According to reports from PBS News and Freethink, 2024 is shaping up to be an exciting year for space exploration, with numerous missions planned to explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond, including NASA's Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter's moon and the crewed Artemis II lunar flyby.
Crewed Space Missions 2024
2024 promises to be an exciting year for crewed space missions, with several notable flights planned by both government agencies and private companies. These missions will push the boundaries of human spaceflight and pave the way for future exploration. Here's a summary of key crewed missions scheduled for 2024:
Mission | Description | Launch Date |
---|---|---|
Artemis II | NASA's first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo, with four astronauts | November 2024 (delayed to September 2025) [1] [2] |
Polaris Dawn | First commercial spacewalk, funded by Jared Isaacman | April 2024 [3] |
Boeing Starliner | First crewed flight to ISS, carrying two NASA astronauts | April 2024 [2] |
SpaceX Crew-9 | Ninth operational crewed mission to ISS for NASA | August 2024 [4] |
Axiom Mission 3 | Private crew to ISS, including first Turkish astronaut | Early 2024 [5] |
These missions represent significant milestones in both government and commercial spaceflight, including the return of humans to lunar vicinity, the first commercial spacewalk, and continued expansion of access to the International Space Station.
Robotic Explorers to Outer Planets
Several ambitious robotic missions are set to launch in 2024 to explore the outer planets and their moons, advancing our understanding of these distant worlds. Here's an overview of the key missions:
Mission | Destination | Launch Date | Key Objectives |
---|---|---|---|
Europa Clipper | Jupiter's moon Europa | October 2024 | Investigate Europa's potential habitability, study its icy shell and subsurface ocean [1] [2] |
JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) | Jupiter's moons | Launched in 2023, arriving 2031 | Study Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa [2] |
MMX (Martian Moons eXploration) | Mars' moons Phobos and Deimos | September 2024 | Determine the origin of Mars' moons, collect samples from Phobos [1] |
Hera | Didymos-Dimorphos asteroid system | October 2024 | Study aftermath of NASA's DART impact, gather data on asteroid deflection [1] [2] |
Europa Clipper, NASA's flagship mission to Jupiter's moon Europa, is scheduled to launch in October 2024. The spacecraft will perform nearly 50 flybys of Europa to study its icy shell, surface geology, and subsurface ocean, with the goal of assessing the moon's potential to harbor life.
The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is preparing to launch the Martian Moon eXploration (MMX) mission in September 2024. This ambitious project aims to study Mars' two moons, Phobos and Deimos, to determine their origin. The mission will spend three years conducting observations and will attempt to land on Phobos to collect a sample for return to Earth.
Following up on NASA's successful DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission, the European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft will launch in October 2024. Hera will visit the Didymos-Dimorphos asteroid system to study the effects of DART's impact, providing crucial data for future planetary defense strategies.
These missions represent significant advancements in our exploration of the outer solar system, promising to reveal new insights about the formation and evolution of planets and moons, as well as the potential for life beyond Earth.
Notable Spacecraft Launches
Several notable spacecraft are set to launch in 2024, expanding our capabilities in Earth orbit and beyond. Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser, a miniature Space Shuttle-like vehicle, is preparing for its first uncrewed test flight as early as April [2]. NASA's Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) is scheduled to launch in the first half of the year aboard a Rocket Lab Electron vehicle, testing materials for larger solar sails [2]. Additionally, Europe's new Ariane 6 heavy-lift rocket is targeting its debut launch on July 9 after a series of delays, with a three-hour launch window opening at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT) [4].
Lunar Exploration Initiatives
Several lunar missions are slated for 2024, marking a renewed focus on exploring Earth's celestial neighbor. NASA's VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) is scheduled to launch in November, with the goal of searching for water ice and other potential resources at the Moon's south pole [1]. Commercial ventures are also joining the lunar race, with Astrobotic's Peregrine One lander aiming to make the first commercial lunar landing at Sinus Viscositatis in late January [5]. These missions will pave the way for future human exploration and potential resource utilization on the Moon, supporting NASA's broader Artemis program objectives.
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