NASA Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft surpasses another full year of operations in Mars orbit after insertion on this day 2014; continuing to study upper atmosphere.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory surpasses another full year in space today, launched 2015.
First solar observatory for China known as CHASE or Xihe / 羲和 surpasses another full year in space since launching on this day via Long March 2D in 2021.
NASA spacecraft mapping boundary between the Solar System and interstellar space surpasses another full year in space; launched on this day 2008.
European Space Agency / JAXA Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (dubbed Mio ‘waterway or fairway’) surpasses another full year in space today, launched 2018; expected to reach Mercury polar orbit in Nov 2026 to map planet, investigate magnetosphere.
NASA spacecraft surpasses another full year in orbit around Mars today, holds record for longest-surviving continually active spacecraft in orbit around a planet other than Earth; launched 2001.
NASA craft imaging Sun and solar phenomena surpasses another full year in space today; launched 2006.
NASA mission to encounter 11 asteroids, including a main belt and 7 Jupiter Trojans, to perform Earth flyby / gravity assist today coming within 660 km after reaching Jupiter orbit and returning to the vicinity of the Earth.
ISEE-3 (International Sun-Earth Explorer-3) craft, presumably in safe mode, is traveling around Sun & predicted to return to vicinity of Earth this year – may be able to reestablish contact; launched August 12, 1978.
Roscosmos State Corporation planning to launch Launch Luna-30 lander to deliver a reusable cargo delivery spacecraft with supplies for human missions.
European Space Agency planning to launch the Argonaut Lunar Descent Element -- lunar lander built by Thales Alenia Space to the Moon.
☆ NET Jul — JAXA Hayabusa 2 mission to rendezvous with asteroid 1998 KY26, after returning samples from (162173) Ryugu to Earth in 2020 and flying by asteroid 98943 Torifune in 2026.
NET July — ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) expected to reach Jupiter this month if launched April 2023; will perform a flyby of Ganymede 7.5-hours before Jupiter insertion; will spend at least 3.5 years studying Jupiter atmosphere and magnetosphere, moons Ganymede, Europa, Callisto and Io with 10 state-of-the-art instruments […]
NASA craft surpasses another full year in space today, having launched Aug 12, 2018; probe came within ~6.16M km of the Sun on Dec 24, 2024 which is ~7 times closer than any prior spacecraft, traveling faster than any other human-made object at ~692,000 km/hr.
Highlighting Galaxy awareness by celebrating the Solar System traveling around Milky Way Galaxy Center every ~225 million Earth years, one Galactic Tick happens every 633.7 days; first Tick Day was one Tick after October 2nd, 1608 when the first telescope patent was filed.
South Korea planning to launch Moon lander & rover to look for signs of rare minerals on Moon surface.
ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) expected to perform flyby of moon Europa this month.
Mercury to pass directly between Earth and Sun; observers see distant planet as small dot gliding slowly across face of Sun; starts Nov 12 at 20:41 HST, ends 01:07 Nov 13.
Tentative date for China to test launch its next-gen rocket intended to carry people and cargo to the Moon.
Roscosmos hoping to launch lander to deliver a heavy lunar rover weighing up to 5,000 kg, capable of mining / extracting lunar resources.
Türkiye hopes to have space-launch capabilities and more than 20 operational satellites by this date.
NASA Lucy mission to come within 1,000 km of 113-km diameter 617 Patroclus and 104-km diameter Menoetius, p-type binary asteroids; Lucy will be in a stable, 6-year orbit between the L4 and L5 -- mission extension may be granted.
End of primary mission for NASA Lucy mission, future science and mission plan extension TBD; mission is a twelve-year journey to eight different asteroids, and craft will continue to orbit the Sun in a stable orbit between the L4 and L5 Trojan swarms around Jupiter.
Today marks 10th full year / starts 11th year of continuous Human occupation of Tiangong Space Station; Shenzhou 14 three-member crew launched on this day in 2022, beginning occupation.
ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) expected to achieve Ganymede elliptical orbit insertion this month.
Roscosmos hopes to launch Luna-32 to deliver heavy modules weighing up to 5,000 kg for the construction of the International Lunar Research Station by this date.
Roscosmos hopes to launch Luna-33 orbiter to be used for communication and navigation for Human Moon Missions and lunar base.
International Lunar Research Station ILRS-5 mission to occur by this date; final mission before human occupation of ILRS will include lunar-based astronomy and Earth observation capabilities.
India planning to launch Soorya for final module completing space station Bharatiya Antariksh in LEO.
China asteroid sample return mission, having returned at least 100 grams from Kamo’oalewa (2016 HO3), to rendezvous with and begin orbiting Comet 311/P PanSTARRS for 1 year.
ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) is planned to be deorbited and impact Ganymede at the end of 2035, having reached Jupiter in 2031.
