2020s Artificial satellites and space probes in the 2020s Year Origin Name Target Status Description 2020 TÜRKSAT 5A Earth TÜRKSAT 5A, Turkey's seventh communication satellite launched with SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. SolOSun Solar Orbiter is an ESA's Sun-observing satellite. Mars 2020 Mars Perseverance, JPL's Mars rover. It was launched on July 30 with Atlas V rocket, and landed on February 18, 2021, together with the small Ingenuity helicopter that was deployed on April 4, 2021. Hope Mars Hope satellite is the United Arab Emirates Space Agency's uncrewed space research project on Mars. It was launched with Japanese H-IIA rocket on 19 July and reached Mars on 9 February 2021. Tianwen-1 Mars Mission containing an orbiter, deployable and remote cameras, lander and Zhurong rover. This is China's 2nd uncrewed space research project on Mars. It was launched with Long March 5 rocket on 23 July and the orbiter, lander and rover entered Mars orbit on 10 February 2021. The rover and lander landed on 14 May with rover deployment on 22 April 2021 and dropped a remote selfie camera on Mars on 1 June 2021 and while a deployable camera made a flyby around 10 February 2021 and another deployable camera was released into Mars orbit on 31 December 2021. Chang'e 5 Moon Orbiter, Returner, Ascent Stage, Lander configuration mission, China's first automated return of samples from the Moon. orbiter visited L1 and made a lunar flyby. 2021 Lucytwo main belt asteroids as well as six Jupiter trojans NASA probe that will complete a 12-year journey to nine different asteroids, visiting two main belt asteroids as well as six Jupiter trojans, asteroids which share Jupiter's orbit around the Sun, orbiting either ahead of or behind the planet. All target encounters will be fly-by encounters. It was launched on October 16, 2021, on the 401 variant of Atlas V and has yet to study a trojan asteroid. Amazônia-1 Earth Amazônia-1 is the first Earth observation satellite developed by Brazil, helped by Argentina's INVAP, who provided the main computer, attitude controls and sensors, and the training of Brazilian engineers,[8] and launched at 04:54:00 UTC (10:24:00 IST) on 28 February 2021. DART a Binary 65803 Didymos asteroid system Double Asteroid Redirection Test, NASA's first mission to test planetary defense. Its uses involves test this technique by kinetically impacting the spacecraft to produce a small change in its orbital period. It was launched on November 24 with Falcon 9 rocket. Accompanying the mission is LICIACube cubesat, a flyby mission that recorded the impact and its aftermaths. LICIACube a Binary 65803 Didymos asteroid system LICIACube, Light Italian Cubesat for Imaging of Asteroids, is the first Agenzia Spaziale Italiana's interplanetary mission. Ideated, designed, integrated and operated entirely in Italy, it has been the witness of the first real-scale planetary defense test performed by Double Asteroid Redirection Test. LICIACube is the smallest human-made object that successfully performed a flyby of a Small Solar System body. It has been deployed two weeks before DART's impact. IXPE Earth Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer, NASA's new X-ray observatory. It was launched on December 8 with Falcon 9 rocket. TÜRKSAT 5B Earth TÜRKSAT 5B, Turkey's eighth communication satellite launched with SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. / / James Webb Space Telescope Earth-Sun L2 point James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), NASA, ESA and CSA's joint project for a space telescope. It was launched on December 25 with Ariane 5 ECA rocket to Earth-Moon L2 point. 