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2020s in spaceflight
NASA plans to assemble a Lunar Gateway as a permanent base in lunar orbit during the 2020s.

This article documents expected notable spaceflight events during the 2020s.

Overview

The trend towards cost reduction in access to orbit is expected to continue. In 2020 SpaceX plans to launch its new fully reusable Starship.[1] In 2021, Blue Origin plans the maiden flight of New Glenn with a reusable first stage.[2] Ariane 6 and Vulcan are planned to replace their more expensive predecessors in 2021.

Mars stays a focus for missions to other planets, with three missions launched in 2020 (by China, the United Arab Emirates and the United States) and at least two missions planned for 2022 (ESA and Japan) and 2024 (India and Japan), respectively.

NASA plans a return of humans to the Moon by 2024. A first uncrewed launch of the Space Launch System is planned for November 2021, followed by a first crewed launch in 2023. In addition it plans to assemble the Lunar Gateway in lunar orbit. A crewed exploration of Mars could follow in the mid 2030s. An uncrewed and then a crewed trip to Jupiter and Europa have been commonly contemplated, but no space agencies or companies have yet announced definite plans to launch a crewed mission further than Mars. SpaceX, a private company, has also announced plans to land humans on Mars in the mid-2020s, with the long-term goal of enabling the colonization of Mars.

India plans its first crewed flight with a spacecraft called Gaganyaan for December 2021 on a home-grown GSLV Mark III rocket. The mission would make India the 4th nation to launch a crewed space flight after Russia, US and China. India also plans to launch its second Mars probe, Mars Orbiter Mission 2 (Mangalyaan 2), in 2024.

The number of small satellites launched annually was expected to grow to around one thousand (2018 estimate),[3] although SpaceX alone plans to launch more than that for its Starlink constellation (12,000 satellites from 2019 to 2027).[4] In the first half of 2020, over 600 satellites were launched to orbit. The majority of the satellites are expected to be communication satellites in large constellations.

Orbital launches

2020

Main article: 2020 in spaceflight

2021

Main article: 2021 in spaceflight

2022

Main article: 2022 in spaceflight

2023

Main article: 2023 in spaceflight

2024

Main article: 2024 in spaceflight

2025

Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat) 		Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
Q1 (TBD)[5][6] Russia Soyuz-2.1a / Fregat Russia Vostochny Site 1S Russia Roscosmos
Russia Kanopus-VO №2 Roscosmos Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation  
August (TBD)[7][8] Russia Soyuz-2.1b / Fregat Kazakhstan Baikonur Russia Roscosmos
Russia Luna 27 Roscosmos Selenocentric Lunar lander  
September (TBD)[9][10] Russia Angara A5P Russia Vostochny Site 1A Russia Roscosmos
Russia Orel Roscosmos Low Earth (ISS) Crewed flight test  
Crewed flight test of the Orel capsule at the International Space Station.
Q3 (TBD)[11][12] Europe Ariane 62 France Kourou ELA-4 France Arianespace
Europe MTG-I2[13] EUMETSAT Geosynchronous Meteorology  
23 October[14][15] Russia Angara A5 / DM-03 Russia Vostochny Site 1A Russia Roscosmos
Russia Spektr-UV[16] INASAN IGSO Ultraviolet astronomy  
October (TBD)[18][19] United States Commercial launch vehicle United States Cape Canaveral United States TBA
United States Roman Space Telescope NASA Sun–Earth L2 Infrared astronomy  
Formerly known as WFIRST.[17]
2025 (TBD)[20] China Long March 7 China Wenchang LC-2 China CASC
China Europe eXTP[21] CAS Low Earth X-ray astronomy  
Chinese-led X-ray astronomy collaboration between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and multiple European institutions.[20]
2025 (TBD)[22] Russia Soyuz-6 Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 1/5 Russia Roscosmos
Russia TBA Roscosmos Low Earth Flight test  
First flight of the Soyuz-6.
2025 (TBD)[23] Europe Vega-C France Kourou ELV France Arianespace
Europe e.Deorbit[24] ESA Low Earth Satellite servicing
Space debris removal		  
2025 (TBD)[25] Europe Vega-E France Kourou ELV France Arianespace
TBA ESA Low Earth Flight test  
First flight of Vega-E.
2025 (TBD)[26] Europe TBA France Kourou France Arianespace
Switzerland ClearSpace-1 ClearSpace Low Earth Space debris removal  
ClearSpace-1 will capture and de-orbit the Vespa payload adapter that deployed PROBA-V in 2013.
2025 (TBD)[27][28] United States TBA United States TBA United States TBA
United States NEO Surveyor NASA Sun–Earth L1 Infrared astronomy
Near-Earth object detection		  
Near-Earth Object Surveillance Mission (NEOSM).
2025 (TBD)[29] United States TBA United States TBA United States TBA
United States Europe Sentinel-6B NASA / NOAA / Eumetsat / ESA Low Earth Earth observation  

