2025 in spaceflighthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_in_spaceflightSpaceflight in 2025 promises to follow the 2020s trend of record breaking orbital launches (with at least 300 expected) and increased developments in lunar, Mars and low-earth orbit exploration.
China plans to launch the Tianwen-2 (ZhengHe) asteroid sample-return and comet probe.
Lunar exploration
On 15 January, Blue Ghost Mission 1 by Firefly Aerospace and Hakuto-R Mission 2 by ispace launched together on a Falcon 9.
Firefly Aerospace's lunar lander will carry NASA-sponsored experiments and commercial payloads as a part of Commercial Lunar Payload Services program to Mare Crisium. Landing is expected on 2 March 2025.
The Hakuto-R Mission 2 will carry the RESILIENCE lunar lander and the TENACIOUS micro rover. Landing is expected in Mare Frigoris around May–June 2025.
Blue Origin plans to launch their MK1 Lunar Lander as a "pathfinder" mission in 2025.
Human spaceflight
Private human spaceflight and space tourism
The first human spaceflight to polar orbit is expected to occur in March when Fram2 is planned to launch on Crew Dragon Resilience.
Vast plans to launch the first ever commercial space station in 2025.
Rocket innovation
Blue Origin completed the maiden flight of its New Glenn rocket on 16 January 2025. The second stage successfully placed its payload into orbit, while the first stage failed to land on the recovery ship offshore.
ESA plans to conduct an orbital test flight of the Space Rider uncrewed spaceplane in the third quarter of the year.
SpaceX expects to perform an in-space propellant transfer demonstration using two docked Starships in 2025—a critical milestone that will allow SpaceX to refuel their Starship HLS vehicle for an uncrewed lunar landing demonstration in the following year.
Satellite technology
ISRO successfully completed the docking of two SpaDeX satellites (SDX-01 & SDX-02) in the early hours of 16 January 2025. Docking of two vehicles in space has previously only been achieved by the Soviet Union/Russia, United States, ESA, and China.
Kuiper Systems, Amazon's satellite internet subsidiary, plans to ramp up launches for its constellation of over 3,000 satellites. The launches will occur on Falcon 9, Ariane 6, Vulcan Centaur and New Glenn launch vehicles.
Orbital launches
Main articles: List of spaceflight launches in January–June 2025 and List of spaceflight launches in July–December 2025
Numbers of orbital launches
020s
Main articles: 2025 in spaceflight, List of spaceflight launches in January–June 2025, and List of spaceflight launches in July–December 2025
Main articles: 2026 in spaceflight, 2027 in spaceflight, 2028 in spaceflight, and 2029 in spaceflight
Month Total Successes Failures Partial failures
January 18 17 1 0
Timeline of spaceflight
Spaceflight before 1951
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceflight_before_19511950s
1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
1960s
1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
1970s
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
1980s
1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
1990s
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
2000s
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
2010s
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
2020s
20202021 (H1, H2)2022 (H1, H2)2023 (H1, H2)2024 (H1, H2)2025 (H1, H2)2026202720282029
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_planned_future_spaceflight_launchesRocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat) Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
March (TBD)[1] United States SLS Block 1B United States Kennedy LC-39B United States NASA
United States Artemis 5 NASA Selenocentric (NRHO) Crewed lunar landing
Europe ESPRIT Refueling Module (ERM) ESA Selenocentric (NRHO) Lunar Gateway component
United States Lunar Terrain Vehicle NASA Selenocentric to lunar surface Crewed lunar rover
November (TBD)[2] TBA TBA TBA
United States Europe Sentinel-6 NG A (Sentinel-6C) NASA / NOAA / EUMETSAT / ESA Low Earth Earth observation
Sentinel-6 Next Generation satellite.
