![]() 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.
The trend towards cost reduction in access to orbit is expected to continue. In 2021 SpaceX plans to launch its new fully reusable Starship to orbit[1] and Vulcan is planned to replace its more expensive predecessors. Ariane 6 is expected to replace the more expensive Ariane 5 in early 2022, and Blue Origin plans the maiden flight of New Glenn with a reusable first stage in late 2022.
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 NASA 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 on a home-grown GSLV Mark III rocket in 2023. The mission would make India the 4th nation to launch a crewed spaceflight 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),[2] although SpaceX alone plans to launch more than that for its Starlink constellation (12,000 satellites from 2019 to 2027).[3] The majority of the satellites are expected to be communication satellites in large constellations. In 2020, over 800 Starlink satellites were launched to orbit.
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
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Payload (⚀ = CubeSat) |
Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks | |||||||
2027 (TBD)[4][5] | ![]() |
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Roscosmos | Selenocentric | Lunar lander Lunar sample return |
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2027 (TBD)[6] | ![]() |
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Roscosmos | Low Earth | Crewed flight test | ||||
2027 (TBD)[7][8] | ![]() |
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ESA | Selenocentric | Lunar lander | ||||
First flight of the HERACLES lunar transport system. | |||||||
2027 (TBD)[9] | ![]() |
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JAXA | Sun–Earth L2 | Space observatory | ||||
2027 (TBD)[11] | ![]() |
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CNSA | Selenocentric | Lunar lander | ||||
2027 (TBD)[12] | ![]() |
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ESA | Low Earth (Polar) | Earth observation | ||||
Part of the European Space Agency's Copernicus Programme. | |||||||
2027 (TBD)[13] | ![]() |
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Axiom Space | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS assembly / Commercial habitat | ||||
Fourth Axiom module. The addition of this module will enable the Axiom Orbital Segment to separate from the ISS and operate as an independent space station. | |||||||
2027 (TBD)[15] | ![]() |
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NASA | Heliocentric (to Saturn) | Exploration of Titan | ||||
Rotorcraft probe to fly in the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan.[14] | |||||||
2027 (TBD)[16] | ![]() |
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NOAA | Low Earth (SSO) | Meteorology | ||||
2027 (TBD)[17] | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||||
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ESA | Selenocentric (NRHO) | Lunar Gateway component |
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
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Payload (⚀ = CubeSat) |
Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks | |||||||
2028 (TBD)[18] | ![]() |
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Roscosmos | Selenocentric | Lunar rover Lunar sample return |
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2028 (TBD)[20] | ![]() |
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ESA | Low Earth (Polar) | Earth observation | ||||
Part of the European Space Agency's Copernicus Programme. | |||||||
2028 (TBD)[22] | ![]() |
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ESA | Low Earth (SSO) | Oceanography | ||||
Part of the European Space Agency's Copernicus Programme. | |||||||
2028 (TBD)[23][24] | ![]() |
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Roscosmos | Low Earth | Flight test | ||||
First flight of the Yenisei super heavy-lift launch vehicle. |
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payload (⚀ = CubeSat) |
Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks | |||||||
2029 (TBD)[25][26] | ![]() |
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ESA | Sun–Earth L2 | Exoplanetary science | ||||
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ESA / JAXA | Sun–Earth L2 | Comet flyby | ||||
2029 (TBD)[22] | ![]() |
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ESA | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | ||||
Part of the European Space Agency's Copernicus Programme. | |||||||
2029 (TBD)[22] | ![]() |
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ESA | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | ||||
Part of the European Space Agency's Copernicus Programme. | |||||||
2029 (TBD)[6] | ![]() |
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Roscosmos | Lunar free-return | Crewed lunar flyby | ||||
Crewed lunar flyby in preparation for a Russian crewed mission to the lunar surface in 2030. |
Date (UTC) | Spacecraft | Event | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|
December 2027 | Hayabusa2 | Flyby of Earth[27] | Gravity assist |
June 2028 | Hayabusa2 | Flyby of Earth[27] | Gravity assist |