2022 CAPSTONE Near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) of Moon CAPSTONE, Lunar orbiting CubeSat that will test and verify the calculated orbital stability planned for the Gateway space station. It was launched with Rocket Lab Electron rocket. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 None None In May, NASA reports that the Voyager 1 spacecraft, the farthest human-made object, is sending data that does not reflect what is happening on board with the antenna apparently remaining in its prescribed orientation to Earth. In June, it was reported that NASA is preparing to power down the two Voyager spacecraft in the hope of using the remaining power to extend their operation to about 2030. / Danuri (KLPO)MoonSouth Korea's first lunar orbiter launched by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. Danuri will serve to create topographic map of the lunar surface to pinpoint future landing sites.Artemis 1 Orion MPCV CM-002MoonUncrewed test of the Orion spacecraft in lunar flyby and DRO orbit.CuSPHeliocentricStudy particles and magnetic fields.LunIRMoonCollect its surface thermography.NEA ScoutMoon/AsteroidSolar sail that will flyby a near-Earth asteroid.Team MilesHelliocentricDemonstrate low-thrust plasma propulsion in deep space.BioSentinelHeliocentricContains yeast cards that will be rehydrated in space, designed to detect, measure, and compare the effects of deep space radiation.LunaH-MapMoonSearch for evidence of lunar water ice inside permanently shadowed craters using its neutron detector.Lunar IceCubeMoonIts infrared spectrometer will detect water and organic compounds in the lunar surface and exosphere.ArgoMoonHigh Earth Orbit with Lunar FlybysImage the ICPS and perform deep space Nanotechnology experiments.OMOTENASHIMoon Inflatable module attempting to land semi-hard at lunar surface.EQUULEUSMoon/Earth Moon-L2Image the Earth's plasmasphere, impact craters on the Moon's far side and L2 experiments.Hakuto-R Mission 1MoonLunar landing technology demonstration at Atlas Crater. Lunar Flashlight Moon Lunar Flashlight, Lunar orbiting CubeSat that will explore, locate, and estimate size and composition of water ice deposits on the Moon for future exploitation by robots or humans. It was launched with Hakuto-R mission Mission 1.2023Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE)Jupiter and GanymedeMission to study Jupiter's three icy moons Callisto, Europa and Ganymede, eventually orbiting Ganymede as the first spacecraft to orbit a satellite of another planet. Euclid Earth-Sun L2 point It is ESA's project for a space telescope to study dark matter. It was launched on July 1 with Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket to Earth-Moon L2 point. Chandrayaan-3 Moon It is India's second attempt to land on the Moon and its south pole. Successfully launched on 14 July 2023 on a LVM3 launch vehicle. Successfully landed on 23 August 2023. Luna-25 Moon It was a lander, launched on 10 August 2023 on Soyuz 2.1b rocket. Crashed on the Moon surface on 19 August 2023. Aditya-L1 Earth-Sun L1 point It is ISRO's first Sun