NET 2030 (TBD)[4] Russia Angara A5 Russia Vostochny Site 1A Russia Roscosmos
Russia Boomerang (Fobos-Grunt-2) Roscosmos Areocentric Phobos sample-return
First phase of Mars-Grunt, also known as Expedition-M.[3]
2030 (TBD)[5] Russia Angara A5 / Briz-M Russia Vostochny Site 1A Russia Roscosmos
Russia GAMMA-400 Roscosmos Highly elliptical TBA
2030 (TBD)[6][7] Russia Angara A5M Russia Vostochny Site 1A Russia Roscosmos
Russia Spektr-UV (WSO-UV) INASAN IGSO Ultraviolet astronomy
2030 (TBD)[8][9] Russia Angara A5P Russia Vostochny Site 1A Russia Roscosmos
Russia Orel Roscosmos Low Earth Crewed flight test
2030 (TBD)[10] Russia Angara A5V[11] Russia Vostochny Site 1A Russia Roscosmos
Russia Spektr-M (Millimetron) Russian Astro Space Center Sun–Earth L2 Submillimetre / Far-IR astronomy
NET 2030[12] Russia Angara A5 Russia TBA Russia Roscosmos
Russia TEM prototype Roscosmos Low Earth Technology demonstration
2030 (TBD)[13][14] Russia Angara A5 / DM-03 Russia Vostochny Site 1A Russia Roscosmos
Russia Luna 28 Roscosmos Selenocentric Lunar lander
Lunar sample return
Sample return mission.
2030 (TBD)[15] Europe Ariane 62 France Kourou ELA-4 France Arianespace
Europe NEOMIR ESA Sun–Earth L1 Near-Earth object detection
Infrared astronomy
Near-Earth Object Mission in the InfraRed (NEOMIR).
2030 (TBD)[17] Europe Ariane 64 France Kourou ELA-4 France Arianespace
Europe Earth Return Orbiter (ERO) ESA Areocentric Mars sample-return
Orbiter component of the NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return. It will collect the sample return canister delivered into orbit by the Mars Ascent Vehicle and carry it back to Earth.[16]
2030 (TBD)[18][19] Japan Epsilon S Japan Uchinoura Japan JAXA
Japan HiZ-GUNDAM JAXA Low Earth (SSO) Gamma-ray astronomy
2030 (TBD) United States Falcon Heavy United States Kennedy LC-39A United States SpaceX
United States ISS Deorbit Vehicle[21] NASA LEO (ISS) ISS deorbit
Modified Cargo Dragon to deorbit the ISS after it is decommissioned.[20]
JFY2030 (TBD)[22] Japan H3 Japan Tanegashima LA-Y2 Japan MHI
Japan IGS-Radar Diversification 2 CSICE Low Earth (SSO) Reconnaissance
2030 (TBD)[23] South Korea KSLV-III South Korea Naro South Korea KARI
South Korea KARI Low Earth Flight test
Maiden flight of KSLV-III.
2030 (TBD)[24] China Long March 5 China Wenchang LC-1 China CASC
China Tianwen-3 lander CNSA TMI to Martian surface Mars sample-return
China Tianwen-3 ascent vehicle CNSA TMI to Martian surface Mars sample-return
Chinese Mars sample-return mission.
2030 (TBD)[24] China Long March 5 China Wenchang LC-1 China CASC
China Tianwen-3 orbiter CNSA Areocentric Mars sample-return
China Tianwen-3 reentry capsule CNSA Areocentric Mars sample-return
Chinese Mars sample-return mission.
2030 (TBD)[25] China Long March 10 China Wenchang China CASC
China Mengzhou CNSA Selenocentric Crewed lunar landing
Delivery of the Mengzhou next-generation crewed spacecraft for China's first crewed lunar landing.
2030 (TBD)[25] China Long March 10 China Wenchang China CASC
China Lanyue CNSA Selenocentric Crewed lunar landing
Delivery of the Lanyue crewed lunar lander for China's first crewed lunar landing.
2030 (TBD)[27] Taiwan Siraya TBA Taiwan TASA
Taiwan TASA Low Earth Flight test
Maiden flight of Taiwan's first orbital launch vehicle, Siraya (西拉雅).[26]
2030 (TBD)[28] Russia Soyuz-2.1a / Fregat Russia Vostochny Site 1S Russia Roscosmos
Russia Belarus RBKA №2 Roscosmos / Belarus Low Earth Earth observation
RBKA will follow in the footsteps of BKA (Belarusian Satellite) launched along with Kanopus-V 1 and several other satellites in July 2012.
