Here’s Every Major US Space Launch Scheduled in 2025: Plan Your Viewing

Space Exploration in 2024 and 2025: A Year of Records and Ambitious Missions

A Record-Breaking Year for Space Agencies
The year 2024 marked a historic milestone for space exploration as global space agencies successfully launched an unprecedented 244 missions into orbit or space, surpassing all previous records. The United States led this effort, accounting for over half of these launches. This remarkable feat underscores the growing interest and investment in space exploration, driven by both government agencies and private companies like SpaceX. As 2025 unfolds, the pace shows no signs of slowing down, with numerous high-profile missions already scheduled. Enthusiasts eager to witness these events can follow live streams provided by NASA or individual companies like SpaceX through their YouTube channels. However, the dynamic nature of space launches means dates are subject to change, so staying informed is key for those wanting to catch a liftoff.

Key Missions in Early 2025: Pioneering Lunar and Solar Research
The first quarter of 2025 is packed with exciting missions that highlight humanity’s push to explore and understand our celestial neighbors. On January 15, the Blue Ghost Lunar Lander Mission 1 and Hakuto-R M2 Resilience were successfully launched by SpaceX, NASA, and Firefly Aerospace. This uncrewed mission carries a Blue Ghost lunar lander to the moon, equipped with 10 NASA instruments designed to gather critical data on the lunar surface, including regolith behavior and Earth’s magnetosphere. Just a day later, on January 16, Blue Origin made history with the inaugural launch of its New Glenn rocket, which also tested the Blue Ring Pathfinder’s communication capabilities from orbit.

Exploring the Moon and Beyond: February and March Missions
February 27 saw the launch of the Lunar Trailblazer and Nova-C IM-2 mission, carried out by SpaceX, NASA, and Intuitive Machines. While the Nova-C IM-2 lunar lander is en route to the moon, the Lunar Trailblazer unfortunately lost communication with NASA, leaving its fate uncertain. This mission also includes NASA’s PRIME-1 payload, which will drill into the moon’s surface to analyze sub-surface materials. In March, the SPHEREx and PUNCH missions, initially delayed from February, were successfully launched by SpaceX and NASA. SPHEREx will study near-infrared and optical light to gather data over two years, while PUNCH will monitor the Sun’s corona to predict coronal mass ejections.

Crewed Missions and Commercial Ventures: March to May
March 14 marked the successful launch of Crew-10, a crewed flight to the International Space Station (ISS) carrying astronauts from the US, Russia, and Japan. This mission highlights the collaborative spirit of international space exploration and the ongoing importance of the ISS as a hub for research and discovery. Looking ahead, Amazon’s Project Kuiper is set to launch its first satellites in March as part of a broader initiative to deploy 3,276 satellites for global broadband internet. This ambitious project, rivaling SpaceX’s Starlink, will significantly expand internet access worldwide. In April, Axiom Space Mission 4 will send a diverse crew of astronauts to the ISS for a week-long stay, while May will see the launch of the EWS OD-1 mission, testing a new weather satellite system for the US military.

Summer and Beyond: Ambitious Exploration and Defense Missions
The summer of 2025 promises further excitement with missions like EscaPADE, a joint venture between Blue Origin and NASA, set to study Mars’ magnetosphere in June. July will bring Crew-11 to the ISS, continuing the rotation of astronauts conducting vital research. In September, the STP-S29A mission will deploy numerous small satellites and technology demonstrations for the US Department of Defense, while the IMAP mission will explore the effects of solar winds and include a lunar orbiter and solar sail. Finally, October’s TSIS-2 mission will measure the Sun’s energy input to Earth, building on decades of solar research.

Conclusion: The Future of Space Exploration
As 2025 progresses, the space industry continues to push the boundaries of what is possible, with a focus on lunar exploration, solar research, and advancing technologies for both civilian and military applications. The collaboration between government agencies and private companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Amazon underscores the shared vision of expanding humanity’s presence in space. Whether it’s crewed missions to the ISS, lunar landers, or satellites for global connectivity, 2025 is shaping up to be another historic year for space exploration. Enthusiasts and scientists alike have much to look forward to as these ambitious missions unfold.