2026

Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat) 		Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
April (TBD)[31] United States TBA United States TBA United States TBA
United States Dragonfly NASA Heliocentric (to Saturn) Exploration of Titan  
Rotorcraft probe to fly in the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan.[30]
July (TBD)[32][33] United States Commercial launch vehicle United States TBA United States TBA
United States Europe Sample Retrieval Lander NASA / ESA TMI to Martian Surface Mars sample-return  
Lander component of the NASA–ESA Mars sample-return mission. It will carry the ESA's Sample Fetch Rover and the Mars Ascent Vehicle.
October (TBD)[32][33] Europe Ariane 6 France Kourou ELA-4 France Arianespace
Europe Earth Return Orbiter ESA Areocentric Mars sample-return  
Orbiter component of the NASA–ESA Mars sample-return mission. It will collect the sample return canister delivered into orbit by the Mars Ascent Vehicle and carry it back to Earth.
2026 (TBD)[9] Russia Angara A5P Russia Vostochny Site 1A Russia Roscosmos
Russia Orel Roscosmos Low Earth Crewed flight test  
2026 (TBD)[34] Russia Soyuz ST-B / Fregat-MT France Kourou ELS France Arianespace
Europe PLATO ESA Sun–Earth L2 Exoplanetary science  
2026 (TBD)[36] Europe Vega-C France Kourou ELV France Arianespace
Europe FORUM ESA Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation  
Ninth Earth Explorer mission for ESA's Living Planet Programme. FORUM is baselined for launch on the Vega-C, and will fly in a loose sun-synchronous formation with MetOp-SG A1.[35]

2027

Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat) 		Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
2027 (TBD)[37][38] Russia Angara A5 / DM-03 Russia Vostochny Site 1A Russia Roscosmos
Russia Luna 28 Roscosmos Selenocentric Lunar lander
Lunar sample return		  
2027 (TBD)[9] Russia Angara A5P Russia Vostochny Site 1A Russia Roscosmos
Russia Orel Roscosmos Low Earth Crewed flight test  
2027 (TBD)[39] Japan H3 Japan Tanegashima LA-Y2 Japan MHI
Japan LiteBIRD[40] JAXA Sun–Earth L2 Space observatory  
2027 (TBD)[41] China Long March 5 China Wenchang LC-1 China CASC
China Chang'e 8 CNSA Selenocentric Lunar lander  

2028

Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat) 		Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
2028 (TBD)[42] Russia Angara A5 / KVTK[43] Russia Vostochny Site 1A Russia Roscosmos
Russia Luna 29 Roscosmos Selenocentric Lunar rover
Lunar sample return		  
2028 (TBD)[44][45] Europe Ariane 62 France Kourou ELA-4 France Arianespace
Europe ARIEL ESA Sun–Earth L2 Exoplanetary science  
Europe Japan Comet Interceptor ESA / JAXA Sun–Earth L2 Comet flyby  
2028 (TBD)[46][47] Russia Yenisei Russia Vostochny PU3 Russia Roscosmos
Russia Orel Roscosmos Low Earth Flight test  
First flight of the Yenisei super heavy-lift launch vehicle.

2029

Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat) 		Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
2029 (TBD)[9] Russia Yenisei Russia Vostochny PU3 Russia Roscosmos
Russia Orel Roscosmos Lunar free-return Crewed lunar flyby  
Crewed lunar flyby in preparation for a Russian crewed mission to the lunar surface in 2030.

Deep-space rendezvous after 2024

Date (UTC) Spacecraft Event Remarks
9 January 2025 BepiColombo Sixth gravity assist at Mercury
5 December 2025 BepiColombo Hermocentric orbit insertion at Mercury