2030 (TBD)[29] Europe Vega-C France Kourou ELV France Arianespace
Europe TRUTHS ESA Low Earth (SSO) Solar radiation measurement
2030 (TBD)[30][31] Russia TBA Kazakhstan Baikonur or Russia Vostochny Russia Roscosmos
Russia Ekspress-AMU8 RSCC Geosynchronous Communications
2030 (TBD)[32] United States TBA United States TBA United States TBA
United States UVEX NASA Highly elliptical Ultraviolet astronomy
Ultraviolet Explorer (UVEX).
2031
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat) Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
March (TBD)[1] United States SLS Block 1B United States Kennedy LC-39B United States NASA
United States Artemis 6 NASA Selenocentric (NRHO) Crewed lunar landing
United Arab Emirates Crew and Science Airlock Module MBRSC Selenocentric (NRHO) Lunar Gateway component
June (TBD)[33] United States TBA United States TBA United States TBA
United States VERITAS NASA Cytherocentric Venus orbiter
NASA Discovery Program mission to Venus.
December (TBD)[33] Europe Ariane 64 France Kourou ELA-4 France Arianespace
Europe EnVision ESA Cytherocentric Venus orbiter
Q3 (TBD)[2][34] Europe Vega-C France Kourou ELV France Arianespace
Europe CIMR B (Sentinel-11B) ESA Low Earth (SSO) Oceanography
Second of two satellites for the Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) mission. Part of the European Space Agency's Copernicus Programme.
2031 (TBD)[35] Russia Angara A5 / DM-03 Russia Vostochny Site 1A Russia Roscosmos
Russia Venera-D orbiter Roscosmos Cytherocentric Venus orbiter
Russia Venera-D lander Roscosmos Cytherocentric Venus lander
2031 (TBD)[36] Europe Ariane 64 France Kourou ELA-4 France Arianespace
Europe Argonaut Mission 1 ESA Selenocentric to lunar surface Lunar lander
First flight of Argonaut, also known as the European Large Logistics Lander (EL3).
2031 (TBD)[37] Europe Ariane 6 France Kourou ELA-4 France Arianespace
Europe Vigil ESA Sun–Earth L5 Space weather
JFY2031 (TBD)[22] Japan Epsilon S Japan Uchinoura Japan JAXA
Japan Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration-7 JAXA Low Earth Technology demonstration
Part of JAXA's Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program.
JFY2031 (TBD)[22] Japan H3 Japan Tanegashima LA-Y2 Japan MHI
Japan IGS-Radar 9 CSICE Low Earth (SSO) Reconnaissance
2031 (TBD)[38] India NGLV D1 India Satish Dhawan TLP India ISRO
India ISRO Low Earth Flight test
Maiden flight of ISRO's Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), codenamed Soorya.
2031–2032 (TBD)[39] United States TBA United States TBA United States TBA
United States DAVINCI NASA Cytherocentric Venus atmospheric probe
NASA Discovery Program mission to Venus.
2028 (TBD)[40] United States Commercial launch vehicle United States Cape Canaveral or Kennedy United States TBA
United States Europe Sample Retrieval Lander NASA / ESA TMI to Martian surface Mars sample-return
United States Mars Ascent Vehicle NASA Martian surface to TMI Mars sample-return
Lander component of the NASA–ESA Mars sample-return mission. It will carry NASA's Mars Ascent Vehicle.
2032
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat) Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
March (TBD)[1] United States SLS Block 1B United States Kennedy LC-39B United States NASA
United States Artemis 7 NASA Selenocentric (NRHO) Crewed lunar landing
Q2 (TBD)[41][42] Europe Ariane 6 France Kourou ELA-4 France Arianespace
Europe MetOp-SG A2 EUMETSAT Low Earth (SSO) Meteorology
2032 (TBD)[38] India NGLV D2 India Satish Dhawan TLP India ISRO
India ISRO Low Earth Flight test
2032 (TBD)[38] India NGLV D3 India Satish Dhawan TLP India ISRO
India ISRO Low Earth Flight test
The NGLV First Stage Booster is planned to be recovered in this Mission.
JFY2032 (TBD)[22] Japan H3 Japan Tanegashima LA-Y2 Japan MHI
Japan IGS-Optical Diversification Successor CSICE Low Earth (SSO) Reconnaissance
2032 (TBD)[43][44] Japan H3 Japan Tanegashima LA-Y2 Japan MHI
Japan LiteBIRD JAXA Sun–Earth L2 Space observatory
2032 (TBD)[23] South Korea KSLV-III South Korea Naro South Korea KARI
South Korea South Korean lunar lander KARI Selenocentric to lunar surface Lunar lander / Lunar rover
Launch of the first South Korean lunar lander.
