Space Missions
2026 — Return to the Moon
Artemis 3
Artemis III is planned to be the second crewed mission of the NASA-led Artemis lunar exploration program, with a targeted launch in mid-2027. The crew will launch aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft.
MMX
Japan's mission to collect a sample from Mars's inner moon Phobos and return it to Earth. Will also observe Deimos and the Martian atmosphere during the 3-year stay in the Mars system.
Upcoming missions
2020s — Return to the Moon
Ariane 6 | Galileo L18 (2 x Galileo Second Generation)
Payload consists of two satellites for Europe's second generation Galileo navigation system.
Long March 5 | Chang'e 8
Chang'e 8/CE-8 is scheduled to launch in 2028, including a lander, a rover and a legged robot. The mission will land in the South Pole regions of the Moon to study lunar surface environment around the South Pole and experimenting with resource utilization, including testing an enclosed terrestrial ecosystem in the lunar environment.
Ariane 6 | Galileo L17 (2 x Galileo Second Generation)
Payload consists of two satellites for Europe's second generation Galileo navigation system.
Electron | StriX Launch 18
Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.
Falcon Heavy | NROL-97
Classified payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office
Electron | StriX Launch 22
Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.
Vulcan | NGG-2 (USSF-50)
Second Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared GEO (NGG) satellite for the US Space Force. It is designed to deliver survivable, resilient missile warning, tracking, and defense.
Vulcan | GPS IIIF SV02 (USSF-49)
Second Block IIIF GPS satellite
Falcon 9 Block 5 | NROL-157
Classified payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office
Electron | StriX Launch 24
Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.
Electron | StriX Launch 26
Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.
Electron | StriX Launch 21
Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.
Electron | StriX Launch 23
Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.
Falcon 9 Block 5 | USSF-234
Classified US Space Force mission
Falcon Heavy | USSF-186
Classified US Space Force mission
Falcon Heavy | USSF-174
Classified US Space Force mission
Electron | NorthStar 2
Four space situational awareness (SSA) satellites for Canadian company NorthStar Earth and Space.
Vega-C | ClearSpace-1
First debris removal mission by the Swiss startup ClearSpace. Contracted by the European Space Agency, it is designed to catch and de-orbit part of a Vega rocket from Low Earth Orbit using four articulated arms.
Falcon 9 Block 5 | NROL-96
Classified payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office
Vega-C | Harmony
Harmony, ESA's 10th Earth Explorer mission, consists of 2 satellites that will orbit Earth in tandem with a Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite in various configurations. The Harmony satellites’ synthetic aperture radar instruments will receive the Sentinel-1 satellite's radar signals that bounce back, or ‘backscatter’, from Earth’s surface. At the same time, Harmony’s thermal-infrared instruments provide complementary observations of the sea surface as well as the position and motion of clouds above it.
Vega-C | SBG-TIR
The Surface Biology and Geology - Thermal Infrared (SBG-TIR) Earth Observation mission aims to provide radiometric and multispectral measurements of terrestrial and aquatic emissions for climate, ecological, and geological analyses, and to support practical applications such as food security and water management. The thermal infrared (TIR) radiometer is provided by NASA, while the VIS-NIR camera is provided by ASI. Their combination ensures high-quality observations, enabling the investigation of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, monitoring of water resources, and phenomena related to high temperatures such as wildfires and volcanic eruptions.
Ariane 64 | GovSat-2
GovSat-2 is the second satellite for GovSat, the public-private partnership between SES and the Luxembourg government. The satellite is designed to address the needs of defense users at the highest Security and Service Assurance Level, adding new ultra-high frequency (UHF) channels in the X- and military Ka-bands, and will include other security features such as dedicated hardening, an advanced anti-jamming system, and embedded geo-location. GovSat-2 will be positioned over the European satellite arc, joining GovSat-1 in augmenting reliable connectivity services for government customers over the region. The satellite will be built by Thales Alenia Space on its Spacebus 4000B2 platform.
Ariane 6 | COMSATBw 1B (SATCOMBw Stufe 3-1)
First of two satellites of Germany's next generation of secure military satellite system. For the Bundeswehr, Airbus is the prime contractor for the design, integration, test and in orbit delivery of two new military GEO telecommunications satellites which are the successor communications satellites to COMSATBw 1 and 2.
