A stunning solar eclipse, a moon race and other space events in 2024

NASA wants to put American astronauts on the moon’s surface in the coming years with the Artemis III mission. Before that can happen, though, a lot of things have to go right, and two of the most important are scheduled for 2024.

The first is the Artemis II mission. NASA introduced the four astronauts of Artemis II last year. As early as November, the four were able to travel around the moon and back. They would be the first people to travel near the moon since 1972, when the Apollo 17 mission ended. To fly in 2024, NASA will have to fix problems with a heat shield on the astronauts’ spacecraft and overcome other potential delays.

The second hurdle is that the Orion capsule can only orbit the moon – it doesn’t land. Astronauts need another vehicle to get to the surface. For now, that is a version of Starship, the spacecraft being built by SpaceX, the private space company founded by Elon Musk. But Starship still needs a lot of work before it’s ready to take astronauts to the moon.

Prototypes of Mr.’s spaceship Musk were launched twice in 2023, and each mission ended in a fiery explosion. SpaceX has said it wants to conduct the next Starship test early 2024; Whether it succeeds or fails, flights of more prototypes could follow. If SpaceX executes the next Starship flights well, NASA’s prospects for putting the next man and first woman on the moon will improve in the coming years.

A total solar eclipse over North America

The celestial spectacle of 2024 will be the ‘Great North American Eclipse’. On April 8, the moon blocks the sun, causing the Earth to darken during the day. The eclipse’s broad path begins in Mexico, continues to Texas, continues through Arkansas and Missouri to southern Illinois, continues into Indiana and Ohio, then darkens western New York and the New England states before ending in the eastern provinces of Canada.

If you live on the trail, be prepared for visitors. (You can’t book a trip to the path of totality soon enough.) And if you plan to observe the solar eclipse—anywhere—it’s time to order some eclipse glasses or other protective binoculars.

New rockets and rides to space

Falcon 9 rockets, built and operated by SpaceX, have become the dominant way to reach space. The launch vehicle or its Falcon Heavy variant flew 96 times in 2023, with each flight to orbit a success. But SpaceX should expect new competitors on launch pads in 2024. These include:

• Vulcan, a rocket built by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The rocket’s engines were built by Blue Origin, the space company founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. It could fly on January 8.

• Ariane 6, a European rocket. The European Space Agency has recently run out of a dedicated vehicle to get into orbit, forcing Europe to rely on SpaceX and others to get spacecraft into the solar system. After a series of delays, Ariane 6’s first flight could take place in June.

• H3, a Japanese rocket. This vehicle was first launched in March 2023, but failed to deliver an imaging satellite into orbit. A second attempt could take place as early as February 15.

• New Glenn, a rocket from Blue Origin. Mr Bezos’ company has flown tourists to the edge of space in its smaller New Shepard vehicle. The large orbital launch vehicle could make its debut in 2024 and revolutionize private spaceflight if it proves successful.

New vehicles could also visit the International Space Station. Dream Chaser, a space plane built by the company Sierra Space, will be allowed to carry cargo to the station for the first time this year. In addition, Starliner, a Boeing-built capsule, may finally deliver a crew of astronauts to the orbiting outpost on April 14 after years of delays.

Lunar traffic jam

In 2023, three missions attempted to land on the moon. Only one, India’s Chandrayaan-3, succeeded. Four additional missions – and perhaps even more – will also attempt to complete a moon landing in 2024:

• SLIM, a Japanese mission, should be the first moon landing attempt of 2024 on January 20. The small, experimental spacecraft was launched in September and is already orbiting the moon.

• Two other missions come from private companies, with NASA as the main customer. Astrobotic, a Pittsburgh company, will launch its Peregrine lunar lander on Jan. 8, which could attempt to set down near the Ocean of Storms on the moon’s near side in February. Intuitive Machines of Houston will send its own lander to the moon’s south pole as early as mid-February.

• China is also planning its fourth moon landing. Chang’e-6 could go to the far side of the moon in May and collect samples of moon rock and dust to bring back to Earth for study.

Other missions are more cautious. The Japanese company Ispace, which crashed its first lander last year, could make a second attempt at the end of this year. And Intuitive Machines has ambitions to send two more NASA-sponsored missions to the moon in 2024.

Traveling around the solar system

A vast solar system exists, and missions large and small will set out to explore it.

The largest is Europa Clipper, a NASA spacecraft that went to Jupiter’s moon Europa in October. Europa has an icy exterior that hides a vast ocean that scientists say could have the right conditions for life. After Clipper arrives in Europe in 2030, the spacecraft will not attempt to land there, but will study the moon during dozens of flybys.

Two new spacecraft could also head to the red planet no sooner than August as part of the small NASA ESCAPADE mission. The spacecraft will orbit Mars and study the magnetic bubble surrounding it.

In October, the European Space Agency will launch the Hera mission to the asteroid Dimorphos. It will study the effects of an earlier mission, NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test, which collided with Dimorphos in 2022 to test whether altering the orbit of a space rock could protect Earth from future asteroid impacts.