The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) needs no introduction. Known for its successful launches and discoveries, NASA continues to be the pioneer organization, helping mankind with various space-related whereabouts. If you are wondering what’s next it has planned, here is a list of upcoming NASA space missions in 2025. But why 2025?
2025 is special, as it marks mankind’s return to the Lunar surface after more than 50 years. Also, NASA has other interesting missions in line. A good read will help you discover them all in detail.
NASA’s First Human Mission To The Lunar South Pole
The Artemis III mission is the first and most interesting among upcoming NASA space missions in 2025. After two Artemis test missions, the Artemis III mission is scheduled for perfect takeoff. NASA plans to create history by sending the first humans to the Lunar South Pole and marking humanity’s return to the lunar base after 50+ years.
The Orion spacecraft will serve as a ride for the crew from and to Earth, helping all pass through (in and out) the Lunar orbit. To ensure, everything is under control, NASA has even tested the uniquely designed heat shield of the Orion under extreme reentry circumstances as part of the Artemis I mission.
The Launch
The Space Launch System (SLS) (as the only powerful rocket) is in charge of sending the Orion, its crew, and all the supplies to the Moon in a single launch. The crew will first be launched into the Earth’s orbit. Here, they will perform the system checks and adjust the solar panels of the Orion.
Also, NASA has collaborated with SpaceX for the human landing system, which will transport the astronauts of the Artemis III mission from the Orion to the Moon’s surface and back again. For this, SpaceX plans to use a unique concept of operations and will demonstrate its capabilities to NASA over an uncrewed demo mission, landing Starship on the Lunar surface. Once all the requirements by NASA are met, it will be ready for the Artemis III mission.
For days the crew will travel toward the Moon, and when it is the right time, Orion will perform back to back two engine burns, placing the spacecraft in a lunar Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO).
The Touchdown
After the touchdown, the crew will ensure all systems are ready for the lunar surface stay. During their time on the Moon, the astronauts will conduct scientific analysis inside the Starship and perform a series of moonwalks outside on the Moon’s surface.
Axiom Space is in charge of providing the surface suits to the astronauts for their Artemis III mission. While on the Moon’s surface, the astronauts are supposed to take videos and pictures and conduct a geological survey.
Once done with their work on the Moon’s surface, the two astronauts will revert towards the NRHO in their Starship to reunite with other teammates in the Orion. After docking, they will spend 5 days in orbit, transferring samples and preparing for their journey back to the Earth.
The mission is crucial, helping humans expand their knowledge about space and, most importantly, the Moon.
NASA’s Lucy Mission Makes Its Flyby Of Asteroid Donaldjohanson
The Lucy mission is the second on our list of upcoming NASA space missions in 2025. It is in charge of making flyby observations of 8 asteroids. Of them, seven are already orbiting behind or ahead of Jupiter, known as Trojan asteroids, and one is a main belt asteroid.
The primary focus of study for the Lucy mission is the interior, bulk properties, surface geology, and surface composition of the asteroids. The data collected will help us know about four fundamental objectives –
- The initial stages in the formation of the solar system.
- The accretion of giant planets. Did they migrate to other orbital positions?
- Help gain further knowledge about the various primordial organic matter sources.
- And about the Influence of bombardment by large particles.
Launched on October 16th, 2021, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, Lucy is scheduled to perform multiple flybys until 2033 around the orbit of Jupiter. Lucy’s 2025 mission is special because it will fly by the main belt asteroid 52246 Donaldjohanson on the 20th of April 2025.
Launch Of The The Draper Lunar Lander
The third on the list of upcoming NASA space missions in 2025, the Draper Lunar Lander is part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services). The organization has partnered with Draper Laboratories, which will provide the lander and arrange the launch.
Still in its early stages, the Draper Lunar Lander mission will use relay satellites and ispace technologies of SERIES-2 lander. This will help easy communication between the Earth and the rear side of the Moon – the Schrodinger basin (near the Moon’s South Pole).
The non-human mission, in charge of landing payloads on the Moon’s surface. It will include seismometers, tools required to study surface weathering and the magnetic field of the Moon. Also, there will be a drill that will allow the emplacement of electrical conductivity probes and heat flow.
While the James Webb Space Telescope continues to send back interesting finds from its flyby in space, one can also hope for the missions scheduled here to serve the best of the interests. And only time can help with the ultimate inputs.
