In 2024, our understanding of the cosmos and the spaceflight industry reached new heights. As we bid farewell to the accomplishments of the past year, we eagerly anticipate the ambitious projects set to launch in the coming months. Over a dozen projects are poised to achieve major milestones, offering a more complete picture of the benefits of spaceflight and astronomical research. From asteroid flybys to lunar landings, the year ahead is filled with exciting developments in space exploration. Here’s a glimpse of what to expect in the world of space in the near future.
Lucy’s spacecraft, named after a historic fossil, will make a close pass by the Jupiter Trojan asteroid Donaldjohanson in April, providing valuable insights into the formation of our solar system. Meanwhile, the Juno spacecraft will conclude its mission with a dramatic plunge into Jupiter in September, marking the end of a successful 14-year journey.
NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization will launch the NISAR satellite in March, allowing for comprehensive monitoring of Earth’s surface and climate changes. The European Space Agency’s Space Rider spaceplane is also set to debut in late 2025, offering routine access to space for scientific experiments.
Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser, the world’s first commercial space plane, is scheduled for launch in May to deliver cargo to the International Space Station. Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander will touch down on the Moon in January as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services, paving the way for sustained lunar exploration.
Ispace’s Resilience Moon lander will join Firefly’s mission to the Moon in January, while Intuitive Machines prepares for its IM-2 mission in February to investigate ice water beneath the lunar surface. NASA’s Interstellar Mapping Acceleration Probe (IMAP) will launch later in the year to study the magnetic bubble surrounding the solar system.
With these and other groundbreaking projects on the horizon, the future of space exploration is brighter than ever. Stay tuned for more exciting updates from the final frontier.