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.

2024 May 3 - Chang'e 6 - Launch of Chinese lunar sample return mission
2024 September 5 - Bepi-Colombo - ESA mission makes its fourth Mercury flyby
2024 October 10 - Europa Clipper - Launch of NASA Jupiter Orbiter to study Europa
2024 October - Hera - Launch of ESA mission to asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos
2024 October - EscaPADE - Launch of dual smallsat Mars orbiters
2024 November - Griffin Mission 1 (VIPER) - Launch of NASA CLPS lunar lander
2024 December 2 - Bepi-Colombo - ESA mission makes its fifth Mercury flyby
2024 December 13 - Lucy - NASA asteroid mission makes second Earth flyby
2024 Quarter 4 - Intuitive Machines 2 (PRIME 1) - Launch of NASA CLPS lunar rover
2024 Quarter 4 - Lunar Trailblazer - Launch of NASA SmallSat mission to study lunar water
2024 - Blue Ghost 1 (Firefly) - Launch of NASA CLPS lunar lander

2025 January 9 - Bepi-Colombo - ESA mission makes its sixth Mercury flyby
2025 April 20 - Lucy - NASA asteroid mission makes flyby of asteroid Donaldjohanson
2025 December 5 - Bepi-Colombo - ESA mission goes into orbit around Mercury
2025 - Blue Ghost 2 (Firefly) - Launch of NASA CLPS lunar lander
2025 - Lunar Pathfinder - Launch of NASA CLPS lunar orbiter
2025 - Intuitive Machines 3 (PRISM) - Launch of lunar lander and rovers

2026 - Chang'e 7 - Launch of Chinese lunar survey mission
2026 - Martian Moon eXploration (MMX) - Launch of JAXA mission to return sample from Phobos
2026 - Draper Lunar Lander - Launch of NASA CLPS lunar lander

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

2028 - Dragonfly - Launch of NASA quadcopter drone mission to Titan
2028 - ExoMars Rover - Launch of ESA Mars rover, Rosalind Franklin
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 - Chang'e 8 - Launch of Chinese lunar technology test

2029 April 13 - Asteroid Apophis passes Earth at an altitude of 32,000 km
2030 December 26 - Lucy - NASA asteroid mission makes third Earth flyby
2031 - DAVINCI - Launch of NASA Venus flyby and atmospheric probe
2031 - VERITAS - Launch of NASA Venus orbiter
2031 - 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

NSSDCA Planetary Home Page

NASA Official: Dave Williams, david.r.williams@nasa.gov
Last Updated: 22 April 2024, DRW