Anticipation of a Spectacular Space Mission in 2024

SpaceX will launch the Polaris Dawn mission in 2024. (photo: x @spacex)

JAKARTA - 2023 will be an extraordinary year for space missions, from NASA returning distant asteroid fragments to India landing on the south pole of the moon. Now, world space agencies and billion-dollar private companies are looking forward to a more productive year.

Some interesting missions include NASA's return to the moon after 40 years, Blue Origin sending an all-female crew into orbit, the first British space mission, and the first phase of SpaceX's ambitious Polaris Dawn program.

Here are some of the big space launch plans for 2024 that shouldn't be missed:

1. ARTEMIS II (November): NASA returns to the moon after more than four decades. Artemis II, scheduled for November, will break the record for the furthest distance humans have traveled from Earth. This mission will pave the way for Artemis III, which will land humans on the moon in December 2025.
2. BLUE ORIGIN'S ALL-FEMALE CREW (Early 2024): Blue Origin, the company led by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, will make history by sending an all-female crew into orbit aboard New Shepard.
3. NEW GLENN (2024): Blue Origin is developing a larger rocket, the New Glenn, which is scheduled to fly in 2024. The rocket will carry a larger payload into low Earth orbit and be a key part of NASA's lunar landing mission.
4. GALACTIC 06 (January 2024): Virgin Galactic will launch the Galactic 06 mission, carrying four paying space tourists. The company hopes the addition of an extra seat will increase revenue per flight.
5. POLARIS DAWN (April): SpaceX will launch the Polaris Dawn mission, carrying four US engineers and pilots into orbit for up to five days. This mission is part of a program that will culminate in the first launch of the most powerful rocket ever built, Starship.
6. GAGANYAAN (During 2024): India will launch four Gaganyaan missions, including a three-day manned flight into orbit. The humanoid robot Vyommitra will also be a passenger on manned and unmanned aircraft.
7. CHANG'E 6 (May): China will send the Chang'e 6 lunar exploration probe to collect soil and rock samples from the far side of the moon and bring them back to Earth.
8. UK SPACE MISSION (Year 2024): The UK prepares to launch its first space mission with an all-British crew, led by Major Time Peake.
9. ARIANE 6 (Between June 15 and July 31): Europe hopes the launch of the 3 billion pound (Rp. 58.6 trillion) Ariane 6 rocket will take place after several delays.
10. MOMO 2 (November): India plans to launch an orbiter to Mars, MOMO 2, to collect data on weather, interplanetary dust, surface geology and more.

2024 is predicted to be an exciting year for space exploration with a variety of spectacular missions anticipated.