Vulcan | GPS IIIF SV03 (USSF-15)
Third GPS IIIF (GPS III Follow-on) mission
Ariane 6 | COMSATBw 2B (SATCOMBw Stufe 3-2)
Second of two satellites of Germany's next generation of secure military satellite system. For the Bundeswehr, Airbus is the prime contractor for the design, integration, test and in orbit delivery of two new military GEO telecommunications satellites which are the successor communications satellites to COMSATBw 1 and 2.
Electron | StriX Launch 27
Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.
Starship | Starlab
Private space station developed by a joint venture between Voyager Space and Airbus.
Electron | StriX Launch 20
Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.
Falcon 9 Block 5 | KPS-1
KPS-1 is South Korea's first navigation satellite, the 1st of 8 satellites planned for the Korean Positioning System (KPS). This will be one of 5 satellites to be deployed into an Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO), with the other 3 in geostationary orbits. The KPS is scheduled to be completed by 2035.
Vega-C | FORMOSAT-8D
Vega C, or Vega Consolidation, is a European expendable, medium-lift launch vehicle developed and produced by Avio. It is an evolution of the original Vega launcher, designed to offer greater launch performance and flexibility.
Vega-C | FORMOSAT-9A
Vega C, or Vega Consolidation, is a European expendable, medium-lift launch vehicle developed and produced by Avio. It is an evolution of the original Vega launcher, designed to offer greater launch performance and flexibility.
Atlas V N22 | Starliner-6
Starliner-6 is the sixth crewed operational flight of a Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
Dragonfly
A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of dragonflies are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threatens dragonfly populations around the world. Adult dragonflies are characterised by a pair of large, multifaceted, compound eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural coloration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each.
Electron | StriX Launch 19
Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.
Electron | StriX Launch 25
Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.
Electron | NorthStar 3
Four space situational awareness (SSA) satellites for Canadian company NorthStar Earth and Space.
2030s — Deep space & beyond
Ariane 62 | Metop-SG B3
Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) and French Space Agency (CNES) and manufactured by a consortium of European companies, led by the prime contractor ArianeGroup. As part of the Ariane rocket family, it is operated by Arianespace, replacing the Ariane 5. The project's primary contributors were France (55.3%), Germany (21%) and Italy (7.6%), with the remaining work distributed among ten other participating countries.
Ariane 62 | Metop-SG A3
Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) and French Space Agency (CNES) and manufactured by a consortium of European companies, led by the prime contractor ArianeGroup. As part of the Ariane rocket family, it is operated by Arianespace, replacing the Ariane 5. The project's primary contributors were France (55.3%), Germany (21%) and Italy (7.6%), with the remaining work distributed among ten other participating countries.
Ariane 64 | MTG-I4
Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) and French Space Agency (CNES) and manufactured by a consortium of European companies, led by the prime contractor ArianeGroup. As part of the Ariane rocket family, it is operated by Arianespace, replacing the Ariane 5. The project's primary contributors were France (55.3%), Germany (21%) and Italy (7.6%), with the remaining work distributed among ten other participating countries.
Ariane 64 | Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA)
Heliocentric constellation of three laser-equipped spacecraft forming an equilateral triangle with a side distance of 2.5 million km. Its goal is to detect and study gravitational waves.
Ariane 64 | MTG-S2
Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) and French Space Agency (CNES) and manufactured by a consortium of European companies, led by the prime contractor ArianeGroup. As part of the Ariane rocket family, it is operated by Arianespace, replacing the Ariane 5. The project's primary contributors were France (55.3%), Germany (21%) and Italy (7.6%), with the remaining work distributed among ten other participating countries.
Ariane 64 | MTG-I3
Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) and French Space Agency (CNES) and manufactured by a consortium of European companies, led by the prime contractor ArianeGroup. As part of the Ariane rocket family, it is operated by Arianespace, replacing the Ariane 5. The project's primary contributors were France (55.3%), Germany (21%) and Italy (7.6%), with the remaining work distributed among ten other participating countries.
Ariane 62 | Metop-SG B2
Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) and French Space Agency (CNES) and manufactured by a consortium of European companies, led by the prime contractor ArianeGroup. As part of the Ariane rocket family, it is operated by Arianespace, replacing the Ariane 5. The project's primary contributors were France (55.3%), Germany (21%) and Italy (7.6%), with the remaining work distributed among ten other participating countries.
