Upcoming Planetary Events and Missions
All launch dates should be considered "No Earlier Than" dates, as launches can be delayed for many reasons
from their planned times.
2022 July 12 -
James Webb Space Telescope - NASA mission releases its first science-quality images
2022 August 22 -
Luna 25 - Launch of Russian lunar lander
2022 August -
Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) - Launch of South Korean mission to the Moon
2022 August -
Chandrayaan 3 - Launch of ISRO (India) Lunar Orbiter, Lander, and Rover to the Moon
2022 August -
LunaH-Map - Launch of NASA CubeSat mission to map lunar polar hydrogen
2022 August -
Lunar Ice Cube - Launch of NASA CubeSat mission to find lunar water and volatiles
2022 August -
NEA Scout - Launch of NASA CubeSat mission to fly by a Near-Earth Asteroid
2022 August -
LunIR - Launch of NASA Lunar flyby CubeSat
2022 August -
OMOTENASHI - Launch of JAXA CubeSat lunar lander mission
2022 August -
EQUULEUS - Launch of JAXA CubeSat L2 orbiter lunar mission
2022 September 3 -
Solar Orbiter - ESA solar mission makes third Venus flyby
2022 September 26 - October 1 -
DART - Double Asteroid Redirection Test impact into asteroid Dimorphos
2022 October 16 -
Lucy - NASA asteroid mission makes first Earth flyby
2022 Late -
TO2-IM (Intuitive Machines 1) - Launch of NASA CLPS lunar lander
2022 Late -
TO2-AB (Peregrine Mission 1) - Launch of NASA CLPS lunar lander
2022 - 2023 -
Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) - Launch of JAXA lunar lander mission
Postponed -
Janus - Launch of dual smallsats to binary asteroids
2023 -
TO 19C (Masten Mission 1) - Launch of NASA CLPS lunar lander
2023 June 20 -
Bepi-Colombo - ESA mission makes its third Mercury flyby
2023 August 21 -
Parker Solar Probe - NASA solar mission makes sixth Venus flyby
2023 September -
OSIRIS-Rex - Returns to Earth with sample of asteroid Bennu
2023 -
JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) - Launch of ESA mission to the Jupiter system
2023 -
PRIME-1 (Intuitive Machines 2) - Launch of NASA CLPS lunar rover
2023 Late -
VIPER (Griffin Mission 1) - Launch of NASA CLPS lunar lander
2023 Late -
TO 19D (Blue Ghost 1) - Launch of NASA CLPS lunar lander
2023 - 2024 -
Psyche - Launch of orbiter mission to main belt asteroid 16 Psyche
2023-2025 -
Europa Clipper - Launch of NASA Jupiter Orbiter to study Europa
2024 September 5 -
Bepi-Colombo - ESA mission makes its fourth Mercury flyby
2024 September -
Martian Moon eXploration (MMX) - Launch of JAXA mission to return sample from Phobos
2024 December 2 -
Bepi-Colombo - ESA mission makes its fifth Mercury flyby
2024 December 13 -
Lucy - NASA asteroid mission makes second Earth flyby
2024 -
TO CP-11 (Intuitive Machines 3) - Launch of lunar lander and rovers
2024 -
Hera - Launch of ESA mission to asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos
2024 -
EscaPADE - Dual smallsat Mars orbiters
2024 -
Chang'e 7 - Launch of Chinese lunar survey mission
2024 -
Chang'e 6 - Launch of Chinese lunar sample return mission
2024 -
ExoMars - Launch of ESA Mars rover and Russian surface platform
2025 January 9 -
Bepi-Colombo - ESA mission makes its sixth Mercury flyby
2025 February 1 -
Lunar Trailblazer - Launch of NASA SmallSat mission to study lunar water
2025 April 20 -
Lucy - NASA asteroid mission makes flyby of asteroid Donaldjohanson
2025 December 5 -
Bepi-Colombo - ESA mission goes into orbit around Mercury
2026 -
Dragonfly - Launch of NASA quadcopter drone mission to Titan
2027 August 12 -
Lucy - NASA asteroid mission makes flyby of Trojan asteroid Eurybates
2027 September 15 -
Lucy - NASA asteroid mission makes flyby of Trojan asteroid Polymele
TBD (2027?) -
Chang'e 8 - Launch of Chinese lunar technology test
2028 April 18 -
Lucy - NASA asteroid mission makes flyby of Trojan asteroid Leucus
2028 November 11 -
Lucy - NASA asteroid mission makes flyby of Trojan asteroid Orus
2028 - 2029 -
VERITAS - Launch of NASA Venus orbiter
2029 April 13 -
Asteroid Apophis passes Earth at an altitude of 32,000 km
2029 - 2030 -
DAVINCI+ - Launch of NASA Venus orbiter and atmospheric probe
2030 December 26 -
Lucy - NASA asteroid mission makes third Earth flyby
2032 -
ENVISION - Launch of ESA Venus orbiter
2033 March 2 -
Lucy - NASA asteroid mission makes flyby of Trojan asteroid binary pair Patroclus-Menoetius
2231 April 5 -
Pluto - is passed by Neptune in distance from the Sun for the next 20 years
4,000,000 -
Pioneer 11 - NASA
flyby of star Lambda Aquila
Chronology of Lunar and Planetary Missions
NSSDCA Planetary Home Page
Author/Curator:
Dr. David R. Williams, dave.williams@nasa.gov
NSSDCA, Mail Code 690.1
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771
+1-301-286-1258
NASA Official: Dave Williams, david.r.williams@nasa.gov
Last Updated: 28 June 2022, DRW