Japan's first Mars mission is planned to conduct observations of Mars, Phobos & Deimos, to land on Phobos to collect samples and return them to Earth. Led by JAXA with major contributions from international partners including NASA, ESA, CNES, and DLR. Scheduled for launch in late 2026, the mission aims […]
Today marks another full year of continuous Human occupation of ISS; first component Zarya launched Nov 20, 1998, occupation began Nov 2, 2000.
NASA interstellar craft set to reach 16.1 billion miles today, marking one full light-day of communication delays. Craft is operating with only 2 science instruments.
ESA / JAXA Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) expected to execute a critical capture burn on November 21, 2026, deploy the Mio orbiter on December 9–10, 2026, and begin full science operations in April 2027.
After executing a critical capture burn on , today the craft is planned to deploy the Mio orbiter on , and begin full science operations in April 2027.
NASA astrophysics 9-month mission to gather ultraviolet light information for understanding origins of stars / planets / life.
(Estimated Date) CNSA to launch Chang'e-7 mission which is planned to land near the illuminated southeast ridge of Shackleton crater at about 85°S to survey environment and resources with a Relay Satellite, Orbiter, Lander (Rashid-2 from UAE), Rover, Mini-Flying Probe; orbiter and the lander carry Chinese national science payloads as […]
China Tianwen-2 asteroid sample return mission planned to depart Kamo’oalewa (2016 HO3) today and return to Earth with least 100 grams of sample, to enter Earth atmosphere on Nov 29, 2027.
Estimated date if launch is Q1 2027 - CNSA CE-7 mission planned to land at Shackleton Crater Ridge near Moon South Pole region to survey environment and resources with Relay Satellite, Orbiter, Lander (Rashid-2 from UAE), Rover, Mini-Flying Probe; lander has national science payloads as well as 6 international instruments […]
Today marks 5th full year / starts 6th year of continuous Human occupation of TSS; Shenzhou 14 three-member crew launched on this day in 2022, beginning occupation.
NASA mission to encounter 11 asteroids including a main belt and 7 Jupiter Trojans to come within 1,000 km of 64-km diameter 3548 Eurybates asteroid and its 1-km diameter satellite Queta.
NASA mission to encounter 11 asteroids including a main belt and 7 Jupiter Trojans to come within 415 km of 21-km diameter 15094 Polymele asteroid which may be a collisional fragment and rich in organic tholin compounds.
Today marks another full year of continuous Human occupation of ISS; first component Zarya launched Nov 20, 1998, occupation began Nov 2, 2000.
China asteroid sample return capsule planned to return to Earth today with at least 100 grams from Kamo’oalewa (2016 HO3); main Tianwen-2 craft is on trajectory to Main Asteroid Belt to rendezvous with comet 311/P PanSTARRS in 2035.
☆ NET Dec — JAXA Hayabusa 2 mission to perform first flyby Earth today on way to rendezvous with asteroid 1998 KY26 in 2031, after returning samples from (162173) Ryugu to Earth in 2020 and flying by asteroid 98943 Torifune in 2026.
NET March - The MBR Explorer by the United Arab Emirates Space Agency's (UAESA) is a $1 billion, 13-year mission to explore six main-belt asteroids and deploy a lander on a seventh, 269 Justitia, in 2034; launch vehicle / location TBA.
NET Apr — European Space Agency / JAXA Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (BepiColombo) nominal mission ends this month, 5.82 Mercury years after orbit insertion; potential extended mission and plans TBD.
NASA's Lucy mission, to encounter 11 asteroids including a main belt and 7 Jupiter Trojans, planned to come within 1,000 km of 34-km diameter 11351 Leucus asteroid today.
☆ NET Jun — JAXA Hayabusa 2 mission to perform second flyby Earth today on way to rendezvous with asteroid 1998 KY26 in 2031, after returning samples from (162173) Ryugu to Earth in 2020 and flying by asteroid 98943 Torifune in 2026.
Today marks 6th full year / starts 7th year of continuous Human occupation of TSS; Shenzhou 14 three-member crew launched on this day in 2022, beginning occupation.
Today marks another full year of continuous Human occupation of ISS; first component Zarya launched Nov 20, 1998, occupation began Nov 2, 2000.
NASA Lucy mission, to encounter 11 asteroids including a main belt and 7 Jupiter Trojans, to come within 1,000 km of 51-km diameter 21900 Orus asteroid (which may be a possible binary) today.
