This article was originally featured in conversation.
2023 has proven to be a significant year for space missions, with NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission. Bringing back samples from an asteroid India’s Chandrayaan-3 Mission Explore the Moon’s South Poleand 2024 is shaping up to be another exciting year for space exploration.
Some new missions by NASA artemis project and Commercial Monthly Payload Service Initiative We’ll be aiming for the moon.
Later this year, if all goes according to plan, there will be several launches including the Mars moon exploration mission in September, Europa Clipper and Hera in October, and the Artemis II and VIPER lunar exploration missions in November. An exciting launch is planned.
I’m a planetary scientistand here are the six space missions I’m most looking forward to in 2024.
1. European Clipper
NASA will be launched european clipperexplore Europa, one of Jupiter’s largest moons. Europa is slightly smaller than Earth’s moon and has a surface made of ice. Europa likely harbors a saltwater ocean beneath its icy shell, which scientists estimate contains more than twice as much water as the entire Earth. What the oceans here on Earth combine.
Using the Europa Clipper, scientists hope to investigate whether Europa’s ocean is a possibility. Habitat suitable for extraterrestrial life.
The mission plans to do this by passing through Europa nearly 50 times Studying the moon’s ice shell and surface geology and the underground sea.I’ll also look for the mission. active geyser It springs from Europa.
This mission will change the game Scientists who want to understand the ocean world Like Europa.
Launch window – the period during which a mission can be launched and accomplish its planned route –Opening on October 10, 2024, lasts 21 days. The spaceship is Launch with SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket It will arrive in the Jupiter system in 2030.
2. Artemis II launch
Artemis program is Named after Apollo’s twin sister In Greek mythology, NASA’s Moon Return Plan. It will be the first time since 1972 that humans will be sent to the moon. first woman and first person of color.Artemis also includes plans for Long-term and sustained presence in space This prepares NASA to eventually send people further afield.to mars.
Artemis II is the first crewed step in this plan. four astronauts He was scheduled to be on board during a 10-day mission.
The mission will be built on Artemis Isent an unmanned ship capsule It will be placed into orbit around the moon at the end of 2022.
Artemis II will carry astronauts into lunar orbit and then return. Currently scheduled are: Scheduled to be released as early as November 2024. However, the mission may be postponed until 2025, depending on whether all necessary equipment such as spacesuits and oxygen supply equipment is available. i am ready.
3. VIPER searches for water on the moon
viperVolatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover is a golf cart-sized robot used by NASA to explore the moon. Antarctic At the end of 2024.
Originally scheduled for release in 2023NASA postponed the mission to complete further testing of the lander system. astroboticIt is a private company developed as part of the. Commercial monthly payload service program.
This robot mission is designed to search for: volatile substancesThis is a molecule that evaporates easily at the moon’s temperature, like water and carbon dioxide. These materials may provide the following resources: future human exploration On the moon.
The VIPER robot relies on batteries, heat pipes, and radiators for its entire operation. 100 days missionBecause it can transport everything from the extreme heat of the moon’s sunlight, where temperatures can reach 224 degrees Fahrenheit (107 degrees Celsius), to the lunar world. region of frigid shadow It can reach a mind-boggling -400 F (-240 C).
VIPER’s launch and delivery to the lunar surface November 2024.
4. Lunar Trailblazer and PRIME-1 Mission
NASA recently invested in a small, low-cost planetary mission called SIMPLEX, stands for Small, Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration. These missions save costs by joining other launches as so-called rideshares or secondary payloads.
As an example, lunar pioneer. Like VIPER, Lunar Trailblazer will search for water on the moon.
But while VIPER will land on the moon’s surface and closely study a specific area near the south pole, Lunar Trailblazer will orbit the moon and measure the temperature and temperature of the surface. Map the location of water molecules In the world.
Lunar Trailblazer is on track right now Expected to be ready by early 2024.
However, since it is a secondary payload, the timing of Lunar Trailblazer’s launch is dependent on the launch readiness of the primary payload.of prime-1 Mission, Scheduled for release in mid-2024a Lunar Trailblazer vehicle.
PRIME-1 will drill on the moon – it is a kind of trial run for drilling Used by VIPER. But that launch date will likely depend on whether previous launches go as planned.
Early commercial lunar payload service mission same landing partner was Postponed to February 2024 at the earliestand further delays could delay PRIME-1 and Lunar Trailblazer.
5. JAXA Mars Moon Exploration Mission
Earth’s moon has many visitors planned for 2024, large and small, robotic and manned, and Mars’ moons Phobos and Deimos will soon receive visitors as well. Japan’s Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is developing a robotic mission called “. Mars Moon Exploration (MMX) Scheduled to be released around September 2024.
The mission’s main scientific objective is to understand the origin of Mars’ moons.Scientists aren’t sure if Phobos and Deimos are A former asteroid that Mars carried into orbit due to its gravity Or they formed from rubble It was already in orbit around Mars.
The rover is scheduled to operate around Mars for three years scientific activities Observe Phobos and Deimos. MMX also landed on the surface of Phobos, collect samples before returning to Earth.
6. ESA’s Hera Mission
Hera This is a European Space Agency mission to return to the Didymos-Dimorphos asteroid system planned by NASA. DART mission Visited in 2022.
But DART did more than just visit these asteroids. it collided with one of them test planetary defense A technique called “kinetic impact.” DART violently attacks Dimorphos, actually changed the trajectory.
Kinetic impact technology involves colliding something with an object to change its path. This could be useful if humans discovered it. potentially dangerous objects It is on a collision course with Earth and must change direction.
Hera is October 2024It will head to Didymos and Dimorphos at the end of 2026, where it will be studied. Physical properties of asteroids.
Disclosure: Ari M. Bramson receives funding from NASA.
