Space Launch Schedule

Review by eFreeware

What sets Space Launch Schedule apart is its focus: it exists to tell you when and where rockets are going up. The app, which also goes by the nickname Rocket Monkey, pulls together launch times from sites around the world and presents them with live video, background reading and reminders. That is a narrow brief compared with a general news app, and it is exactly the brief a certain sort of reader wants.

I would point this at people who follow spaceflight closely enough to care about a specific launch window, and at casual fans who simply enjoy watching a rocket climb off the pad. If your interest runs to agencies and vehicles rather than only the spectacle, the app has material for that too. It is a free download on Android, so the cost of finding out whether it fits your habits is low.

The app has been available since July 2015 and has built up more than 100,000 installs, with a 4.2 average across 399 ratings. Those numbers suggest a steady audience rather than a flash in the pan, which is what I would expect from a tool that people check before a scheduled launch rather than browse daily.

The launch list and how you narrow it

Worldwide rocket launch times are what the app is built around. You can filter that list by launch site and by the agency or company operating the flight, which matters once the calendar fills up with missions you have no interest in. Someone who follows only one provider can trim the list down to that provider and ignore the rest.

A countdown to the next space launch sits alongside the schedule, giving you a running sense of how close the nearest liftoff is. Notifications can alert you when a launch is coming up, and launches can be added to your phone's calendar so the reminder lives where the rest of your appointments do. Those two features cover different habits: the notification catches you in the moment, the calendar entry survives.

Filtering and reminders are the sort of features that look minor in a list and matter a great deal in practice. The value of a launch tracker depends on whether it tells you about the right launches at the right time, and these controls are how you get there.

Live video and the viewing guide

The app includes a live launch video feed, so a launch can be watched from inside the same place you found its schedule. Videos are drawn from various parts of the world, which fits the international scope of the launch list. For anyone who follows several launches a month, having the stream a tap away from the countdown is a sensible arrangement.

There is also guidance on finding the best place to watch a launch in person. That is a more unusual feature than it first appears: most trackers stop at the time and the stream, while this one acknowledges that some readers plan trips around a launch and want to know where to stand. I would expect that to appeal to people within driving distance of a launch site, and to travelers who build itineraries around a scheduled flight.

Mission, rocket and agency background

Beyond the schedule, the app carries details about launch sites, including their geography, and information about the rockets and the missions themselves. Mission objectives and spacecraft details are part of that material, which turns a bare timestamp into something closer to a briefing. The developer describes this as in-depth information, and for a reader who wants context before a launch, that is the section to spend time in.

Profiles of launch companies and agencies are included as well, with SpaceX, ULA, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab and NASA named among them. These profiles are a way to follow particular operators and keep up with what they are doing. There are also space-related articles, events and an FAQ, which give the app a reading layer on top of its scheduling role.

I like that the extra material is organized around the same subject as the schedule rather than bolted on as general news. It means the app can serve both a quick check before a launch and a longer sitting when you want to understand what you are about to watch.

Appearance and small conveniences

Light and dark themes are available, and the time display can be switched between 12 and 24 hour formats. Neither is a headline feature, but both are the kind of setting people notice when it is missing. A dark theme suits late-night launch watching, and the time format choice matters for anyone who reads schedules in 24 hour terms.

These options suggest the app is meant to be lived in rather than consulted once. Combined with the filters and reminders, they point to a tool that expects regular visits from people who track launches as a hobby.

What it costs and how it is funded

Space Launch Schedule is free to download and it carries ads. There are no in-app purchases. The developer has previously offered Patreon supporters ad-free access to both the app and the website.

That Patreon functionality has been temporarily removed to resolve a compliance issue, according to the recent changes. I would treat the ad-free route as something that may return rather than something to count on today. For a free app, ads are the trade you make.

The app was last updated on July 2, 2026, so it is being maintained. That matters for a launch tracker, where the value depends on the schedule staying current.

How it compares with other ways to follow launches

The obvious alternative is a general news or video service, where launch coverage appears alongside everything else. That approach can work, but it depends on the coverage finding you rather than you checking a list. A dedicated tracker inverts that: you go to it, and it tells you what is coming.

Another option is a calendar or reminder setup assembled by hand, where you enter launches yourself as you hear about them. Space Launch Schedule folds the research, the countdown, the stream and the background material into one place.

A third comparison is a broader astronomy app, which may cover the night sky, stargazing and celestial events alongside launches. Those apps spread their attention wider, while this one stays with rockets and the organizations that fly them. Which is better depends on whether launches are your main interest or one item among several.

A tracker for people who plan around liftoff

Space Launch Schedule is worth installing if you want a single place to check upcoming launches, set reminders and watch the stream when the time comes. The filters, countdown and calendar integration are the features that make it useful rather than merely informative, and the mission and agency details give it depth for readers who want context.

The trade-offs are the ones that come with a free, ad-supported app. With more than 100,000 installs and a 4.2 average from 399 ratings, it has found a following among people who follow spaceflight.

I would recommend it to anyone who checks launch schedules regularly, plans to watch launches in person, or simply enjoys following the companies and agencies flying today. It is built for that interest and does not pretend to be anything broader.

What's new in version 8.2.1

Temporary removal of Patreon functionality to resolve a compliance issue.