NASA is gearing up for some groundbreaking space missions, pushing the limits of human and scientific exploration to levels not seen in decades. The ambitious plans include sending astronauts on a lunar fly-by mission, establishing a permanent settlement on the moon, and delving into cutting-edge scientific research.
- Lunar Fly-By with Artemis II (November): NASA is set to embark on its most complex and high-risk mission in decades with Artemis II. Scheduled for launch in November, this mission will carry four astronauts on a historic trip around the moon, marking the farthest human exploration beyond Earth’s immediate orbit since the Cold War-era space race.
- Starship Test Launches by SpaceX: SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, is racing to develop Starship, the largest rocket and spacecraft system ever built. While testing faced setbacks in 2023, additional tests are expected in 2024. NASA plans to use Starship for the Artemis III mission, aiming to land humans on the moon for the first time since 1972.
- Exploring Europa’s Potential Habitability (October): The Europa Clipper, NASA’s largest spacecraft for a planetary mission, is set to launch in October. This orbiter will study Jupiter’s moon Europa, examining its potential to support life within its ocean beneath the icy crust. The mission aims to enhance our understanding of habitability on ice-covered ocean worlds.
- Robotic Exploration of the Moon: NASA, along with other countries, is focusing on robotic exploration of the moon. The Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program plans to send four spacecraft to land on the moon in 2024. These missions, conducted by private companies, will contribute to lunar exploration and scientific research.
- Hera Mission to Study Asteroid Collision aftermath (October 2024): Following NASA’s intentional collision with the asteroid Dimorphos in 2022, the European Space Agency plans to launch the Hera mission in October 2024. Hera will fly by the asteroid system, surveying the aftermath and capturing details that ground-based observations may have missed.
- Polaris Dawn’s Spacewalk (2024): Jared Isaacman’s private mission, Polaris Dawn, aims to conduct the first spacewalk by a private citizen. Expected to launch in 2024, the mission will venture to the Van Allen radiation belt for research on the effects of space radiation on the human body.
- Space Tourism Continues: Axiom-3, the third private mission to the International Space Station (ISS) by Axiom, is scheduled for January. Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin plan to offer more suborbital space rides, with Virgin Galactic launching its sixth customer mission in January.
- New Vehicles for the International Space Station (2024): Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, after years of delays, is expected to launch its first crew in March 2024. Additionally, Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser, a cargo ship resembling a miniature space shuttle, is set for its inaugural flight in April 2024.
- Earth-Monitoring Missions (2024): NASA plans to launch PACE in February, a mission tracking ocean, land, and ice activity. This Earth-monitoring initiative will provide insights into air quality, ocean health, and interactions between the atmosphere and ocean. The NISAR satellite, a collaborative mission with ISRO, will launch in 2024 to track land and ice-based surfaces over the next three years, aiding climate crisis monitoring.
The year 2024 promises an exciting era for space exploration, from lunar missions and asteroid studies to spacewalks and continued advancements in Earth monitoring.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
