SpaceX and Starship are ready for Earth orbit missions

NASA launched a spacecraft carrying astronauts around the Moon

During the Artemis 2 mission, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft will fly four astronauts around the Moon for about 10 days. If successful, this will be the first time a human carrier has flown beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

The Artemis 2 crew includes commander Reid Wiseman (NASA), pilot Victor Glover (NASA), mission specialist Christina Koch (NASA), mission specialist Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency). The expected launch time is after February 5, the launch time frame lasts until April, but the exact schedule depends on technical issues.

Artemis 2 will test deep space life support, navigation and communications systems in preparation for future lunar landings, including Artemis 3. The mission’s success will be the true beginning of NASA’s sustainable return to the Moon.

SpaceX launched the Starship rocket into orbit

SpaceX hopes 2026 will be a breakthrough year for Starship when it puts this super rocket into Earth orbit for the first time, and demonstrates the ability to refuel in orbit – something very important for deep space missions like flying to the Moon and Mars. Elon Musk, the company’s CEO, believes that launching a ship to Mars this year is feasible, but also admits that the success rate is only about 50%.

SpaceX is also working toward the goal of reusing both major Starship components – the Super Heavy booster (lower stage) and the Ship (upper stage). Even if it is not yet possible to launch to another celestial body, Starship reaching orbit, refueling and being able to reuse hardware quickly will still be an important technological advance.

Blue Origin launched a lunar lander

American company Blue Origin plans to launch the Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1) lunar lander with a New Glenn rocket in early 2026 with the goal of landing near the Shackleton crater at the south pole.

MK1 is about 8 meters high and is the largest commercial cargo lander ever built. The spacecraft will test key landing and surface operations technologies, marking Blue Origin’s first attempt to reach the Moon, aiming to establish infrastructure on this celestial body. MK1 is expected to carry NASA’s SCALPSS instrument, which will take images of the lunar surface during and after landing to study how exhaust plumes interact with rock and soil.

Boeing launches Starliner to the International Space Station

Starliner-1, the next mission of the Starliner ship built by Boeing, will only carry cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) instead of carrying people and is expected to take place as early as April. This change comes from a problem during Starliner’s first human-carrying test flight in 2024. At that time, the ship had a problem causing astronauts to be stuck for 9 months on the ISS station, then had to return to Earth by SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.

Starliner-1 will help validate spacecraft upgrades and test system performance. NASA also revised its Commercial Crew contract with Boeing, emphasizing safety and increased testing before the Starliner resumes carrying astronauts. Starliner-1 is an important step toward making Starliner America’s second most frequent passenger vehicle next to the Crew Dragon.

American startup launches first commercial space station

Startup Vast plans to launch Haven-1, the world’s first privately developed independent space station, as early as May. The station consists of only one module, designed for short-term crewed missions, lasting up to 30 days, and supporting research experiments, commercial activities and technology demonstrations.

Haven-1 is expected to fly into orbit using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Astronauts will be shuttled to and from the station by the Crew Dragon. If successful, the Haven-1 launch could open a new era for a commercial space station, helping to replace or supplement the aging ISS.

Thien Van 2 ship approaches “fake satellite”

China’s Thien Van 2 spacecraft is expected to arrive at the asteroid Kamo’oalewa in July 2026. This asteroid is often called a “pseudo-satellite” because its orbit around the Sun closely follows Earth’s orbit.

Thien Van 2 launched into space on May 29 last year, expected to bring samples back to Earth in 2027, providing rare materials for scientists researching the early solar system. Some researchers speculate that the asteroid could be debris from the Moon, making the samples especially valuable. After completing the first mission, the spacecraft will continue to fly to study 311P/Pan-STARRS, an asteroid with a comet-like dust tail.

China launched a lunar lander

China plans to launch the Chang’e 7 mission around the middle or end of this year, aiming for the Moon’s south pole, an area believed to contain water ice in dark craters. During the mission, multiple ships will coordinate operations, including an orbiter to map the lunar surface, a lander and rover to explore and analyze surface resources, a small jumping robot capable of moving on complex terrain that traditional rovers cannot reach, and satellites to relay communications and support scientific observations.

Chang’e 7 aims to locate and study the characteristics of potential ice mines, assess terrain hazards, and verify the technology needed for future human missions to the Moon.

The BepiColombo spacecraft arrives at Mercury after 8 years

After an 8-year journey with many passes close to Earth, Venus, and Mercury to take advantage of gravity, the BepiColombo spacecraft of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will reach Mercury orbit in November. During the long trip, the ship collected valuable scientific data, took many close-up photos, and tested equipment in harsh environments.

After arriving at Mercury – the planet closest to the Sun – BepiColombo will split into two small ships. The first is ESA’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO), whose mission is to study the surface as well as the interior of the planet. The second is JAXA’s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), which focuses on magnetic field research. They help scientists better understand how this planet formed and developed so close to the Sun. Operating just a few tens of millions of kilometers from the Sun, BepiColombo must cope with extreme temperatures and strong radiation, becoming one of the most technically difficult planetary exploration missions in history.

China launches Xuntian space telescope

The Xuntian space telescope, or China Space Station Telescope (CSST), is scheduled to launch later this year. Xuntian owns a 2 m wide main mirror, providing the ability to receive light equivalent to, or even better than, NASA’s Hubble glass in some modes.

Xuntian will operate as an optical-ultraviolet observatory in orbit, periodically connecting to the Thien Cung space station for maintenance, repairs and upgrades. With an expected operating life of at least 10 years, Xuntian’s wide-field survey instruments will map vast regions of space, supporting research into the universe, dark matter and the evolution of galaxies.

The Dream Chaser space plane reached orbit for the first time

American company Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser reusable spaceplane is expected to make its first flight into orbit later this year, marking an important milestone after years of development and delays. This crewless flight is intended to test the ability to launch with a traditional rocket, operate automatically in orbit and return to Earth by landing on a runway similar to a normal aircraft.

Dream Chaser is designed to re-enter the atmosphere more gently than traditional spacecraft, serving to transport sophisticated scientific experiments and emergency cargo from space. The vehicle will support the supply of goods to the ISS station in the future. In addition, if everything goes well, Sierra Space will develop a human spaceplane version.