most technical,” or “best for rocket launches visible from your location.”