David Bridges
2024 was a monumental year that significantly advanced our understanding of the cosmos and reshaped the spaceflight industry. However, as we transition into this new year, it’s time to focus on the exciting upcoming space projects that are set to take off. With a plethora of ambitious missions on the horizon, 2025 promises to be filled with groundbreaking discoveries and innovations.
To enhance your knowledge and enthusiasm, we are spotlighting over a dozen remarkable projects that are expected to achieve significant milestones this year. These missions, unfolding over the next 12 months, aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the benefits we can reap from space exploration and astronomical research. This serves as a reminder that space research is diverse and multifaceted, with every planned event carrying immense significance—and excitement. So without further delay, let’s explore what this year holds for the realm of space.
Anticipating Lucy’s Historic Flyby of the Trojan Asteroids
The Lucy spacecraft, named after the extraordinary fossil, launched into space in October 2021 with the mission to explore the fascinating Jupiter Trojan asteroids. These celestial bodies, a collection of unique space rocks, have yet to be examined closely. Since its launch, Lucy has traveled tens of millions of miles, successfully visiting the Dinkinesh binary asteroid in January 2023.
This year, Lucy will perform a historic flyby of the Trojan asteroid Donaldjohanson on April 20. This will be Lucy’s only asteroid flyby of 2025, with the next one not scheduled until August 2027. If you have an interest in understanding the origins of our solar system and the formation of planets, make sure to mark your calendar for this crucial April flyby.
Saying Goodbye to Juno: The Final Mission
The Juno spacecraft has had an incredibly productive year, capturing detailed images of Jupiter’s moons, including the most volcanically active body in our solar system. Moreover, Juno collected data that empowered NASA scientists to identify a lava lake on that moon’s surface. However, the excitement continues as 2025 will mark the culmination of the Juno mission.
The mission will conclude dramatically, with the spacecraft making a controlled plunge into Jupiter on September 15, symbolizing the end of a remarkable 14-year journey. As this historic mission comes to a close, we will ensure to honor the legacy of the diligent spacecraft with a special tribute.
Monitoring Earth’s Systems: The Launch of NISAR Satellite
In March, NASA, in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), is set to launch the groundbreaking NISAR satellite. This mission aims to “scan nearly all of Earth’s land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days,” as stated by NASA. This continuous monitoring is crucial for scientists to track shifts in the planet’s surface and enhance our understanding of the evolving impacts of climate change.
By providing an uninterrupted view of Earth’s systems from space, NISAR will equip NASA and ISRO with vital data that can lead to informed decisions regarding environmental changes. The mission is expected to operate for at least three years, orbiting our planet approximately 464 miles (747 kilometers) above the surface, contributing significantly to our knowledge of Earth’s geophysical processes.
Introducing the Space Rider Spaceplane for Innovative Experiments
A spaceplane, approximately the size of two minivans, is gearing up to traverse Earth’s orbit, conducting scientific experiments in a microgravity environment. The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Space Rider is set for its inaugural uncrewed test flight, scheduled for late 2025.
Launching aboard a Vega-C rocket, the Space Rider is designed to remain in orbit for around two months, according to ESA. Upon completing its mission, it will return to Earth, delivering its payloads and preparing for subsequent launches. This low Earth orbit vehicle aims to provide ESA with routine access to space, facilitating the transport of payloads to various orbital altitudes for a multitude of applications.
Spaceplanes are rapidly gaining traction in the aerospace sector. These innovative vehicles operate in orbit like spacecraft but are engineered to land on Earth like airplanes. This design enables frequent reusability and a quick turnaround between missions, significantly enhancing operational efficiency.
Launch of Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser: The First Commercial Space Plane
This year marks the anticipated debut of the world’s first commercial spaceplane, Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser. Set to launch no earlier than May, this innovative spacecraft is slated to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of a NASA contract.
Dream Chaser will ascend from Earth atop the United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur rocket. Originally scheduled for liftoff in 2024, changes to the rocket’s timeline have pushed its launch to this year. The partially reusable vehicle boasts foldable wings that fully extend once the spaceplane is airborne, utilizing solar arrays for power generation. It is also equipped with heat shield tiles designed to protect it from the extreme temperatures experienced during reentry into Earth’s atmosphere, allowing for runway landings upon its return.
Sierra Space was awarded a NASA Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract in 2016, which mandates a minimum of seven uncrewed missions to the ISS for cargo delivery. The Dream Chaser mission represents a significant step forward in commercial spaceflight.
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission to the Moon
Prepare for a special delivery to the Moon! Space startups are developing advanced landers capable of routinely delivering payloads to the lunar surface, paving the way for humanity’s long-term presence on the Moon.
As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), Firefly Aerospace is gearing up to launch its Blue Ghost lander in mid-January. Following its launch, the lander will take approximately 45 days to reach the Moon, aiming for a landing site in Mare Crisium, an ancient impact basin filled with basaltic lava. The Blue Ghost is equipped with 10 science instruments designed to explore the Moon and is built to operate for one full lunar day, equivalent to 14 Earth days.
Firefly, a Texas-based startup, is fulfilling its side of a $93.3 million contract with NASA for its inaugural lunar lander. As part of the CLPS initiative, two other competitors, Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines, also launched their lunar landers to the Moon in 2024. However, landing on the Moon’s dusty surface is notoriously challenging. Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander suffered a critical propellant loss that hindered its landing attempt, while Intuitive Machines successfully became the first private company to land on the Moon, albeit with its Odysseus lander ending up tipped on its side.
Collaboration on the Moon: ispace’s Resilience Lunar Lander
Blue Ghost will not be venturing to the Moon solo; it will be accompanied by another lunar lander. Japanese startup ispace’s Resilience lander is set to ride on the same SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that will launch Firefly’s mission in mid-January.
The two landers are targeting different lunar regions. If all goes smoothly, Resilience will aim for a landing in the Mare Frigoris, situated in the Moon’s far northern areas. This lunar lander is carrying a small rover named Tenacious and is equipped with various scientific instruments, primarily from Japan’s private space sector, aimed at exploring the lunar terrain.
January’s mission will mark ispace’s second attempt at landing on the Moon. In April 2023, the Hakuto-R Mission 1 (M1) Lunar Lander tragically crashed during its descent, failing to achieve a successful landing. Hakuto-R M1 was tasked with carrying both commercial and government payloads, including a tiny, two-wheeled transformable robot from Japan’s space agency.
Intuitive Machines: Aiming for Continued Success on the Moon
In February 2024, Intuitive Machines made history by successfully becoming the first commercial venture to land on the Moon with its Odysseus lander. This landmark mission successfully delivered 12 payloads near the Malapert A crater, located in the Moon’s south pole region, after an eight-day journey through space.
Building on this success, the Houston-based company plans to launch its Athena lander this year. The IM-2 mission is scheduled for February, carrying advanced tools such as a drill and a mass spectrometer to investigate the presence of ice water beneath the Moon’s surface.
Operating under NASA’s CLPS initiative, Intuitive Machines will utilize its NOVA-C landing platform for this mission. The Athena lander will target a landing near the Shackleton connecting ridge, close to Shackleton Crater in the Moon’s south pole area. Alongside its drilling operations, the IM-2 mission will also test a Nokia LTE 4G communications system on the Moon, marking a significant step in lunar telecommunications.
