2025 in Spaceflight: Projects to Look Out For
Space is becoming increasingly prevalent in our everyday lives. 2024 alone set new records in spaceflight, including the numbers of both total and successful orbital launches. As of now, 2025 promises many opportunities in this sphere of interest and vows to follow the trend of record-breaking launches. It assures increased developments in lunar, Mars, and low-Earth orbit exploration, as well as new technological developments. Many upcoming projects will blast off in 2025 and promise to bring humanity closer to a brighter future among the stars.
ESA - Space Rider
The Space Rider (Space Reusable Integrated Demonstrator for Europe Return) by the European Space Agency aims to provide Europe with affordable and autonomous access to space. This project is a further development of the Intermediate Experimental Vehicle (IXV), which was put into orbit as early as February 11 2015. The Space Rider will launch almost 10 years after its predecessor, in the latter stages of 2025, and stay in low orbit for two months. On completion of the two-month long mission, Space Rider will return to Earth. The 2025 maiden mission will be followed by several others to demonstrate a wide range of capabilities and orbits. After that, the project will enter the private sector, most likely being sold to Arianespace. The Space Rider project will allow experiments in microgravity, such as exposure of materials to outer space and the deployment of small satellites.
The Space Rider design optimizes internal volume and has a sleek aerodynamic design to promote lift. Its design elements build on the innovations created for the IXV. However, the Space Rider will provide space for further developments, such as point-to-point flights and space tourism. The improved design can carry up to 600 kilograms of cargo.
China - Tianwen-2
Tainwen-2, previously known as ZhengHe, is a comet/asteroid investigative probe designed to collect and return passing body samples. These bodies are the 469219 Kamoʻoalewa asteroid and the 311P/PANSTARRS comet. It will launch in May 2025, using a Long March 3B rocket. It will aim to collect 100 grams of material using the touch-and-go and anchoring material collection methods, and leave behind a nano-orbiter and nano-lander for remote sensing observations. The touch-and-go collection method involves briefly brushing a robotic arm within the probe on the surface of an asteroid, thereby attaching and collecting dust particles and pebbles. Anchoring establishes a mechanical connection between the anchoring system in the probe and the asteroid's surface. This allows for a smooth collection of material in larger quantities, far more efficient than the touch-and-go method. Tainwen-2 marks the first time in history that the anchoring method will be used for gathering material from an asteroid.
After collecting the material from the 469219 Kamoʻoalewa asteroid, Tianwen-2 will return to Earth with a capsule containing the collected sample. It will then be propelled in a gravity assisted maneuver toward 311P/PANSTARRS, where it will conduct a remote sensing study.
By returning with samples from Kamo'oalewa, Tianwen 2 will trial the technologies involved in collecting materials from asteroids, testing the idea of mining from the Asteroid Belt. The sample analysis will also help determine if the Kamo'oalewa asteroid is a primitive planetary body or a piece of a moon.
SpaceX - Starship Launches
In 2025, SpaceX hopes to perform an in-space propellant transfer demonstration using two Starship modules. Each Starship is a reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle consisting of two parts: the ship itself and a booster called Super Heavy. These parts represent a reusable transportation system designed to travel into the Earth's orbit, the Moon and Mars. This demonstration will allow SpaceX to refuel their Starship vehicles for an autonomous lunar landing planned for 2026. Furthermore, SpaceX will use 2025 as an opportunity to widen the scope of their Starship launch tests and aim to organize up to 25 test flights. This was announced by Kathy Lueders, Starbase General Manager, in a talk in November 2024. The earliest launch, Flight 7, is planned for 11 January 2025, which will be the seventh flight test of the SpaceX Starship launch vehicle.
Vast - Haven-1
Haven-1, a first-ever commercial space station, will be launched by the American company Vast in the latter stages of 2025, no earlier than in August. It provides 45 m³ of space, suitable for a crew of four. Vast-1 is expected to launch into orbit on board a Falcon 9 spacecraft manufactured by SpaceX. The first mission to Haven-1, Vast-1, will launch a crew of four aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the space station for thirty days. The Crew Dragon spacecraft will be used to transport astronauts to and from the station over the course of its lifespan. The station will be unable to undergo long-term missions, and will rely on the Crew Dragon spacecraft for its life support systems if any long-term missions are ever planned.
The station features personal crew quarters, SpaceX Starlink connectivity, a communal area, and an opportunity to carry up to 150 kg of additive cargo. As a commercial space station, it will sustain all types of missions, ranging from government astronaut missions, private astronaut missions, and payload missions. It will help conduct research, support in-space manufacturing, and develop microgravity innovations. Aside that, the crew will also have the ability to conduct experiments with mimicked lunar gravity. Haven-2 will be succeed by Haven-1, which will have its prototype constructed in 2028 and hopes to follow up on the innovations of the International Space Station (ISS).
Amazon - Kuiper Systems
Kuiper Systems LLC, also called Project Kuiper, will aim to increase global broadband access through a constellation of satellites. In this context, broadband is the transmission of data using a high-speed internet connection. As of now, the Project Kuiper System is planned to host 3,236 operational satellites in three orbital shells, at 590 km, 610 km, and 630 km above the surface of Earth. The project promises affordable internet to all businesses and customers, which will help close the divide between the internet quality in various parts of the world. The satellites will be put into orbit in 80 planned launches organised by Arianespace, Blue Origin, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance.
Blue Origin - Blue Moon MK1
The Blue Origin MK1 Lunar Lander, a project by the Blue Origin group, is planned to launch in 2025. The MK1 is a single-launch, autonomous lunar cargo lander that will land on the surface of the Moon and function as a safe and reliable access to the lunar environment. Its design will be able to move three metric tons anywhere on the lunar surface, and will test the capabilities of landing anywhere on the Moon with a 100-meter accuracy. The MK1 spacecraft is 8.05 m tall and 3.08 m in diameter, with a fuelled mass of 21,350 kg. The abilities of the MK1 Lunar Lander will allow it to serve as a power and communications outpost for lunar exploration.
The project is split into two parts: the demonstrative pathfinder mission, MK1-SN001, and the first mission available for payload customers, MK1-SN002. Aside from its primary purpose of accessing the Moon, this project aims to fuel innovative developments in lunar landing technologies ahead of the NASA Artemis Mission. These innovations include the BE-7 engine, cryogenic propulsion systems, and avionics. BE-7 engine specifically will be used to study the way rocket exhaust plumes interact with the lunar surface.
The natural continuation of the Blue Moon MK1 is the Blue Moon MK2, which be used to travel to the Moon starting with the NASA Artemis 5 mission, set for 2030.
Conclusions
The projects in 2025 are just small steps towards a significant leap in space exploration, and showcase just how much there is to expect of the future. Advancements in technology, international collaboration, and commercial investment will only push forward ambitious missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, which will become even more influential in coming years. It is already clear now that these projects will not only expand our understanding of the vastness of space, but also inspire future generations to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