2032 (TBD)[45] United States Starship United States TBA United States SpaceX
Japan United States Lunar Cruiser JAXA / Toyota / NASA Selenocentric to lunar surface Crewed lunar rover
Crewed pressurized rover for Artemis 7 and later missions.
2032 (TBD)[46] United States TBA United States TBA United States TBA
United States GeoXO-1 NOAA Geosynchronous Meteorology
2032 (TBD)[47] United States TBA United States TBA United States TBA
United States JPSS-3 NOAA Low Earth (SSO) Meteorology
2032 (TBD) Russia Yenisei Russia Vostochny PU3 Russia Roscosmos
Russia Low Earth Flight test
First flight of the Yenisei super heavy-lift launch vehicle.
2033
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat) Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
Q1 (TBD)[41][42] Europe Ariane 6 France Kourou ELA-4 France Arianespace
Europe MetOp-SG B2 EUMETSAT Low Earth (SSO) Meteorology
Q3 (TBD)[2] TBA TBA TBA
Europe Sentinel-3 NG TOPO A ESA Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation
Sentinel-3 Next Generation Topography satellite.
Q4 (TBD)[2] TBA TBA TBA
United States Europe Sentinel-6 NG B (Sentinel-6D) NASA / NOAA / EUMETSAT / ESA Low Earth Earth observation
Sentinel-6 Next Generation satellite.
2033 (TBD)[48] Europe Ariane 6 France Kourou ELA-4 France Arianespace
Europe MTG-I3 EUMETSAT Geosynchronous Meteorology
JFY2033 (TBD)[22] Japan H3 Japan Tanegashima LA-Y2 Japan MHI
Japan IGS-Radar 10 CSICE Low Earth (SSO) Reconnaissance
JFY2033 (TBD)[22] Japan H3 Japan Tanegashima LA-Y2 Japan MHI
Japan IGS-Optical 11 CSICE Low Earth (SSO) Reconnaissance
2033 (TBD)[49] China Long March 9 China Wenchang China CASC
China CNSA Low Earth Flight test
First flight of the Long March 9 super heavy-lift launch vehicle.
2033 (TBD)[45] United States New Glenn United States Cape Canaveral LC-36 United States Blue Origin
United States Foundational Surface Habitat NASA Selenocentric to lunar surface Lunar surface habitat
The Foundational Surface Habitat will be the first component of the Artemis Base Camp lunar outpost.
2033 (TBD)[50] United States SLS Block 1B United States Kennedy LC-39B United States NASA
United States Artemis 8 NASA Selenocentric (NRHO) Crewed lunar landing
2034 and later
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat) Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
Q3 2034[2] TBA TBA TBA
Europe Sentinel-3 NG OPT A ESA Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation
Sentinel-3 Next Generation Optical satellite.
H1 2035[48] Europe Ariane 6 France Kourou ELA-4 France Arianespace
Europe MTG-S2 / Sentinel-4B EUMETSAT Geosynchronous Meteorology / Earth observation
Q3 2035[2] TBA TBA TBA
Europe Sentinel-3 NG TOPO B ESA Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation
Sentinel-3 Next Generation Topography satellite.
2035 (TBD)[51] Europe Ariane 64[52] France Kourou ELA-4 France Arianespace
Europe Athena ESA Sun–Earth L2,
Halo orbit X-ray astronomy
2035 (TBD)[53] Europe Ariane 6 France Kourou ELA-4 France Arianespace
Europe LISA ESA Heliocentric Gravitational-wave observatory
2035 (TBD)[46] United States TBA United States TBA United States TBA
United States GeoXO-2 NOAA Geosynchronous Meteorology
2035 (TBD)[46] United States TBA United States TBA United States TBA
United States GeoXO-3 NOAA Geosynchronous Meteorology
Q3 2036[2] TBA TBA TBA
Europe Sentinel-3 NG OPT B ESA Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation
Sentinel-3 Next Generation Optical satellite.