dedicated scientific mission. It will perform observations of the Solar corona. Successfully launched on 2 September 2023 on a PSLV-XL rocket. / XRISM Earth X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, X-ray space telescope developed by JAXA in partnership with NASA. Successfully launched on 6 September 2023 on a H-IIA launch vehicle. SLIM Moon Lunar lander developed by JAXA carrying two lunar rovers. Successfully launched on 6 September 2023 on a H-IIA launch vehicle. Successfully landed on 19 January 2024. Psyche 16 Psyche Asteroid orbiter developed by NASA. Successfully launched on 13 October 2023 on a Falcon Heavy launch vehicle.2024 XPoSat Earth ISRO's mission to study X-ray polarisation. Successfully launched on 1 January 2024 on a PSLV-DL launch vehicle. Peregrine Mission One Moon Lunar lander developed by Astrobotic Technology and selected as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services. Successfully launched on 8 January 2024 on a Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle but landing abandoned due to excessive propellant leak. / Einstein Probe Earth X-ray space telescope developed jointly by CAS and ESA. Successfully launched on 9 January 2024 on a Long March 2C launch vehicle. IM-1 Moon Cryogenic-propelled lunar lander developed by Intuitive Machines and selected as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services. Successfully launched on 15 February 2024 on a Falcon 9 launch vehicle and landed on its side on 22 February 2024. Accompanied by a university Cubesat lander called EagleCam to send third-party images of landing sequence back to Earth. DRO A/B Moon Yuanzheng 1S upper stage failed to deliver spacecrafts into correct orbit. The satellites were intended to test Distant retrograde orbit. Tracking data appears to show China is attempting to salvage spacecraft and they appear to have succeeded in reaching their desired orbit. Queqiao-2Moon Queqiao-2 relay satellite for far side of the Moon with Tiandu-1 and 2 to test future lunar satellite constellation technologies. Chang'e 6 Moon Orbiter, Returner, Ascent Stage, Lander, Rover configuration mission, China's first automated return of samples from the far side of the Moon. orbiter visited L2. ICUBE-Q Moon Piggybacking as the first Pakistani lunar mission along with Chang'e 6. / Space Variable Objects Monitor Earth X-ray space telescope developed jointly by CNES and CNSA. Successfully launched on 22 June 2024 on a Long March 2C launch vehicle. Hera 65803 Didymos European component of AIDA, a NASA-ESA asteroid deflection test cooperation, aimed at studying the effects of the NEO's impact created by NASA's DART mission using 65803 Didymos's moon (Dimorphos) as a target. Successfully launched on 7 October 2024 on a Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Europa Clipper Jupiter and Europa NASA launched the Europa Clipper on 14 October 2024 on a Falcon Heavy launch vehicle, which will study the Jovian moon Europa while in orbit around Jupiter. PROBA-3 Earth solar Coronagraph and Occulter dual satellites developed by ESA. Successfully launched on 5 December 2024 on a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. 2025 Blue Ghost M1 Moon Lunar landing technology demonstration at Mare Crisium. Launched on 15 January 2025 on a Falcon 9 Block 5 launch vehicle with Hakuto-R Mission 2. Hakuto-R Mission 2MoonLunar landing technology demonstration at Mare Frigoris. Launched on 15 January 2025 on a Falcon 9 Block 5 launch vehicle with Blue Ghost M1. Carried a rover named Tenacious to lunar surface.
