2024 might be a big year for space missions. Several countries have invested a substantial amount in expanding their space technology. Some big missions planned for 2024 are Artemis II and the Peregrine Lander. There is a growing belief that advancements in technology outside of the Earth are essential to maintaining the nation’s power in the coming years.
Artemis II
In 2024, NASA is getting ready for Artemis II, the next phase of its Artemis program following the successful launch of Artemis I in 2022, which tested the Orion spacecraft. Artemis II is set to further advance the mission’s goal of returning astronauts to the moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Scheduled for a late 2024 launch, Artemis II will replicate the path taken by its predecessor, flying around the moon. However, this time, it will have a crew of four NASA astronauts aboard the Orion probe. The primary objective of Artemis II is to confirm that all systems of the spacecraft function as intended with crew members in the actual deep space environment.
NASA officials hailed Artemis I as a significant success, marking a crucial step toward achieving the ambitious goals of the Artemis program. With Artemis II, the focus will shift to confirming the reliability of the probe’s systems and operations while carrying a crew which will take crucial strides toward the eventual return of humans to the moon’s surface.
Peregrine Lander
In 2024, several lunar lander missions are set to take place, with the first one scheduled for January 8. The Peregrine lander, created by the private American space company Astrobotic Technology will be launched on a Vulcan Centaur rocket by United Launch Alliance. It stands at 1.9 meters tall. Peregrine aims to land in an area called Sinus Viscositatis, close to the Gruithuisen Domes, which is the largest dark spot on the moon’s near side. This spacecraft will carry out 20 research experiments for seven different countries, marking a significant step in lunar exploration.
Griffin Lunar Space Lander
In late 2024, Astrobotic plans to send another lunar lander, Griffin, to the moon’s south pole. This mission includes a rover named VIPER which is specifically designed to explore and search for water sources on the moon.
Furthermore, Intuitive Machines, an American company, is set to provide NASA with two landers in the coming year, contributing to the growing lunar exploration efforts.
Meanwhile, Japan aims to become the fifth nation to land on the moon in mid-January, with its probe called SLIM It was launched in September by the country’s space agency and SLIM’s primary mission is to test the possibility of landing the probe on precise targets, demonstrating advancements in lunar exploration capabilities.
Hera Spacecraft
In October, the European Space Agency (ESA) is set to launch its Hera spacecraft on a mission to revisit the asteroid system called Didymos, previously explored by NASA’s DART spacecraft in 2022. Hera is designed to collect data on Didymos by closely examining its physical properties and measuring the detailed effects of the crash caused by DART.
Europa Clipper
Around the same time, NASA is planning to launch its Europa Clipper mission, designed to explore Jupiter’s moon Europa. This orbiter aims to conduct close examinations of Europa, searching for signs that the icy moon may have conditions suitable for supporting life. NASA states that the orbiter will orbit around Jupiter and perform repeated close flybys of Europa as part of its scientific investigations.
ISRO’s Gaganyaan
ISRO’s Gaganyaan will be India’s first human space flight mission. It is said to carry three astronauts to a 400km orbit around the Earth’s surface and bring them back. They are also going to carry out a humanoid robot test flight first before the actual mission. The ISRO chief S. Somnath has stated that the agency is planning around 12 missions this year of which Gaganyaan is high priority.
The space industry has economic implications as well, creating jobs, enabling innovation, and driving economic growth. The commercialization of space activities, such as satellite services and cosmic tourism, has the potential to generate significant revenue, which is what will be seen at an increased pace in the coming years.
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