(ORDO NEWS) — It has been an eventful year with its ups and downs. The new year 2023 promises to be no less interesting. Here are five exciting missions worth checking out.
1- Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer
ESA plans to launch the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) in April, which will be Europe‘s first dedicated robotic mission to Jupiter. Juice should reach the planet in July 2031.
The spacecraft will go into orbit around Jupiter and fly around its large icy moons: Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
Juice will be equipped with ten scientific instruments, including an ice-penetrating radar to study the inland oceans. The launch window will be available from April 5 to April 25.
2- Starship SpaceX
Although SpaceX has not yet announced a specific date, Starship’s first orbital test flight is expected to take place in early 2023.
SpaceX is preparing to launch the most powerful launch vehicle capable of lifting 100 metric tons of cargo into low Earth orbit.
Starship is the collective name for a two-component system consisting of a Starship spacecraft (which carries crew and cargo) and a Super Heavy rocket.
This first orbital flight was originally planned for September 2022 but has been delayed several times.
3- DearMoon
The long-awaited dearMoon project will take tourists on a six-day trip to the moon and back. It is to be launched on Starship and was originally planned for 2023, but the exact launch date will depend on the success of the Starship test.
The mission is funded by entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa. A competition was announced to select eight tourists who would join the businessman on the flight.
4- Asteroid explorer returns to Earth
The Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-Rex) program is NASA‘s mission to the near-Earth asteroid Bennu.
A key goal of this mission was to obtain Bennu’s samples and bring them back to Earth for analysis.
OSIRIS-REx is now flying back with a kilo of precious asteroid samples stored on board.
If all goes well, the capsule will separate from the spacecraft, enter Earth’s atmosphere, and make a soft landing in the Utah desert on September 24.
5- India’s private space launch
Skyroot Aerospace, which successfully launched its Vikram-S rocket in November 2022, will soon become the first private Indian company to put a satellite into orbit.
The launch is scheduled for 2023. The company plans to reduce the cost of private space launches by producing 3D-printed rockets.
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