2020S artifICiAl sAtELliTeS anD SpAce probES iN tHe 2020s year Origin naME tArGet statUs descriptioN 2020 tüRksaT 5a eARth tüRksat 5a, TurkEy'S seVENTh cOMmunicatioN saTellITe lauNched wItH SPacEx's fALcOn 9 RocKeT. solOsUn solAr oRBiter iS an eSA's sun-observing SatelliTe. Mars 2020 mArs peRseverancE, Jpl's marS rOver. it wAs lAuncHeD oN juLy 30 WITH ATlas v rocKet, And LanDEd on feBruarY 18, 2021, TogETHer with the Small INGenuitY HElicOpter ThAt wAs dEpLoYed oN apRiL 4, 2021. HOPe maRS HopE Satellite is the uNITEd ARab emiRatES SpAce agency'S Uncrewed SpacE RESearCh PrOject on mars. it was LaUnChed wITh japAnese h-iIA rocKeT On 19 juLy and ReaCHed mars on 9 februAry 2021. TianWen-1 mars missIon ContaiNing An orbiTer, dePlOyabLe anD REmotE caMeRas, LandEr ANd zHuRong rOver. This is cHina's 2nd uNcrewED sPace research PRojEct On marS. it was lAuncheD WIth Long maRCh 5 rocket On 23 JulY and THe orbiter, lander and RoVeR EnTereD mArs OrBiT on 10 febrUARy 2021. ThE Rover aNd Lander laNDed On 14 may wiTH roveR dEplOyMEnt on 22 APRIl 2021 anD DrOppEd a remotE selFiE cAmEra oN mars on 1 JuNe 2021 And WHiLe a depLoyable cAmera Made a fLYby ArOund 10 februAry 2021 And anothEr DeployaBle camera was releaSed inTo maRS OrbiT On 31 decEmbEr 2021. cHanG'E 5 moON oRbiTer, rETuRner, AScenT stAge, LanDEr COnfigURatiOn missioN, China'S first aUtOmated return of samplES fRom the moon. OrbitER visIted l1 And Made a Lunar FlyBy. 2021 lucytwO main belt AstEroiDs As wEll as six JuPitEr trojaNs naSA probe That will cOmplETE a 12-year journey To ninE DIffErenT ASteRoids, vISItinG two maiN BElt ASteroids AS WEll as SiX JupiteR trOjANs, AsteroIdS whicH shaRe juPITEr's oRbit ArOUnd the sun, orbiTIng eitheR ahead OF or beHind thE plaNET. alL taRgeT encounteRS will be fly-bY encoUnTers. it was launched On ocTOber 16, 2021, oN The 401 VAriAnT Of aTLas v anD hAs yet to STUdy a troJan AsTerOid. amazônia-1 eartH amaZônia-1 is the fIrst earTh ObServation sAtelLite develoPeD by BraziL, hElPED By arGEntiNA's Invap, who proViDeD ThE main cOmpUter, AtTItUde contrOLs AnD SeNsORS, and the trainINg of bRazilian eNGiNEers,[8] anD launchED at 04:54:00 UTC (10:24:00 isT) oN 28 feBrUaRY 2021. dart a BinAry 65803 diDymoS AStErOId system doUbLe asteroid redirectiON test, NASa'S first MissIOn tO TesT planetarY defeNSe. itS uSEs invoLVEs tEst THis TechNiqUE By kiNEticaLlY impactinG thE spAcecraft To pRoducE a small chanGe In Its orbital periOd. IT WaS lauNcheD On novEmber 24 WIth falCON 9 RoCkeT. AccOmpAnyinG tHe miSSIon iS Liciacube CubEsaT, A flyBy missIOn tHAt reCorDED the imPAcT and its aFTermathS. liciAcube a Binary 65803 didymos AsteroiD sYsTEm lIcIacube, lighT ITALian cUbeSat for iMaging of asTerOIDs, Is The fIrsT AgenZia SpaziAle Italiana's interPLAneTary miSSIon. IdeateD, designEd, INtegraTed and opERATed entIrelY IN itaLy, iT has bEeN tHe witneSs oF The fiRst rEal-SCAle pLaNETary deFEnsE test PeRformed by doUBlE AsTeROId redireCtion teSt. LiciacUbE iS the smalleSt humAn-mADe ObJEct thAt suCCEssFuLly pErFoRmeD a FLyby oF A Small SoLAr syStem bodY. it has bEEn dePLoyeD two Weeks BefORE dARt'S iMPAcT. ixPe earTh imaGiNg X-rAy polARimetRy ExPLoReR, naSa's NEw X-rAy obsErvatory. It wAs launchEd On deceMBer 8 With FalcOn 9 roCKet. türksAt 5b EarTh tÜrKSaT 5b, turkeY'S eightH COmmuNicATioN saTElLiTE laUNchEd WiTh SPACeX's falCon 9 RockeT. / / jaMes Webb SPace telEScope earth-SuN L2 pOiNt JAmes wEbB SPace TElescopE (jwST), nasa, esa ANd Csa's joint PrOject for a spaCE TelescopE. it waS LAUnched On deCeMber 25 witH ariaNe 5 eca rockEt tO eaRTh-mooN l2 Point. 