2nd of the National Team’s Blue Moon MK1 lunar lander test missions to validate the necessary technologies for its HLS lunar module. Some of the life support hardware will travel on this mission in preparation for the first crew Blue Moon flight. This mission will also carry NASA’s VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) lunar rover. VIPER is designed to explore the relatively nearby but extreme environment of the Moon in search of ice and other potential resources. This mobile robot will land at the South Pole of the Moon on a 100-day mission, in order to teach us about the origin and distribution of water on the Moon and help determine how we can harvest the Moon's resources for future human space exploration. VIPER is designed to roam the Moon using its three instruments and a 1 meter long drill to detect and analyze various lunar soil environments at a range of depths and temperatures. The rover can venture into permanently shadowed craters, some of the coldest spots in the solar system, where ice reserves have endured for billions of years. The rover was originally slated to launch on Astrobotic’s Griffin Mission One lunar lander (with the Falcon Heavy rocket), but the VIPER mission was cancelled in July 2024 due to budget cuts. After consulting with the industry to find alternative ways to deliver the rover to the lunar surface, NASA ultimately chose to launch it with Blue Origin’s 2nd Blue Moon MK1 lander mission.
Low Earth OrbitThe Skynet 6A gap-filler military communications satellite built by Airbus Defence and Space to cover the gap between the Britisch Skynet-5 network and its successor. Skynet 6A was solesourced from Airbus Defence and Space in 2017, but was not fully funded until July 2020. Aibus will build the Skynet-6A satellite in the United Kingdom and arrange a 2025 launch. RAL Space, a U.K. national laboratory, will test the all-electric satellite at its facility in Harwell. Skynet-6A, based on the Eurostar-Neo platform, is expected to provide communications services for the British military until at least 2040.
Geostationary Transfer OrbitChandrayaan-4 is a planned lunar sample-return mission of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and will be the fourth mission of its Chandrayaan programme. The mission consist of five modules, namely the DM (Descender Module), AM (Ascender Module), TM (Transfer Module), RM (Re-entry Module) and PM (Propulsion Module). The planned mission life is 1 lunar day and the landing site will be near the Lunar South Pole. The first launch will lift the DM (Descender Module) and AM (Ascender Module) to orbit.
Lunar OrbitThaicom 10, built by Airbus Defence and Space, will provide over 120 gigabits per second (Gbps) of capacity, with flexibility and instant configuration to adapt dynamically to the customers’ needs. The satellite will provide extended connectivity over the region for Thaicom’s customers and partners across the Asia Pacific.
Geostationary Transfer OrbitA batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
A pair of Chinese satellites reported to be for "Earth observation technological testing and validation" purposes. Actual usage not known.
A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group.…
Firefly Alpha's Flight 7 is a test flight and return-To-Flight for the launch vehicle after its April 2025 launch failure. It will test and validate …
EchoStar 25 is a direct broadcast satellite, built on the proven Maxar 1300 series platform, which will deliver content across North America. It will…
A batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Note: Payload and customer identities were not publicly announced. 4th of the BlackSky Gen-3 high resolution Earth-imaging satellites.
Third flight of the KAIROS launch vehicle. 5 satellites will be on board: * TATARA-1R * SC-Sat1a * HErO * AETS-1 * Nutsat-3 (TASA/Taiwan)
A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.