SIX SPACE MISSIONS IN 2024

• In 2023, significant milestones in space exploration were achieved, including NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission successfully returning a sample from an asteroid and India's Chandrayaan-3 mission exploring the lunar south pole region.
• As we look ahead to 2024, the space exploration landscape continues to be promising, particularly with NASA's Artemis plan and the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative focusing on lunar exploration.
• The latter part of the upcoming year promises a series of thrilling launches. In September, the Martian Moons eXploration mission is set to embark on its journey, followed by the launches of Europa Clipper and Hera in October.
• November will witness the exciting launches of Artemis II and VIPER, both destined for the moon, assuming all goes according to plan.
• The year 2024 holds great potential for furthering our understanding of the cosmos and pushing the boundaries of space exploration.

• NASA is gearing up for the launch of Europa Clipper, a mission designed to explore Europa, one of Jupiter's largest moons.
• Approximately the size of Earth's moon and covered in an icy surface, Europa is believed to host a vast saltwater ocean beneath its frozen shell, containing more than double the amount of water found in all of Earth's oceans combined.
• Scheduled to launch within a 21-day window starting on October 10, 2024, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, Europa Clipper aims to revolutionize our understanding of ocean worlds.
• The spacecraft will embark on a journey to the Jupiter system, reaching its destination by 2030.
• Throughout the mission, Europa Clipper plans to conduct close flybys of Europa nearly 50 times, enabling scientists to study the moon's icy surface, analyze its geological features, and delve into the mysteries of its subsurface ocean.
• Additionally, the mission will actively search for signs of geysers erupting from Europa, providing crucial insights into the moon's dynamic processes.
• Europa Clipper holds immense potential to transform the scientific understanding of extraterrestrial environments and their potential to support life. As it sets out to explore the mysteries of Europa, this mission represents a significant leap forward in our exploration of ocean worlds beyond our own.

• Named after Apollo's twin sister in Greek mythology, the Artemis program stands as NASA's ambitious initiative to return humans to the moon, marking the first human lunar mission since 1972.
• Notably, Artemis aims to achieve historic milestones by sending the first woman and the first person of colour to the lunar surface. Beyond revisiting the moon, the broader vision of Artemis encompasses establishing a sustained human presence in space, laying the groundwork for future missions, including potential voyages to Mars.
• At the forefront of this lunar endeavour is Artemis II, a pivotal crewed mission featuring four astronauts set to embark on a 10-day journey.
• Building upon the foundation laid by Artemis I, which successfully sent an uncrewed capsule into orbit around the moon in late 2022, Artemis II takes a significant step forward in the program's trajectory.
• The mission trajectory involves placing the astronauts into orbit around the moon before safely returning them to Earth.
• Initially planned for launch as early as November 2024, there exists a possibility of a delay to 2025, contingent upon the readiness of essential equipment such as spacesuits and oxygen systems.
• Artemis II represents a crucial phase in NASA's lunar exploration roadmap, paving the way for future deep-space endeavours.

• VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) represents a robotic marvel set to explore the moon's south pole in late 2024. Initially slated for launch in 2023, NASA opted to delay the mission to conduct comprehensive tests on the lander system.
• Developed by Astrobotic, a private company participating in the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, the lander system is integral to the success of the mission.
• This robotic endeavour serves a crucial purpose in the exploration and investigation of volatiles, which are molecules prone to vaporization at lunar temperatures.
• Examples of such volatiles include water and carbon dioxide, which could potentially serve as valuable resources for future human exploration on the moon.
• VIPER, with a size comparable to a golf cart, will rely on a sophisticated system comprising batteries, heat pipes, and radiators throughout its 100-day mission.
• Navigating the extremes of lunar conditions, from the scorching heat of lunar daylight, where temperatures can reach 224 degrees Fahrenheit (107 degrees Celsius), to the chilling shadows of the moon that can plummet to an astonishing -240 degrees Celsius, VIPER is equipped to endure and conduct vital scientific investigations.
• The scheduled launch and lunar surface delivery of VIPER are slated for November 2024, promising a groundbreaking mission that could uncover valuable insights into lunar resources and contribute to the groundwork for future human exploration on the moon.

• NASA has recently committed to a category of small and cost-effective planetary missions known as SIMPLEx (Small, Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration).
• These missions employ a cost-effective strategy by hitching a ride on other launches as secondary payloads or rideshares.
• One noteworthy example within this initiative is the Lunar Trailblazer mission, akin to VIPER in its quest to search for water on the moon.
• However, unlike VIPER, the Lunar Trailblazer will not land on the lunar surface. Instead, it will operate in a lunar orbit, focusing on measuring surface temperatures and mapping the distribution of water molecules across the entire lunar globe.
• As of now, Lunar Trailblazer is progressing towards readiness by early 2024. However, its launch schedule is contingent upon the readiness of the primary payload it rides alongside.
• Lunar Trailblazer shares its launch with the PRIME-1 mission, scheduled for a mid-2024 launch. PRIME-1, focused on lunar drilling and serving as a precursor to the drill VIPER will utilize, faces potential launch date adjustments based on the timely execution of preceding launches.
• The timeline for PRIME-1 is subject to the launch readiness of earlier missions, such as a Commercial Lunar Payload Services mission with the same landing partner, which has been rescheduled for February 2024 at the earliest.
• Further delays in these preceding launches could potentially impact the launch schedule for both PRIME-1 and Lunar Trailblazer.

• Scheduled for launch around September 2024, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is set to embark on an intriguing mission to explore Mars' moons, Phobos and Deimos.
• This robotic venture, named the Martian Moon eXploration (MMX), aims to uncover the mysterious origins of these two moons, distinguishing between whether they are former asteroids captured by Mars' gravity or if they formed from existing debris in orbit around the Red Planet.
• Over three years, the spacecraft will conduct extensive science operations in the vicinity of Mars, closely observing Phobos and Deimos.
• A significant aspect of the mission involves the landing of the spacecraft on the surface of Phobos, where it will collect a sample for further analysis before embarking on a return journey to Earth.
• While the Earth's moon has been a focal point for various robotic and crewed missions in 2024, Mars' moons are poised to receive their visitor in the form of the JAXA MMX mission.
• With its unique objectives and exploration strategy, MMX is anticipated to provide valuable insights into the enigmatic origins of Phobos and Deimos, adding a new dimension to our understanding of the Martian moons.

• Hera, a mission led by the European Space Agency, is set to revisit the Didymos-Dimorphos asteroid system previously explored by NASA's DART mission in 2022.
• DART not only conducted a survey of these asteroids but also executed a groundbreaking manoeuvre known as "kinetic impact," where it intentionally collided with Dimorphos to test the feasibility of a planetary defence technique.
• The kinetic impact technique involves propelling an object into another to modify its trajectory.
• This technique serves as a potential planetary defence strategy, offering a means to alter the course of a celestial object posing a potential threat to Earth.
• Scheduled for launch in October 2024, Hera is anticipated to arrive at the Didymos-Dimorphos system in late 2026.
• Once there, the mission will focus on a detailed study of the physical properties of these asteroids, building on the insights gained from DART's impact experiment.
• Hera's mission holds significant promise for advancing our understanding of planetary defence strategies and enhancing our preparedness for potential hazards originating from space.

7. The Way Forward

2024 stands poised to be a landmark year in space exploration, with missions like Europa Clipper, Artemis II, and VIPER pushing the boundaries of scientific knowledge and venturing into uncharted territories. These missions promise not only exciting discoveries but also a deeper understanding of our place in the universe and the potential for life beyond Earth.