2022 capstone nEar-recTIlInEar Halo OrbiT (NrhO) Of MOon cApstone, lunaR oRBiTinG cubeSAT thaT WIll TesT and VeRiFY tHe cAlCUlated orBITAl stabilitY PlaNnED for tHe GaTEwaY spacE sTaTion. it wAs LauncheD wiTh rOcKet lab EleCtron Rocket. VOyAgEr 1 and vOYAger 2 nonE NOnE IN May, nasA REports That thE voyageR 1 SPacecraFt, the farthest human-maDe obJect, is seNdIng Data THAt does noT RefLECt WHat Is hAppening on BoARd with The antenna appARenTly remaining iN ITs pResCrIbed orientation tO earth. In juNe, iT wAS RepOrted THat naSa is pReparinG to powER DOwn ThE tWo voyager SpacEcraFt iN The hoPe of USiNg the rEmaining power To extend THeir OPERaTIon To AbouT 2030. / DANurI (klPo)mOONSouTh kOrea's first LunAr orbiTEr launched by SpaCeX'S fAlcoN 9 rocket. danuri wiLL Serve to CReate topoGraPhiC map of tHe LuNaR surface to pinPOint futuRE lanDIng SiTEs.arTemis 1 orIon mpcV cm-002mOOnuncRewed TesT of THe orIon spAceCrafT iN lunAr flyBy and dro oRbIT.CuSPheLioCEnTRicsTudy PArticles AnD magnETic fiELDS.luNiRMoOncolLect its suRface thermoGrAphy.nea scoutmoon/AsTeRoiDsolar saiL ThaT will fLYbY a near-eartH asterOiD.tEAm MilEsheLliOcentrIcdeMoNstrate Low-ThrUst plaSmA proPUlsion in deep SpacE.biOsenTInelhelIocENtriccOntains Yeast cards tHAt wIlL be rEhydRaTEd in SpaCE, DEsiGneD TO dEteCt, meAsure, aNd CompaRe THE effecTs of dEeP SpAce rADiatioN.LUnaH-mapMOonsearch for evIdencE OF lUnar WAteR iCE insidE PeRmaNenTly shadOwed CRatERs uSing iTS nEutroN detecTor.lUnaR IcecubEmoonits infrAred SPEctromEter wIll DEtect watEr aNd OrgaNIc compounDs iN the lunaR SUrfaCe And eXospHerE.argomOOnHigh eaRth orBit with LunAr FlyBYsimage the Icps and PerforM DEep space NanoTECHnoLogy expERimEnts.oMotEnashiMoOn inFLatable MODule attEmpting TO laNd Semi-Hard at LuNaR surFAce.equulEUsmoon/eARtH mOoN-l2imAgE ThE eaRTh'S pLASMasphERe, iMpact CRAtErs on tHe mOoN'S far siDe aND l2 expERimENtS.haKuTo-r missiON 1MoonlUnar lANdinG TecHnolOGY demoNstRAtion at atlas crater. LUnar flasHlIght moOn Lunar Flashlight, LUnAr orBiting cuBesAt that WiLl exPLOre, locate, ANd eSTImAte SIzE and coMposiTion oF wAteR IcE dePoSIts On the Moon for FUTUre ExpLoiTatIOn by robOts or HUMans. It WaS laUnCHEd with hAkuto-r mIssIon mISsiON 1.2023jupIter IcY moons eXPlORer (juice)JuPITer anD GanymedeMiSsion to stuDy juPitER's tHrEe ICy moons calListo, europa and GanyMede, EvENtUallY orbiting gaNyMede as THE fiRSt SpacecrAft to OrBIt a satellite of anotheR pLanet. EuCLid eARth-Sun l2 Point it Is eSA'S PrOJect foR a SpAce telescopE to sTUdY daRk mAtter. it wAs lAUNched on JuLy 1 with falCon 9 bLoCk 5 rOCkEt tO EarTH-moon l2 point. chAndrAyAaN-3 mOon IT is inDia's seConD attEmpt to lANd on tHe Moon and its souTh Pole. sucCessFully launChED on 14 JulY 2023 oN A lVm3 LauncH vEhiCle. succesSfUllY lAnDeD oN 23 aUgUst 2023. luna-25 moOn it was a landeR, launchEd oN 10 AugusT 2023 on SoyUz 2.1b roCket. CRasheD oN the moon SurfaCe On 19 august 2023. ADityA-L1 Earth-SUn L1 poinT it is IsRo's fIrST suN dEdiCateD Scientific mission. iT Will PERform observatIOns oF THE