**Thrilling Space Missions and Astronomical Events to Anticipate in 2025**
Although 2025 may not feature astronauts traveling into the depths of space as NASA initially intended, it is set to be a thrilling year for space exploration. A variety of robotic spacecraft will strive for lunar landings, commercial rockets will embark on crucial test flights, and scientific missions will bring us nearer to comprehending our solar system and beyond. Here’s an extensive overview of the key space missions and cosmic events to eagerly expect in 2025.
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### **Major Space Missions and Events**
#### **BepiColombo’s Last Mercury Flyby – January 8**
Mercury, the least explored of the terrestrial planets, will garner attention through the collaborative mission of the European and Japanese space agencies, *BepiColombo*. The spacecraft is set to execute its sixth and final flyby, reaching a proximity of 160 miles above the planet’s surface, prior to entering orbit in late 2026. Anticipate breathtaking images to be unveiled on January 9.
#### **Blue Origin’s New Glenn Launch – January 12**
Jeff Bezos’ aerospace firm, Blue Origin, aims to launch its colossal *New Glenn* rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The mission strives to achieve orbit, with an ambitious plan to land the booster on a barge for future reuse. The three-hour launch window opens at 1 a.m. ET.
#### **SpaceX Starship Assessment – January 13**
SpaceX is set to perform its seventh uncrewed assessment of the *Starship* spacecraft, showcasing enhanced hardware and a payload of 10 mock satellites to mimic deployment in space. The launch window opens at 4:00 p.m. CT, marking another progress in refining the world’s most formidable rocket.
#### **Dual Lunar Landers – January 15**
Two compact spacecraft, one from Firefly Aerospace and another from Japan’s ispace, will share a ride on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Firefly’s *Blue Ghost* lander will house NASA instruments, while ispace’s *Resilience* lander will make a second attempt at a lunar landing after its initial mission concluded in a crash in 2023.
#### **NASA’s Lunar Rover and Orbiter – February**
Intuitive Machines will make its second attempt at a moon landing with the *Athena* lander, which includes a NASA rover aimed at testing a drill and mass spectrometer. Moreover, NASA’s *Lunar Trailblazer* orbiter will be mapping lunar water, also hitching a ride on the same mission.
#### **Europa Clipper Mars Flyby – February 27**
NASA’s *Europa Clipper* spacecraft, heading towards Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, will perform its first flyby of Mars to gain a gravity assist. The mission, scheduled to reach Europa in 2030, seeks to investigate whether the moon has the potential to support life.
#### **SPHEREx Astrophysics Observatory Lift-off – February**
NASA’s *SPHEREx* mission will craft a 3D map of the sky, examining hundreds of millions of stars and galaxies across 102 invisible colors. The observatory will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
#### **Hera Mars Flyby – March**
The European Space Agency’s *Hera* spacecraft, tasked with studying the asteroid Dimorphos (notably impacted by NASA’s DART mission), will make a brief sojourn to Mars and its moon Deimos to gather additional data.
#### **Astronauts Return from Extended ISS Mission – March**
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have occupied the International Space Station for over eight months, are anticipated to return to Earth in March aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
#### **NASA-India NISAR Satellite Launch – March**
NASA and India’s space agency will launch the *NISAR* satellite to observe Earth’s land and ice. This satellite will scan the surface every 12 days, delivering essential data on environmental changes.
#### **Private Astronauts Visit ISS – Spring**
Axiom Space will dispatch its fourth group of private astronauts to the International Space Station. These commercially trained astronauts will conduct scientific investigations during their mission.
#### **Twin Spacecraft on Mars Journey – Spring**
Rocket Lab’s *Escapade* mission will deploy two orbiters to investigate how solar radiation depletes Mars’ atmosphere. Initially planned for 2024, the launch is now expected in spring 2025.
#### **Lucy Spacecraft Asteroid Encounter – April 20**
NASA’s *Lucy* spacecraft will fly past a small asteroid, Donaldjohanson, as part of its 12-year mission to examine Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids. This encounter will serve as a preparatory test before visiting seven larger asteroids.
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### **Meteor Showers to Observe**
– **Lyrids (April 21-22):** Visible from the Northern Hemisphere, this shower originates from comet Thatcher