Ariane 62 | Metop-SG A2
Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) and French Space Agency (CNES) and manufactured by a consortium of European companies, led by the prime contractor ArianeGroup. As part of the Ariane rocket family, it is operated by Arianespace, replacing the Ariane 5. The project's primary contributors were France (55.3%), Germany (21%) and Italy (7.6%), with the remaining work distributed among ten other participating countries.
Ariane 64 | Argonaut Mission 1
Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) and French Space Agency (CNES) and manufactured by a consortium of European companies, led by the prime contractor ArianeGroup. As part of the Ariane rocket family, it is operated by Arianespace, replacing the Ariane 5. The project's primary contributors were France (55.3%), Germany (21%) and Italy (7.6%), with the remaining work distributed among ten other participating countries.
Ariane 64 | EnVision
Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) and French Space Agency (CNES) and manufactured by a consortium of European companies, led by the prime contractor ArianeGroup. As part of the Ariane rocket family, it is operated by Arianespace, replacing the Ariane 5. The project's primary contributors were France (55.3%), Germany (21%) and Italy (7.6%), with the remaining work distributed among ten other participating countries.
Ariane 62 | ARIEL
Atmospheric Remote sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large survey mission (ARIEL) is an ESA telescope. During its 4-year mission, ARIEL will observe 1000 planets orbiting distant stars and make the first large-scale survey of the chemistry of exoplanet atmospheres. For a selected number of exoplanets, ARIEL will also perform a deep survey of their cloud systems and study seasonal and daily atmospheric variations.
SLS Block 1B | Artemis VII
The Artemis program is a Moon exploration program led by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), aimed at returning humans to the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. It was formally established via Space Policy Directive-1 in 2017.
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Crew-14
SpaceX Crew-14 is the fourteenth crewed operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
Vega-C | FORMOSAT-9B
Vega C, or Vega Consolidation, is a European expendable, medium-lift launch vehicle developed and produced by Avio. It is an evolution of the original Vega launcher, designed to offer greater launch performance and flexibility.
Vega-C | TRUTHS
TRUTHS (Traceable Radiometry Underpinning Terrestrial- and Helio-Studies) is a a ‘standards laboratory in space’, setting the ‘gold standard’ reference for climate measurements. Carrying a cryogenic solar absolute radiometer and a hyperspectral imaging spectrometer as well as a novel onboard calibration system, TRUTHS is designed to make continuous measurements of incoming solar radiation and reflected radiation to evaluate Earth’s energy-in to energy-out ratio.
SLS Block 1B | Artemis VI
The Artemis program is a Moon exploration program led by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), aimed at returning humans to the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. It was formally established via Space Policy Directive-1 in 2017.
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Crew-13
SpaceX Crew-13 is the thirteenth operational NASA Commercial Crew Program flight and the 21st crewed orbital flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft. The mission will transport four crew members— NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov to the International Space Station (ISS).
Past missions
2020s — Return to the Moon
Artemis 2
Artemis II is a ten-day lunar flyby mission that launched on April 1, 2026. With a crew of four astronauts, it is the first crewed flight of the NASA-led Artemis program and the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. Artemis II is the second flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) and the first crewed flight of the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity by the crew.
Tianwen-2
China's first near-Earth asteroid sample-return mission. Targets the quasi-satellite Kamoʻoalewa — possibly a fragment of the Moon — with sample return to Earth in 2027 followed by an extended mission to comet 311P/PANSTARRS.
Europa Clipper
Europa Clipper is a space probe developed by NASA to study Europa, a Galilean moon of Jupiter. It was launched on October 14, 2024. The spacecraft used a gravity assist from Mars on March 1, 2025, and will use a gravity assist from Earth on December 3, 2026, before arriving at Europa in April 2030. The spacecraft will then perform a series of flybys of Europa while orbiting Jupiter.
Chang'e 6
The first mission to return samples from the far side of the Moon. Landed in the South Pole-Aitken basin — the oldest and largest impact crater in the solar system — and delivered 1,935 g of lunar regolith to Earth in June 2024.