solaR CoRona. SuccESsfully laUNcheD On 2 sepTember 2023 ON a pslv-xl rOcket. / xriSm earTh x-rAy ImagiNG and sPectrOScOPY mission, X-rAY sPacE teLescOpe DEvelOped by jAXa in paRtnershiP with NAsa. succEssFullY launched On 6 SePtemBeR 2023 on A h-iia launch VEhIcle. sLIm moOn lunAR lanDer developED bY jaxA CaRrying two lUnar rOvers. SuCCessFUlly LauncHed oN 6 sepTeMBer 2023 On a h-iIA lauNCh vehiCLe. SUCcESsfULly lANdeD on 19 jaNuary 2024. psyChe 16 psycHE asteroid ORBiteR dEveLopeD by NaSa. SUcceSsfUllY LAUnChed on 13 OcTober 2023 on A faLCoN heaVy launcH vehicle.2024 xPoSAt eaRtH Isro's miSsioN tO STudy x-ray polarIsaTiOn. sUcCessfUlly laUnched on 1 januaRY 2024 On a Pslv-dl lauNCH vEhicle. PerEgrinE mIsSioN oNE Moon lunAr lANder dEveloPEd by Astrobotic tEchNolOgY and SeleCTed aS Part of naSa's cOMMErciaL lunaR paYload serViceS. SUcceSsfully LaUnched oN 8 january 2024 on A VuLCaN CeNtaur LauNcH vEhicLe BuT laNDing AbandOned due tO excesSIve propELlaNt LEak. / Einstein probE eArTH x-ray space TElescoPe DevElOPEd jOINtLy BY Cas and esa. suCcessfulLy LauNcHEd on 9 januaRy 2024 on a Long maRch 2C lAuncH vehiclE. Im-1 mOon cryogenic-propElled lunAr landeR deveLopEd by intUitive MacHinEs anD seLEcted AS part of nasA'S cOmMerCial lunar payLoad SerViCes. suCcEssFULlY laUnchEd On 15 fEbruary 2024 oN a fAlcon 9 lAuncH vEHicLE and landEd on Its side On 22 fEbruary 2024. accOMpanIed By a UniverSitY cUbESaT lAndeR cAlled eAglecAm to sEnD thiRd-party iMages oF LaNDinG SeqUencE back tO EArth. dro A/b mOoN yuaNzheNG 1s upper sTAGe fAILed to delIver sPAceCrafTs inTo cOrREct oRBit. the sAtelLitEs WerE Intended to test disTAnt RETrograde orbit. TRacKinG datA aPpEArs To sHoW cHina is attemptIng to salVAge SpaceCraFt And they appEar to HAve suCcEeDed in rEacHing tHeir deSIred oRbit. Queqiao-2moon quEQiaO-2 relAy satElliTe FOR FAr siDE oF the Moon with tiandu-1 and 2 To Test futuRE lunaR satellite COnSTEllATiOn technolOgies. chANg'E 6 Moon OrbitER, returner, ascEnt StAge, landEr, roVer configuratIoN missIOn, ChiNa'S FiRst AuTomated REturn of sampleS froM the far siDe Of the moon. Orbiter vIsItED L2. icube-Q MOon PiGgyBacKing aS The firsT pakiStanI luNaR miSsIOn AloNg wIth cHaNg'E 6. / SPacE variabLe obJects MONiToR eArth x-rAy spAce telEscope develOPEd joinTly by cnEs aNd CNsA. sUCcessfulLY launChEd on 22 juNE 2024 on a lOnG march 2C laUNcH vehicLe. hEra 65803 DIdyMOs euroPEAN ComPoNent of aIDa, a nasa-esa asTeroId defLEctIon Test coOperAtion, AImed At STuDYing The EFFectS of the Neo'S impact CrEAteD BY naSa's dARt MIssion using 65803 didymoS'S moOn (DImorpHOs) aS a taRGET. SuccessFully laUnCHeD oN 7 octobeR 2024 on a falcon 9 lAUnch veHicle. EURopa clipPEr jupiter aNd europa nasa lAunchEd The euRopA cliPPeR ON 14 OctoBeR 2024 on A falcoN HeavY laUnch vehiCle, Which will study THE JoVIaN MoON EuROPa while in OrbiT AroUnd Jupiter. prOba-3 earth SoLar coRonAgrAph and oCcUlTeR DUaL saTELlitES dEVeloPed By esa. SUcCeSsfUlly Launched oN 5 DeceMbEr 2024 On a poLAR sAtEllItE LaUnch VehiCLe. 2025 blue gHOsT m1 MOoN lunar LandING technOlogy demONSTratioN at maRe crIsium. launcHed oN 15 January 2025 on a fAlcON 9 BlocK 5 lAUnch veHIcLe wIth HAKuto-r miSSion 2. hakuTo-r miSsiOn 2moonlunar LandIng technOLOgy deMOnStRaTion at mare friGoRis. lauNcheD oN 15 jaNuarY 2025 on a falcoN 9 block 5 laUNch vEhICle wIth bLUe ghost m1. carried A rovEr naMed tenaCiOUs to Lunar suRface.