NET 2029 — Scheduled end of European Space Agency Euclid mission which is measuring accelerated expansion of Universe, aiding in understanding of dark energy / dark matter; future plans / extensions to be determined.
NET 2029 — NASA and JPL Caltech Psyche Mission to investigate all-metal asteroid Psyche to insert itself into asteroid orbit around beginning on this year if launching 2026.
NET Jan — ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) expected to perform 3rd and final flyby of Earth this month, arriving at Jupiter in 2031.
NET Feb — INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) space telescope will burn up upon Earth atmosphere reentry this month due to natural orbit decay after running out of fuel reserves / end of science mission in early 2020s; launched Oct 2002.
OSIRIS-APophis EXplorer (OSIRIS-APEX) is planned rendezvous with and orbit asteroid Apophis starting today for 9 months following the asteroid’s close Earth approach which occurred April 13, 2029; craft previously known as Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) which returned samples from asteroid Bennu to Earth on Sep 24, 2023.
Today marks 7th full year / starts 8th year of continuous Human occupation of TSS; Shenzhou 14 three-member crew launched on this day in 2022, beginning occupation.
NET July — China Chang’E-2 spacecraft expected to come within 7M km of Earth around this date after reaching 300M km apogee; craft was launched 1 October 2010.
NET Oct — ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) expected to perform flyby of Asteroid 223 Rosa this month, arriving at Jupiter in 2031.
Today marks another full year of continuous Human occupation of ISS; first component Zarya launched Nov 20, 1998, occupation began Nov 2, 2000.
NET 2030 — Europe hopes to have built a sustainable Moon Village by this date, while working toward Mars missions.
Europa Clipper mission to insert into Jupiter orbit on this day to study Galileo moon Europa through a series of 44 close flybys (25 to 2,700 km); launched 10 October 2024.
Today marks 8th full year / starts 9th year of continuous Human occupation of TSS; Shenzhou 14 three-member crew launched on this day in 2022, beginning occupation.
NET Aug — Japan Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, now with Phobos sample, to begin its return to Earth this month, and planned to arrive at Earth by July 2029 to deliver Sample Return Capsule.
NASA mission to encounter 11 asteroids, including a main belt and 7 Jupiter Trojans, to perform Earth flyby / gravity assist today coming within 660 km after reaching Jupiter orbit and returning to the vicinity of the Earth.
ISEE-3 (International Sun-Earth Explorer-3) craft, presumably in safe mode, is traveling around Sun & predicted to return to vicinity of Earth this year – may be able to reestablish contact; launched August 12, 1978.
NET July — ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) expected to reach Jupiter this month if launched April 2023; will perform a flyby of Ganymede 7.5-hours before Jupiter insertion; will spend at least 3.5 years studying Jupiter atmosphere and magnetosphere, moons Ganymede, Europa, Callisto and Io with 10 state-of-the-art instruments […]
☆ NET Jul — JAXA Hayabusa 2 mission to rendezvous with asteroid 1998 KY26, after returning samples from (162173) Ryugu to Earth in 2020 and flying by asteroid 98943 Torifune in 2026.
NET July — Japan Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission with Mars moon Phobos' sample to arrive at Earth this month and deliver Sample Return Capsule.
ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) expected to perform flyby of moon Europa this month.
NASA Lucy mission to come within 1,000 km of 113-km diameter 617 Patroclus and 104-km diameter Menoetius, p-type binary asteroids; Lucy will be in a stable, 6-year orbit between the L4 and L5 -- mission extension may be granted.
End of primary mission for NASA Lucy mission, future science and mission plan extension TBD; mission is a twelve-year journey to eight different asteroids, and craft will continue to orbit the Sun in a stable orbit between the L4 and L5 Trojan swarms around Jupiter.
Today marks 10th full year / starts 11th year of continuous Human occupation of Tiangong Space Station; Shenzhou 14 three-member crew launched on this day in 2022, beginning occupation.
ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) expected to achieve Ganymede elliptical orbit insertion this month.
China asteroid sample return mission, having returned at least 100 grams from Kamo’oalewa (2016 HO3), to rendezvous with and begin orbiting Comet 311/P PanSTARRS for 1 year.
ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) is planned to be deorbited and impact Ganymede at the end of 2035, having reached Jupiter in 2031.