Psyche
En route to asteroid 16 Psyche — a metal-rich body that may be the exposed core of a protoplanet. Arrival expected in 2029.
XRISM
JAXA–NASA X-ray space observatory combining high spectral resolution (Resolve calorimeter) with wide-field imaging (Xtend). Designed to study supermassive black holes, galaxy clusters, and stellar remnants.
SLIM
Japan's first lunar lander — made Japan the fifth nation to soft-land on the Moon. Achieved a precision landing within 55 m of its target despite toppling on touchdown. Survived three lunar nights before final contact was lost.
Aditya-L1
India's first dedicated solar observatory, stationed at the Sun–Earth L1 Lagrange point. Carries seven payloads to image the solar corona, photosphere, and chromosphere and to measure in-situ particles and magnetic fields.
Luna 25
Russia's first lunar lander since the Soviet era. Crashed into the lunar surface on 19 August 2023 after a pre-landing engine burn went longer than planned, ending the mission just days before Chandrayaan-3's successful landing.
Chandrayaan-3
Made India the fourth nation to soft-land on the Moon and the first to touch down near the lunar south pole. Operated for one lunar day; Vikram performed a surprise 'hop' to test ascent systems before contact was lost during the lunar night.
Euclid
ESA's dark-universe telescope. Will map the shapes, positions, and redshifts of billions of galaxies across a third of the sky, creating the most detailed 3D map of the universe ever made to probe dark matter and dark energy.
JUICE
ESA's flagship mission to Jupiter, bound for orbital insertion in 2031. Will perform 35 close flybys of Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto before settling into orbit around Ganymede in 2034 — the first spacecraft to orbit a moon of another planet.
Artemis 1
Artemis I, formerly Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), was an uncrewed Moon-orbiting mission. As the first major spaceflight of NASA's Artemis program, Artemis I marked the agency's return to lunar exploration after the conclusion of the Apollo program nearly five decades earlier. It was the first integrated flight test of the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, and its main objective was to test the Orion spacecraft, especially its heat shield, in preparation for subsequent Artemis missions. These missions seek to reestablish a human presence on the Moon and demonstrate technologies and business approaches needed for future scientific studies, including exploration of Mars.
James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a space telescope designed to conduct infrared astronomy. It is the largest telescope in space, and is equipped with high-resolution and high-sensitivity instruments, allowing it to view objects too old, distant, or faint for the Hubble Space Telescope. This enables investigations across many fields of astronomy and cosmology, such as observation of the first stars and the formation of the first galaxies, and detailed atmospheric characterization of potentially habitable exoplanets.
Lucy
The first mission to explore the Jupiter Trojan asteroids — primitive bodies trapped in Jupiter's orbit that are fossils of planet formation.
Tiangong Space Station
The Tiangong space station is a space station in low Earth orbit (LEO). It is operated by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) as part of the China Manned Space Program. It is a space laboratory that hosts scientific experiments involving bioastronautics, microgravity physics, materials science and space technology. The station is permanently crewed, hosting a standard crew of three astronauts and six during handovers. Alongside the International Space Station (ISS), it is one of the only two currently operational space stations.
Hayabusa2# Extended Mission
Hayabusa2 is an asteroid sample-return mission operated by the Japanese state space agency JAXA. It is a successor to the Hayabusa mission, which returned asteroid samples for the first time in June 2010. Hayabusa2 was launched on 3 December 2014 and rendezvoused in space with near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu on 27 June 2018. It surveyed the asteroid for a year and a half and took samples. It left the asteroid in November 2019 and returned the samples to Earth on 5 December 2020 UTC. Its mission has now been extended through at least 2031, when it will rendezvous with the small, rapidly-rotating asteroid 1998 KY26.
Perseverance
Landed in Jezero Crater, an ancient river delta. Carries the Ingenuity helicopter — the first powered flight on another planet.
Tianwen-1 / Zhurong
China's first independent Mars mission, combining an orbiter, a lander, and the Zhurong rover. Made China the second nation to successfully operate a rover on Mars when Zhurong rolled onto Utopia Planitia in May 2021.
Solar Orbiter
ESA–NASA mission providing the closest-ever imaging of the Sun (0.28 AU) and the first views of the solar poles. Combines in-situ plasma measurements with remote imaging to connect surface activity to the solar wind.