As 2025 approaches, major players in space exploration, including NASA, SpaceX and Blue Origin, are gearing up for everything from lunar exploration to missions to Mars.

Here are the most notable rocket launches, missions and space programs underway in the coming year.

January 2025

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1

As part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) program, private aerospace company Firefly Aerospace will launch Blue Ghost Mission 1 in mid-January 2025.

SpaceX is providing the launch vehicle for Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost using a Falcon 9 rocket to transport the lunar lander from Cape Canaveral, Florida to the surface of the Moon.

The mission’s primary objective is to deliver 10 science and technology payloads to the Mare Crisium region of the Moon, advancing our understanding of lunar geology and the space environment.

Notable payloads:

• Next Generation Lunar Retroreflector (NGLR): A device that will enable accurate measurements of the distance between the Earth and the Moon and improve our lunar coordinate system.
• Radiation Tolerant Computer System (RadPC): A technology demonstration aimed at testing the resistance of a computer system to the harsh radiation environment of the Moon.
• Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder (LMS): An instrument designed to probe the interior of the Moon by measuring the natural electric and magnetic fields.

These payloads represent cutting-edge research in lunar science and technology and contribute to the broader goals of NASA’s Artemis program.

“These investigations will help pave the way for humanity’s return to the Moon. The data obtained will also benefit people on Earth by providing insight into how space weather and other cosmic forces affect Earth, among other valuable research,” Firefly Aerospace said on its website . .

February 2025

SpaceX Crew-10

SpaceX Crew-10 is the 10th operational crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS) under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The mission, which is scheduled to launch no earlier than February 2025, will transport four astronauts to the ISS for a planned six-month stay.

During their time aboard the ISS, Crew-10 astronauts will engage in scientific research and technology demonstrations aimed at advancing human space exploration and supporting life on Earth.

March 2025

The crew of Soyuz MS-27 is heading to the ISS

In March 2025, the Soyuz MS-27 mission will take off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to transport a trio of astronauts to the ISS. The crew consists of NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Roskosmos (Russian State Corporation for Space Activities) Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky.

This mission underscores the long-standing partnership between NASA and Roskosmos that ensures the continuous presence of humans aboard the ISS. During their approximately eight-month stay, the crew will engage in a variety of science experiments and maintenance tasks critical to ongoing space exploration.

spring 2025

NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer Mission

In the early months of 2025, NASA is preparing to launch Lunar Trailblazer, a pioneering small satellite designed to map the distribution of water on the Moon’s surface. Selected as part of NASA’s Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program in 2019, Lunar Trailblazer aims to unravel the mysteries surrounding lunar water—a discovery that has significant implications for future manned missions to the Moon.

The spacecraft will join aboard Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission, part of NASA’s CLPS initiative. Once in lunar orbit, Lunar Trailblazer will use its advanced instruments to detect and map water in its various forms, providing valuable data that could support the sustainability of future lunar bases.

NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission.

NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) are collaborating to launch the NISAR mission. Scheduled for launch in early 2025, this Earth observation satellite will use advanced radar systems to monitor changes in Earth’s ecosystems, ice masses and crust, and provide critical data on natural hazards and climate change.

Equipped with advanced dual-frequency synthetic aperture radar instruments, NISAR will offer unprecedented high-resolution imaging. The mission will strengthen the ability to predict and respond to natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.

New Glenn’s Maiden Flight with the EscaPADE mission

Spring 2025 will see the inaugural flight of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, named after John Glenn, the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth. New Glenn will carry NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) mission to Mars.

The mission involves two identical spacecraft, Blue and Gold, developed by Rocket Lab and equipped with scientific instruments from the University of California, Berkeley.

The EscaPADE mission aims to study the Martian magnetosphere and its interaction with the solar wind, shedding light on the planet’s atmospheric loss and climate history. The data collected could be key to understanding Mars’ potential to support life and preparing for future human exploration.

April 2025

NASA’s SPHEREx mission

In April 2025, NASA plans to launch the Space History, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) Spectro-Photometer mission. This space observatory will conduct an extensive all-sky survey in optical and near-infrared light, mapping hundreds of millions of galaxies and stars.

SPHEREx aims to solve fundamental questions about the origin of the universe, the formation of galaxies and the prevalence of life-forming molecules in our galaxy. By analyzing the cosmic background radiation and interstellar ice, SPHEREx will provide insight into the processes that shaped the early universe.

SpaceX enables private space travel

Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is an upcoming private space flight to the International Space Station (ISS), organized by Axiom Space in partnership with SpaceX. The mission is scheduled to launch in April 2025 at the earliest and is expected to last approximately 14 days.

The Ax-4 mission will be led by veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson, her second command of the Axiom space mission.

This mission marks a remarkable collaboration between Axiom Space and international partners, including the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the European Space Agency (ESA). Remarkably, this will be the first time a Polish astronaut has flown into space in more than 40 years.

Ax-4 aims to conduct scientific research and technology demonstrations aboard the ISS, contributing to the commercialization of low Earth orbit.

May 2025

Vulcan Centaur launches Dream Chaser 1

In May 2025, United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket is scheduled to launch Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spacecraft on its first mission to the ISS. ULA is an American provider of spacecraft launch services, created as a joint venture between aerospace giants Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

The Dream Chaser is a reusable lifting-body spacecraft designed to deliver cargo – and possibly crew – to locations in low Earth orbit.

The spacecraft’s ability to land on conventional runways makes it ideal for transporting sensitive experiments and quickly returning them to Earth. This mission represents a significant milestone in the expansion of commercial cargo services to the ISS under the NASA Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract.

NASA’s Boeing Starliner-1 mission

Also scheduled for May 2025 is NASA’s Boeing Starliner-1 mission, the first operational flight of the CST-100 Starliner crewed spacecraft. The mission will carry NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Scott Tingle, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, to the ISS for a six-month expedition.

The mission follows extensive testing and represents Boeing’s entry into providing regular crew transportation services to the ISS, complementing SpaceX’s Crew Dragon mission and increasing the robustness of NASA’s commercial crew program.

SpaceX powers NASA’s solar experiment

SpaceX has a contract with NASA to launch the Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor-2 (TSIS-2) mission. The mission is scheduled to launch in October 2025 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket.

TSIS-2 is a NASA mission designed to measure the Sun’s energy input to Earth, continuing data recording that began in 1978. Unlike its predecessor, TSIS-1, which operates aboard the International Space Station, it will operate from a free-flying spacecraft. Station.

September 2025

Artemis II prepares to explore the Moon

Artemis II, NASA’s first manned mission under the Artemis program, is expected to launch in September 2025. This mission will carry four astronauts on a journey around the Moon to test the Orion spacecraft’s life support, navigation and communications systems in deep space.

Artemis II serves as a crucial step towards landing the first woman and the next man on the moon with Artemis III. The goal of the mission is to verify the technologies and systems necessary for sustainable lunar exploration and pave the way for future missions to Mars.

End of 2025

The sonic boom revolution with NASA’s X-59

Towards the end of the year, the first flight of NASA’s X-59 QueSST (Quiet SuperSonic Technology) experimental aircraft is scheduled for late 2025. The X-59, developed in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, aims to demonstrate the ability to fly at supersonic speeds. while significantly reducing the volume of the sonic boom to a gentle “thump”.

If successful, the technology could lead to new regulations allowing supersonic flight over land, revolutionizing commercial air travel by drastically reducing flight times without disrupting communities on the ground.