2024 in spaceflight
 NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft will be launched on a mission to study the Jovian moon Europa in 2024. | |
This article documents expected notable spaceflight events during the year 2024.
Overview
Astronomy and Astrophysics
On New Year's Day, ISRO will launch their XPoSat for studying X-ray polarization. Aditya-L1 will be inserted into Sun-Earth Lagrange point 1. European Space Agency will launch their PROBA-3 satellite for solar coronagraphy.
Exploration of the Solar System
NASA also plans to launch the Europa Clipper in October, which will study the Jovian moon Europa while in orbit around Jupiter. Hera space mission will launch to Didymos asteroid to study the after effects of Double Asteroid Redirection Test. Rocket Lab will launch their EscaPADE mission to Marsthis year.
2024 is a big year for exploration of Moon. SLIM will trying landing on Moon. Peregrine, Nova-C, VIPER and Blue Ghost will launched this year to Moon. China plans to send Chang'e 6 in May, which will conduct the first lunar sample return from the far side of the Moon.[1] Pakistan will send a lunar orbiter called ICECUBE-Q along with Chang'e 6.
Japan was planning to launch the Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) spacecraft in 2024 to collect and bring back samples from one of the moons of Mars, Phobos,[2] but it was postponed to 2026.[3]
Human spaceflight
NASA plans to launch the Artemis 2 mission on the Space Launch System, sending astronauts around the Moon on a ten-day lunar flyby.
ISRO will launch their Gaganyaan uncrewed missions and SPADEX docking experiment this year. Polaris Dawn, featuring the first commercial spacewalk, is also on track to launch in firsthalf of this year.
Rocket Innovation
The maiden flight of United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur is scheduled to take place in January.
The maiden flight of Blue Origin's New Glenn is planned for 2024.[4]
Satellite technology
NISAR, the costliest satellite and biggest radar imaging satellite will be launched from India onboard GSLV Mk-II in February 2023.[5]
NASA's Dream Chaser spaceplane, developed by Sierra Space, is scheduled to have its first flight to the International Space Station in April.[6]
Orbital launches
| Month | Num. of successes | Num. of failures | Num. of partial failures |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| February | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| March | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| April | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| May | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| June | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| July | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| August | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| September | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| October | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| November | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| December | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Deep-space rendezvous
| Date (UTC) | Spacecraft | Event | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 January | SLIM | Lunar landing | [7] |
| 3 February | Juno | 58th perijove | On the day of this perijove, Juno will fly by Io. Orbital period around Jupiter reduced to 33 days.[8][9] |
| 23 August | JUICE | Gravity assist at Earth and Moon | |
| 5 September | BepiColombo | Fourth gravity assist at Mercury | |
| 6 November | Parker Solar Probe | Seventh gravity assist at Venus | |
| 2 December | BepiColombo | Fifth gravity assist at Mercury | |
| 13 December | Lucy | Second gravity assist at Earth | Target altitude 350 km |
| 24 December | Parker Solar Probe | 22nd perihelion, closest approach to the Sun |
Extravehicular activities (EVAs)
| Start Date/Time | Duration | End Time | Spacecraft | Crew | Remarks |
|---|
Expected maiden flights
- Ariane 6 – Arianespace – Europe (ESA)[10]
- Aurora – Reaction Dynamics – Canada[11]
- Eris Block 2 – Gilmour Space Technologies – Australia[12]
- Gravity-2 – Orienspace – China [1]
- Hanbit-Nano – Innospace – South Korea [2]
- Nebula-1 – Deep Blue Aerospace – China [3]
- Neutron – Rocket Lab – USA [4]
- New Glenn – Blue Origin – USA[4]
- Pallas-1 – Galactic Energy – China[13]
- RFA One – Rocket Factory Augsburg – Germany[14]
- Skyrora XL – Skyrora – United Kingdom[15]
- Tianlong-3 – Space Pioneer – China[16]
- Volans – Equatorial Space Systems – Singapore[17]
- Darwin-II – Rocket Pi – China
- Vulcan Centaur – United Launch Alliance – USA[18]
Notes
References
- ^ Andrew Jones [@AJ_FI] (25 April 2023). "China's Chang'e-6 sample return mission (a first ever lunar far side sample-return) is scheduled to launch in May 2024, and expected to take 53 days from launch to return module touchdown. Targeting southern area of Apollo basin (~43º S, 154º W)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Fujimoto, Masaki (11 January 2017). "JAXA's exploration of the two moons of Mars, with sample return from Phobos" (PDF). Lunar and Planetary Institute. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
- ^ 宇宙基本計画⼯程表（令和５年度改訂） (PDF) (in Japanese). Strategic Headquarters for National Space Policy, Cabinet Office, Japan. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
sn-20231121was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Pillai, Soumya (22 December 2023). "Three launches in Q1: ISRO's upcoming missions in 2024". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
- ^ Klotz, Irene; Reim, Garrett (25 October 2023). "ULA Sets Dec. 24 As Target Date For Vulcan's Debut". Aviation Week. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ "小型月着陸実証機（SLIM）の月面着陸の予定について" [About the schedule for landing the Small Lunar Lander Demonstrator (SLIM) on the moon]. JAXA (in Japanese). 5 December 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
- ^ Talbert, Tricia (8 January 2021). "NASA Extends Exploration for Two Planetary Science Missions". NASA. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ "NASA's Juno Mission Expands Into the Future". NASA.gov. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ "Ariane 6 joint update report, 30 November 2023". ESA. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
bw-20221208was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
gst-20220919was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
sn-20231220was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
sn-20231105was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
expr-20230624was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
sp-20231108was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
eq-launchwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
ula-cert1was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "NASA-SMSR" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "sfn" is not used in the content (see the help page).
External links
- Bergin, Chris. "NASASpaceFlight.com".
- Clark, Stephen. "Spaceflight Now".
- Kelso, T.S. "Satellite Catalog (SATCAT)". CelesTrak.[dead link]
- Krebs, Gunter. "Chronology of Space Launches".
- Kyle, Ed. "Space Launch Report". Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- McDowell, Jonathan. "GCAT Orbital Launch Log".
- Pietrobon, Steven. "Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive".
- Wade, Mark. "Encyclopedia Astronautica".
- Webb, Brian. "Southwest Space Archive".
- Zak, Anatoly. "Russian Space Web".
- "ISS Calendar". Spaceflight 101.
- "NSSDCA Master Catalog". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
- "Space Calendar". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.[dead link]
- "Space Information Center". JAXA.[dead link]
- "Хроника освоения космоса" [Chronicle of space exploration]. CosmoWorld (in Russian).
