Space missions: Present and future voyages | Astronomy.com – Astronomy Magazine

Orion's "selfie" of itself and the Moon. Orion will carry astronauts on several space missions.

Here is a list to help you keep track of many current and scheduled space missions. Weve gathered a selected group of high-profiles ones, listed them below, and linked to official sites where you can get the latest updates and launch dates.

Well update this article periodically when new missions are announced.

Here is the list of missions in alphabetical order:

Mission: This Mars orbiter was launched with the intention of detecting water and ice on the planet, as well as studying its composition.

Agency: NASA

Launch date: April 7, 2001

Updates available here.

Mission: The mission, which name means Sun in Sanskrit, was launched to conduct a comprehensive study of the Sun, sitting at the Lagrange point L1 between the Sun and Earth.

Agency: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

Launch date: Sept. 2, 2023

Updates available here.

Mission: The orbiter mission was designed to study weather patterns and atmospheric conditions, as well as search for the possibility of lighting and active volcanoes.

Agency: JAXA

Launch date: May 21, 2010

Updates available here.

Mission: This mission will be placed at Lagrange point L2 to study thousands of exoplanets, ranging from rocky planets to gas giants in visible and infrared wavelengths.

Agency: ESA/Ariel Mission Consortium

Expected launch: 2029

Updates available here.

Mission: The mission, featuring a crew of four astronauts, will perform a series of flights maneuvers as well as tests in space to ensure the systems are appropriate to take the Artemis III crew to the Moon.

Agency: NASA

Expected launch: November 2024

Updates available here.

Mission: The mission is expected to take four astronauts to the lunar South Pole for the first time to explore, collect geologic samples, and take images of the regions unique features.

Agency: NASA

Expected launch: 2025

Updates available here.

Mission: BepiColombo, comprised of two orbiters, was designed to study composition, geophysics, atmosphere, magnetosphere and history of Mercury.

Agency: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)/ESA

Launch date: Oct. 18, 2018

Updates available here.

Mission: With its lander, Vikram, and rover, Pragyan, this mission landed safely on the Moons south pole.

Agency: ISRO

Launch date: July 14, 2023

Updates available here.

Mission: Made up of three spacecrafts, the mission will wait at the Lagrange point L2 before separating to gather 3D images of Comet Interceptor as well as its nucleus and composition.

Agency: ESA

Expected launch: 2029

Updates available here.

Mission: Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble Gases, Chemistry, And Imaging (DAVINCI) probe would explore the atmosphere of Venus.

Agency: NASA

Expected Launch: June 2029

Updates available here.

Mission: This dual-quadcopter would explore a variety of locations on Saturns moon, Titan, for possible habitability.

Agency: NASA

Expected launch: 2027

Updates available here.

Mission: The Emirates Mars Mission, named Hope Probe will gather a picture of the Martian atmosphere and its layers. It will also look at the planets loss of hydrogen and oxygen gases into space over the span of one Martian year.

Agency: UAE Space Agency

Launch Date: July 20, 2020

Updates available here.

Mission: The mission is to investigate Venus from its inner core to its upper atmosphere, characterizing the interaction between its atmosphere, surface, and interior.

Agency: ESA

Expected launch: early 2030s

Updates available here.

Mission: The Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) are a dual-spacecraft mission to study the transfer of solar wind energy and momentum.

Agency: NASA

Expected launch: 2024

Updates available here.

Mission: Europa is expected to explore the moon of Jupiter with the same name during a series of flybys. Its objectives include studying the moons ice shell and ocean, as well as its composition and geology.

Agency: NASA

Expected Launch: Oct. 10, 2024

Updates available here.

Mission: The spacecraft will perform a survey of the target asteroid, Dimorphos and the orbiting moonlet Didymos, after the NASA Dart Mission conducted its asteroid deflection on Sept. 26, 2022.

Agency: ESA

Expected launch: October 2024

Updates available here.

Mission: Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, or JUICE, was dispatched to study the composition of Jupiter along with its three large, water-logged moons Ganymede, Callisto and Europa.

Agency: European Space Agency (ESA)

Launch date: April 14, 2023

Updates available here.

Mission: Understand origin and evolution of Jupiter and its four largest moons, look for solid planetary core, map magnetic field, measure water and ammonia in deep atmosphere, observe auroras.

Agency: NASA

Launch date: Aug. 5, 2011

Updates available here.

Mission: Known as Danuri, this is a lunar probe expected to carry out the mission of lunar observation while flying at an altitude of 100km over the Moon.

Agency: Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI)

Launch date: Aug. 5, 2022

Updates available here.

Mission: Lucy was launched to view trojan asteroids surrounding Jupiter.

Agency: NASA

Launch date: Oct. 16, 2021

Updates available here.

Related: Surprise! NASAs Lucy mission uncovered an asteroid moon that is actually two in one

Mission: The mission began as a way to target areas for future robotic and human exploration on the Moon. After two years, it focused more on studying temperature maps and other scientific data on Earths satellite.

Agency: NASA

Launch date: June 18, 2009

Updates available here.

Mission: The orbiters goal was to complete a map of the Mars atmospheric composition and water on its surface, as well as learning more about one of its moons, Phobos.

Agency: ESA

Launch date: June 2, 2003

Updates available here.

Mission: The mission involves Mars Perseverance Rover working with a lander and orbiter to retrieve samples from Mars and deliver them to Earth.

Agency: NASA/ESA

Expected launch: 2027 (orbiter) and 2028 lander

Updates available here.

Mission: Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution or MAVEN, studies the upper atmosphere of Mars as well as its interaction with the Sun and solar winds.

Agency: NASA

Launch date: Nov. 18, 2013

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Space missions: Present and future voyages | Astronomy.com - Astronomy Magazine