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 dates.

2021 October 16 - Lucy - Launch of NASA flyby mission to multiple Trojan asteroids
2021 October 16 - Parker Solar Probe - NASA solar mission makes fifth Venus flyby
2021 November 24 - Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) - Launch of NASA impactor to asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos
2021 December 18 - James Webb Space Telescope - Launch of NASA Infrared Observatory
2021 - 2022 - LunaH-Map - Launch of NASA CubeSat mission to map lunar polar hydrogen
2021 - 2022 - Lunar Flashlight - Launch of NASA CubeSat mission to find lunar water ice
2021 - 2022 - Lunar Ice Cube - Launch of NASA CubeSat mission to find lunar water and volatiles
2021 - 2022 - NEA Scout - Launch of NASA CubeSat mission to fly by a Near-Earth Asteroid
2021 - 2022 - OMOTENASHI - Launch of JAXA CubeSat lunar lander mission
2021 - 2022 - EQUULEUS - Launch of JAXA CubeSat L2 orbiter lunar mission
2021 - 2022 - CAPSTONE - NASA lunar halo orbiter, precursor for lunar Gateway

2022 January - Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) - Launch of JAXA lunar lander mission
2022 Early - IM-1 - Launch of NASA CLPS lunar lander
2022 May - Luna 25 - Launch of Russian lunar lander
2022 June 23 - Bepi-Colombo - ESA mission makes its second Mercury flyby
2022 June - JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) - Launch of ESA mission to the Jupiter system
2022 August - Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) - Launch of South Korean mission to the Moon
2022 August - Psyche - Launch of orbiter mission to main belt asteroid 16 Psyche
2022 August - Janus - Launch (with Psyche) of dual smallsats to binary asteroids
2022 September 3 - Solar Orbiter - ESA solar mission makes third Venus flyby
2022 August-October - ExoMars 2022 - Launch of ESA Mars rover and Russian surface platform
2022 December - Prime 1 - Launch of NASA CLPS lunar lander
2022 - Peregrine Mission 1 - Launch of NASA CLPS lunar lander

2023 - XL-1 Lander - 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
2023-2025 - 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 - 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

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 December 5 - Bepi-Colombo - ESA mission goes into orbit around Mercury

2026 - Dragonfly - Launch of NASA quadcopter drone mission to Titan

TBD (2027?) - Chang'e 8 - Launch of Chinese lunar technology test

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

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: Dr. David R. Williams, david.r.williams@nasa.gov
Last Updated: 4 October 2021, DRW