Upcoming Space Missions: A Global Map of Science
Upcoming missions connect Earth monitoring with research on the Sun, asteroids, the Moon, Mars and distant stars. Some already have launch dates or…
Guides6 min readPublished 4 November 2026
Upcoming missions connect Earth monitoring with research on the Sun, asteroids, the Moon, Mars and distant stars. Some already have launch dates or readiness targets; others are described through their scientific aims. Together, they show how spacecraft can track environmental change, investigate hazards and gather evidence about the wider universe, while leaving many questions open.
Key facts
- JPSS-4 has a launch readiness date of 2027 and will include the Libera instrument.
- SPHEREx will survey the sky and investigate the origins of the universe.
- Psyche is heading to a metal-rich asteroid and will begin exploring in 2029.
Earth missions link observation with practical questions
Space missions do not all look outwards. Earth-observing satellites can gather a broad view of the planet from above its surface, supporting research on processes that are difficult to assess from a single location. NASA’s science missions include instruments aimed at clouds, oceans and the planet’s changing energy balance.
JPSS-4 is the next satellite in the JPSS series.
The wider JPSS system is designed for repeated coverage: its satellites orbit from pole to pole fourteen times a day, providing global coverage twice daily. These observations offer a way to compare conditions over time, rather than relying only on a local snapshot.
Sentinel-6B adds an ocean focus. It is a joint NASA and European Space Agency mission planned to provide sea-level and other ocean data after its launch. The mission page also says it will eventually take over from Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich.
NISAR brings radar imaging to the study of complex Earth processes. The NASA-ISRO satellite is designed to take detailed observations and measurements, offering another method for examining change across the planet. These missions show how different instruments can address distinct questions about Earth.
Space science ranges from solar activity to distant galaxies
Research on the Sun matters to more than solar physics. The Multi-slit Solar Explorer will observe extreme ultraviolet radiation from the Sun and capture high-resolution images of its corona, the outermost region. Its goal is to help scientists understand the forces that heat the corona and the eruptions that underpin space weather.
Other missions examine how solar activity affects the space around Earth. TRACERS studies magnetic reconnection, a process in which solar activity disrupts Earth’s magnetic field.
Beyond the Sun, NEO Surveyor is designed to find asteroids and comets that may pose hazards to Earth. Its infrared detectors will track elusive near-Earth objects, including objects approaching from the direction of the Sun and those obscured by sunlight ahead of or behind Earth in its orbit.
Farther afield, COSI will study energetic events in the Milky Way and beyond, including the creation and destruction of matter and antimatter and the final stages of stars’ lives. SPHEREx will make an all-sky spectral survey, collecting data on galaxies and stars to explore the universe’s origins.
Hubble’s work provides another view of cosmic research. NASA has released recent Hubble images spanning Mars, star-forming regions and a neighbouring galaxy, showing how one telescope can support study across very different celestial settings.
Moon and Mars missions broaden exploration
The Moon features in both science and exploration plans. NASA says Artemis will send astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon, supporting scientific discovery and building towards future crewed missions to Mars. The stated aims connect exploration with questions about our place in the universe and the history of the solar system. (Nasa.gov)
MoonFall is a robotic mission concept in the JPL mission list. It would send four propulsive drones built by JPL to survey the lunar surface at potential Artemis landing sites, helping prepare for future science and human exploration of the Moon.
Mars plans also include robotic flight. SkyFall’s helicopters are intended to survey the planet, collect science data and scout areas for clues about climate history and possible subsurface ice. Space Reactor-1 Freedom, meanwhile, is described as a fission-powered interplanetary spacecraft destined for Mars.
Other missions study bodies further from Earth. Psyche is heading to a metal-rich asteroid of the same name, with exploration due to begin in 2029. These missions represent distinct approaches: some gather information from orbit or flight, while others aim to inspect particular surfaces or targets.
NASA’s mission portfolio ranges from spacecraft around Earth and the Sun to destinations across the solar system and beyond. The variety makes it possible to ask different questions with different tools, rather than expecting one mission to explain every part of space.
What this means for you?
For a general reader, a mission list is more useful when treated as a map of questions, not a timetable of guaranteed discoveries. A launch readiness date is not the same as a confirmed launch date, and a mission’s stated purpose is not a result. Check the wording on the linked mission page before describing an activity as completed or an outcome as established.
If you are a teacher, choose one mission and ask learners to identify its target, instrument and scientific question. A radar satellite, a telescope and a planetary helicopter collect different kinds of evidence. Comparing those methods can make a broad topic such as climate, solar activity or planetary history easier to discuss without implying that one instrument answers every question.
If you follow space news casually, keep a short watchlist organised by subject. Put Earth observation in one group, solar research in another, and planetary or deep-space missions in a third. Then note whether each update reports a plan, a launch, an observation or a scientific interpretation. That simple distinction helps prevent mission aims from being mistaken for finished findings.
What to do now?
- Choose one topic that interests you, such as Earth monitoring, solar activity, planetary exploration or distant stars. Use the topic to narrow a long mission list into a manageable set of pages.
- Open the relevant mission page and identify the mission’s stated purpose. Separate descriptions of planned work from reports of completed activity, and note any date or readiness target exactly as presented.
- Compare the tools involved. Ask what a radar image, infrared detector, telescope survey or helicopter could observe, and what each method may leave unresolved.
- Check the source before sharing a claim. Keep the page link beside your notes so readers can see whether the wording describes an aim, a schedule or a finding.
- Explore NASA’s Eyes if a visual view would help you understand real NASA data. Treat the visualisation as a way to explore information, then return to the mission page for its context.
- Update your notes when a mission page changes. Record what changed and avoid turning a target or plan into a claim that an event has already happened.
Sources
- science.nasa.gov/science-missions
- public.ksc.nasa.gov/lspeducation/upcoming-missions
- www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions
- www.nasa.gov/launch-services-program-upcoming-missions
- www.nasa.gov/nasa-missions
About this page
Written with AI assistance from the sources listed above, then checked by automated fact, source, repetition and quality checks before publishing.
Facts and links checked on 4 November 2026. Summarises official space-agency sources; check the linked source for the latest version.
How we researched this: we compiled this guide from the official and independent sources listed above, and checked the facts on the date shown. Our editorial policy explains how we choose and check sources.