References

  1. ^ Henry, Caleb (28 June 2019). "SpaceX targets 2021 commercial Starship launch". SpaceNews. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  2. ^ Henry, Caleb (12 September 2017). "Blue Origin enlarges New Glenn's payload fairing, preparing to debut upgraded New Shepard". SpaceNews. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  3. ^ "Smallsat Growth On Shaky Foundations". Northern Sky Research. 19 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  4. ^ Henry, Caleb (26 April 2019). "FCC OKs lower orbit for some Starlink satellites". SpaceNews. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  5. ^ "Роскосмос планирует запустить спутники "Канопус-В"-О в 2024 и 2025 годах" [Roscosmos plans to launch Kanopus-VO satellites in 2024 and 2025]. TASS (in Russian). 28 April 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  6. ^ "Russia to accept new-generation satellite for service by 2025 to monitor natural disasters". TASS. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  7. ^ "Интервью Владимира Колмыкова" [Interview with Vladimir Kolmykov]. Roscosmos (in Russian). 14 April 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  8. ^ "Рогозин сообщил о переносе запусков станций "Луна-26" и "Луна-27"" [Rogozin announces the postponement of launches of the Luna-26 and Luna-27 stations]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). 11 April 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d "Определен срок полета российского корабля "Орел" с экипажем на МКС" [The scheduled time for the first crewed flight of the Russian spacecraft Orel to the ISS has been determined]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). 13 February 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Russia to create Angara-A5P rocket for manned space launches by 2024". TASS. 6 November 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Meteosat Third Generation". EUMETSAT. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  12. ^ Henry, Caleb (10 July 2020). "Eumetsat shifts two tardy satellites to Ariane 6". SpaceNews. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  13. ^ Krebs, Gunter (2 July 2020). "MTG-I 1, 2, 3, 4 (Meteosat 12, 14, 15, 17)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  14. ^ "Russia reschedules ultraviolet space telescope launch for 2025 — source". TASS. 21 May 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  15. ^ "Ученые из разных стран проявили интерес к обсерватории "Спектр-УФ"" [Scientists from different countries express interest in the Spektr-UV observatory]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). 15 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  16. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Spektr-UF (Spektr-UV, SUV, World Space Observatory Ultraviolet, WSO-UV)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  17. ^ Foust, Jeff (20 May 2020). "NASA renames WFIRST space telescope after pioneering woman astronomer". SpaceNews. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  18. ^ Foust, Jeff [@jeff_foust] (5 March 2020). "Hertz on WFIRST's recent KDP-C review: agency commitment for launch is October 2026, but project working to an October 2025 launch. [Assuming, of course, the mission is funded for FY21 and beyond…]" (Tweet). Retrieved 5 March 2020 – via Twitter.
  19. ^ Foust, Jeff (4 March 2020). "WFIRST, proposed for cancellation, is approved for development". SpaceNews. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  20. ^ a b Zhang, S.N.; Santangelo, A.; Feroci, M.; Xu, Y. (January 2017). "The enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry mission – eXTP". Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy. 60 (1). Science China Press. arXiv:1812.04020. doi:10.1007/s11433-018-9309-2.
  21. ^ "The eXTP Mission". University of Geneva. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  22. ^ "Russia's space agency to outline technical requirements for new Soyuz-6 carrier rocket". TASS. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  23. ^ Pultarova, Tereza (29 January 2019). "European Space Junk Cleanup Concept Gets New Mission: Refuel and Repair". Space.com. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  24. ^ "E.DEORBIT Mission". ESA. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  25. ^ Henry, Caleb (7 November 2019). "Avio anticipating Vega C upgrade funding at ESA ministerial, Vega return to flight in March". SpaceNews. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  26. ^ Henry, Caleb (9 December 2019). "Swiss startup ClearSpace wins ESA contract to deorbit Vega rocket debris". SpaceNews. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  27. ^ Foust, Jeff (23 September 2019). "NASA to develop mission to search for near-Earth asteroids". SpaceNews. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  28. ^ Smith, Marcia (19 January 2020). "NASA's New NEO Mission Will Substantially Reduce Time to Find Hazardous Asteroids". Space Policy Online. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  29. ^ "Sentinel-6 Factsheet" (PDF). ESA. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  30. ^ Wall, Mike (27 June 2019). "NASA Is Sending a Life-Hunting Drone to Saturn's Huge Moon Titan". Space.com. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  31. ^ "GAO-20-405, NASA: Assessments of Major Projects" (PDF). GAO. 29 April 2020. p. 37. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  32. ^ a b Cowart, Justin (13 August 2019). "NASA, ESA Officials Outline Latest Mars Sample Return Plans". The Planetary Society. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  33. ^ a b Wall, Mike (29 July 2019). "Bringing Pieces of Mars to Earth in 2031: How NASA and Europe Plan to Do It". Space.com. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  34. ^ "Construction of Europe's exoplanet hunter PLATO begins". ESA. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  35. ^ "Earth Explorer 9 Candidate Mission FORUM – Report for Mission Selection" (PDF). ESA. 21 June 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  36. ^ "A new satellite to understand how Earth is losing its cool". ESA. 24 September 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  37. ^ "Россия планирует доставить образцы лунного грунта на Землю в 2027 году" [Russia plans to deliver lunar soil samples to Earth in 2027]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). 29 January 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  38. ^ "Роскосмос потратит 594 миллиона рублей на проект станции "Луна-28"" [Roscosmos will spend 594 million rubles on the Luna-28 project]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). 1 February 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  39. ^ "Space Satellite 'Litebird'". University College London. 4 June 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  40. ^ "Instrumentation | LiteBIRD: Lite (Light) satellite for the studies of B-mode polarization and Inflation from cosmic background Radiation Detection". High Energy Accelerator Research Organization. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  41. ^ "嫦娥四号着陆器、巡视器互拍成像图" [Chang'e 4 Lander, Rover Images] (in Chinese). 12 January 2019. Archived from the original on 15 April 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2019 – via AcFun.
  42. ^ "Luna-29 mission may be led by robot". Hitecher. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  43. ^ Pietrobon, Steven (31 August 2019). "Russian Launch Manifest". Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  44. ^ "ESA's next science mission to focus on nature of exoplanets". ESA. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  45. ^ Lakdawalla, Emily (21 June 2019). "ESA to Launch Comet Interceptor Mission in 2028". The Planetary Society. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  46. ^ "Russia approves conceptual design of super-heavy carrier rocket". TASS. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  47. ^ Zak, Anatoly (4 November 2019). "The Yenisei super-heavy rocket". RussianSpaceWeb. Retrieved 7 November 2019.

External links

Generic references:

Spaceflight portal
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