### Thrilling Space Missions and Events in 2025
Although 2025 won’t feature astronauts venturing into the depths of space as NASA initially intended, the year promises to be filled with exhilarating space missions. A collection of robotic spacecraft will strive for moon landings, and prominent commercial rockets will carry out vital test flights. Furthermore, scientific probes will acquire detailed images of planets while utilizing gravitational assists to journey further into the solar system.
Here’s a glimpse of some of the most thrilling space missions and astronomical events to anticipate in 2025.
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### **Principal Space Missions and Events in 2025**
#### **BepiColombo’s Last Mercury Flyby – January 8**
Mercury, being the nearest planet to the Sun, has remained relatively uncharted compared to other terrestrial planets. The collaboration between European and Japanese space agencies with the **BepiColombo** mission seeks to alter that. On January 8, the spacecraft will execute its sixth and final flyby of Mercury ahead of its orbital entry in late 2026. The closest approach will see it come within 160 miles of Mercury’s surface, with images anticipated to be shared on January 9.
#### **Dual Moon Landers on a Single Rocket – January 15**
Two unmanned spacecraft—one from **Firefly Aerospace** and another from Japan’s **ispace**—will aim for moon landings after launching with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Firefly’s **Blue Ghost lander** will transport NASA instruments and is expected to touch down on the moon in early March. Meanwhile, ispace’s **Resilience lander**, developed alongside Japan’s space agency JAXA, will take a longer trajectory, expected to reach the moon in four to five months.
#### **Inaugural Flight of Blue Origin’s New Glenn – January 16**
The aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos, **Blue Origin**, is preparing to launch its substantial **New Glenn** rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The mission aims to achieve orbital insertion, with a bold effort to recover the booster on a barge for future use.
#### **SpaceX Tests Enhanced Starship – January 16**
SpaceX will carry out another uncrewed test of its **Starship**, featuring an improved spacecraft and ten mock satellites to replicate a payload deployment scenario. This will mark the seventh test flight for Starship, with a launch window opening at 4:00 p.m. CT.
#### **NASA Moon Rover and Orbiter Deployment – February 26**
After its landmark moon landing in 2024, **Intuitive Machines** will strive for another lunar landing with its **Athena lander**. This mission, known as **IM-2 (PRIME-1)**, will transport a NASA rover designed to test a drill and mass spectrometer. Additionally, NASA’s **Lunar Trailblazer** satellite will accompany the mission to map lunar water deposits.
#### **Europa Clipper Mars Flyby – March 1**
NASA’s **Europa Clipper** spacecraft, launched in October 2024, will execute a **gravity assist flyby of Mars** on March 1. The spacecraft will come within 550 miles of the Martian surface before continuing on to Jupiter’s moon **Europa**, where it is set to arrive in 2030 to investigate potential habitability.
#### **Firefly Aerospace Moon Landing Attempt – March 2**
Following its January launch, Firefly Aerospace’s **Blue Ghost lander** will endeavor a robotic landing in the **Mare Crisium** area of the moon. NASA and Firefly will provide commentary during the descent, although there will be no live video stream.
#### **Intuitive Machines Moon Landing Attempt – March 6**
A few days after Firefly’s attempt, **Intuitive Machines** will try to land its **Athena lander** close to the moon’s south pole. The landing is set for **11:32 a.m. CT on March 6**, with live coverage commencing an hour prior.
#### **SpaceX Starship Test After Prior Explosion – March 6**
Following an earlier test that ended in an explosion, SpaceX will pursue another **Starship** test flight on March 6 at **5:30 p.m. CT**. This will represent the eighth test flight, incorporating hardware enhancements to rectify earlier issues.
#### **Launch of NASA’s SPHEREx Astrophysics Observatory – March 11**
NASA will initiate the launch of **SPHEREx**, an astrophysics observatory designed to compile a **3D map of the entire sky**. The mission will investigate hundreds of millions of stars and galaxies, aiding scientists in comprehending cosmic inflation and the origins of the universe.
#### **European Spacecraft Hera Mars Flyby – March 12**
The European Space Agency’s **Hera mission**, launched in 2024, will carry out a **flyby of Mars and its moon Deimos** before proceeding