NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return and India’s Chandrayaan-3 lunar south pole exploration were notable space projects in 2023. The anticipation for further interesting space exploration continues in 2024.
NASA’s Ambitious Lunar and Martian Missions: A Glimpse into the Exciting 2024 Space Exploration
NASA’s Artemis and Commercial Lunar Payload Services missions will target the Moon. If successful, the Martian Moons eXploration mission in September, Europa Clipper and Hera in October, and Artemis II and VIPER to the Moon in November will be launched.
Europa Clipper is one of six missions attracting attention. NASA’s October 10, 2024, Europa mission will examine Jupiter’s moon’s ice-covered surface and potentially livable subsurface ocean. To determine the moon’s viability for extraterrestrial life, scientists will study its frozen shell, surface geology, and subterranean ocean.
Another important NASA Artemis mission is Artemis II’s launch. This program, named after Apollo’s Greek twin sister, seeks to restore mankind to the Moon. Artemis II, scheduled for launch in November 2024, will be a crewed 10-day mission that builds on Artemis I’s uncrewed Moon orbit.
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Exploring New Frontiers: NASA and International Space Agencies’ Exciting Missions Unveiling the Moon, Mars, and Asteroids in 2024
VIPER will visit the Moon’s south pole in late 2024. This 2023 robotic mission seeks volatile molecules like water and carbon dioxide, crucial for Moon exploration.
Lunar Trailblazer and PRIME-1 are notable NASA SIMPLEx missions. In early 2024, the Lunar Trailblazer will orbit the Moon and map water molecules and surface temperatures. PRIME-1, a Moon-drilling mission, may depend on earlier launches.
Phobos and Deimos will be explored by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Martian Moon eXploration (MMX) mission in September 2024 to establish their origin. In October 2024, the European Space Agency’s Hera mission will explore the Didymos-Dimorphos asteroid system, where NASA’s DART mission collided with an asteroid in 2022 to test planetary defense. These 2024 expeditions will advance our understanding of the universe and enable future exploration.
READ ALSO: A Planetary Scientist Reveals the 6 Biggest Space Missions in 2024
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