As 2024 draws to a close, the anticipation for advancements in space exploration is building for 2025. Recently, Jared Isaacman, the billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of Shift4 Payments, was appointed by President-elect Donald Trump to take the helm at NASA as the new administrator. With his experience from two successful SpaceX missions, Isaacman is expected to be a strong advocate for the growth of the commercial space sector.
In December, SpaceX made headlines by launching a new radio satellite for SiriusXM from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Meanwhile, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe achieved a remarkable milestone on Christmas Eve by flying closer to the sun than any other spacecraft has ever done. This probe, which was launched in 2018, has been on a gradual approach to the sun through 22 orbits and is on track to come within 3.8 million miles of the sun, entering its corona to gather vital data about the sun’s atmosphere.
However, not every December mission went smoothly. Japanese startup Space One faced challenges when its Kairos rocket self-destructed shortly after liftoff from Kushimoto in Wakayama Prefecture on December 18. This incident marked Space One’s second unsuccessful attempt this year to become the first private company in Japan to successfully launch a satellite into orbit.
Looking forward to the upcoming year, a series of thrilling space missions are set to unfold, presented by various government agencies and private aerospace firms.
Here are five notable space missions to watch in January 2025:
1. SpaceX’s seventh Starship test: Scheduled for January 11, SpaceX is preparing for its seventh test of the Starship. Standing almost 400 feet tall, the Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built and is central to Elon Musk’s ambition to establish a human presence on Mars. This test will focus on attempting a controlled landing of the upper-stage capsule in the Indian Ocean while also aiming to recover the Super Heavy booster at Boca Chica, Texas.
2. NASA’s lunar water exploration: NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer mission is poised to enter lunar orbit next month, with the goal of improving our understanding of water resources on the moon. The satellite will be launched via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center and will map the abundance, form, and location of lunar water from an altitude of 60 miles.
3. China’s Long March 8A rocket debut: January will see the first launch of China’s Long March 8A rocket, developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology for missions targeting medium- and low-Earth orbit. After 28 months of rigorous development and 44 ground tests, the rocket is set to launch from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan province, China.
4. Firefly Aerospace’s lunar expedition: Texas-based Firefly Aerospace is gearing up for a lunar mission dubbed “Ghost Riders in the Sky.” This mission will see its Blue Ghost lander launched by a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in mid-January. The lander will spend approximately 45 days orbiting the moon before conducting research in a volcanic area within the Mare Crisium basin, delivering ten payloads from NASA to the lunar surface.
5. ispace’s second lunar landing attempt: Japanese firm ispace is also joining the lunar mission alongside Firefly, with its Resilience lunar lander aboard the Falcon 9. Partially funded by the Japanese space agency JAXA, this mission aims to land near Mare Frigoris, a basaltic plain in the moon’s northern hemisphere, several months following its launch. The lander will perform various tasks, including soil sample collection and radiation studies, in partnership with NASA.
As we anticipate these exciting space missions, the new year is set to launch with significant developments in space exploration. Keep an eye out for more thrilling updates from the cosmos!