Q2 2039[41][42] Europe Ariane 6 France Kourou ELA-4 France Arianespace
Europe MetOp-SG A3 EUMETSAT Low Earth (SSO) Meteorology
Q1 2040[41][42] Europe Ariane 6 France Kourou ELA-4 France Arianespace
Europe MetOp-SG B3 EUMETSAT Low Earth (SSO) Meteorology
2043 (TBD)[48] Europe Ariane 6 France Kourou ELA-4 France Arianespace
Europe MTG-I4 EUMETSAT Geosynchronous Meteorology
Deep-space rendezvous
Date (UTC) Spacecraft Event Remarks
11 April 2030 Europa Clipper Jupiter orbit insertion
26 December 2030 Lucy Third gravity assist at Earth Target altitude 660 km
July 2031 Hayabusa2 Arrival at asteroid 1998 KY26[54]
July 2031 JUICE Flyby of Ganymede
July 2031 JUICE Jupiter orbit insertion
July 2032 JUICE Flyby of Europa
2 March 2033 Lucy Flyby of binary asteroid 617 Patroclus-Menoetius Target altitude 1000 km
December 2034 JUICE Ganymede orbit insertion Planned first orbit of a moon other than Earth's
The United Kingdom, Russia, South Korea and China plan to return samples from Mars by around 2031 or 2032.
A joint NASA/ESA project plans to return samples from Mars by 2033.
Dragonfly is expected to reach Titan in 2036.
Expected maiden flights
Siraya – TASA – Taiwan[citation needed]
Amur – Roscosmos – Russia
Tianwen 3 – CASC – China
Tronador II-250 – CONAE – Argentina – 2029[55]
Yenisei – Roscosmos – Russia
Long March 9 – CASC – China
Ariel Space Mission – UK Space Agency – United Kingdom
KSLV-III – KARI – South Korea
NGLV - ISRO - India
Deep-space rendezvous
Date (UTC) Spacecraft Event Remarks
8 January BepiColombo Sixth gravity assist at Mercury Success
1 March Europa Clipper Gravity assist at Mars
March Hera Gravity assist at Mars Will conduct observations of the Martian moon Deimos
20 April Lucy Flyby of asteroid 52246 Donaldjohanson Target altitude 922 km
31 August JUICE Gravity assist at Venus
Extravehicular activities (EVAs)
See also: List of spacewalks since 2025
Start Date/Time Duration End Time Spacecraft Crew Remarks
16 January
13:01 6 hours 19:01 Expedition 72
ISS Quest
United States Nick Hague
United States Sunita Williams
Hague and Williams ventured outside and replaced the Rate Gyro Assembly Gyroscope 2 on the S0 Truss, replaced the retro reflectors on IDA 3, installed shields on NICER to patch holes in the light shades, relocated the C2V2 cables out of the way so the astronauts and Canadarm 2 could access the worksite, tested a tool on the AMS jumpers, and photographed the AMS jumpers so they can be de-mated on a future spacewalk. As part of a get-ahead task, they inspected an ammonia vent line on Unity and inspected a foot restraint located near the Z1 Radio Antenna. This spacewalk was originally supposed to be performed by Andreas Mogensen and Loral O'Hara during Expedition 70, but it was delayed indefinitely due to a radiator leak on Nauka.[13][14]
Orbital launch statistics
By country
For the purposes of this section, the yearly tally of orbital launches by country assigns each flight to the country of origin of the rocket, not to the launch services provider or the spaceport. For example, Electron rockets launched from the Māhia Peninsula in New Zealand are counted under the United States because Electron is an American rocket. For a launch attempt to be considered orbital it must be trying to achieve a positive perigee. Launches from the Moon are not included in the statistics.
Country Launches Successes Failures Partial
failures Remarks
China 6 6 0 0
United States 12 11 1 0 Includes Electron launches from Māhia
World 18 17 1 0
spaceport
5101520AustraliaChinaFranceIndiaIranJapanKazakhstanNew ZealandNorth KoreaRussiaUnited States
Bowen
Jiuquan
South China Sea
Taiyuan
Wenchang
Xichang
Yellow Sea
Kourou
Satish Dhawan
Chabahar
Semnan
Shahroud
Kii
Tanegashima
Baikonur
Māhia
Sohae
Plesetsk
Vostochny
Cape Canaveral
Kennedy
MARS
Starbase
Vandenberg
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