NASA Successfully Launches Next-Generation Moon Rocket
The year 2024 is shaping up to be a monumental year for space exploration as space agencies around the world gear up for missions beyond Earth. The competition is no longer solely between superpowers but has expanded to include multiple nations and private companies, sparking what some are calling a new space race.
In November 2022, NASA’s Artemis program achieved a significant milestone with the successful launch of the first unmanned mission to return to the Moon. The mission saw the debut of NASA’s SLS mega rocket and the brand new Orion capsule, marking a crucial step in NASA’s ambition to return humans to the Moon. The US space agency plans to build upon this success with the Artemis II mission, which will mark the first time humans have orbited our natural satellite since the 1960s.
The Artemis II mission, which is set to take place in November 2024, will see astronauts fly for approximately 10 days around the Moon in the Orion spacecraft. It represents a critical step in NASA’s plan to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon in preparation for eventual missions to Mars.
But NASA is not the only player in the game. JAXA, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, aims to make history by landing the SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) spacecraft on the Moon in January 2024. This would make Japan the fifth country to successfully land a probe on the Moon.
Additionally, private Japanese space company Ispace is seeking to land on the Moon in 2024. After a failed attempt in April, the company is determined to achieve lunar landing success and is currently planning for a second mission.
China also has its sights set on the Moon, with the Chang’e 6 mission planned for May 2024. The mission aims to collect samples from the far side of the Moon, providing invaluable insights into lunar history.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to launch the Hera mission in October 2024, which will visit the asteroid Didymos and its moon Dimorphos. The mission comes after NASA’s DART experiment, which successfully altered the trajectory of Dimorphos in 2022.
In the private sector, SpaceX’s Starship rocket has garnered attention after its second flight in November, which saw both successes and failures. Despite challenges, SpaceX remains committed to the development of its megarocket.
As space agencies and private companies gear up for an ambitious year of missions, 2024 holds the promise of never-before-seen advances in space exploration.