Preview of more missions to the Moon in 2022

With the second half of 2022 already beginning, let’s take a look at the missions targeting the Moon this year again. Have the launch dates shifted, or are we still on track? What about the mission I talked in a previous post, have they launched yet?

In-flight

We finally did see a launch. NASA’s Capstone mission launched on Rocket Lab’s Electron on 28 June 2022. A couple of days later, on 4 July 2022, Rocket Lab’s Photon released the Capstone spacecraft on a ballistic lunar transit trajectory. This trajectory will take Capstone as far as 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. Capstone will catch up to the Moon on 3 November 2023. When it inserts itself into orbit around the Moon by firing its thrusters.

If you want to know more about Capstone, read my post about it, follow it live with NASA’s Eyes or visit: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/small_spacecraft/capstone

Targeted for the remainder of 2022

Targeted for August 2022

On 5 August 2022 SpaceX plans to launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the KPLO spacecraft to the Moon. KPLO stands for Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter. It’s the first mission of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute to the Moon. I wrote more about it in a previous post.

The next one might launch as early as 29. August 2022. If it, for whatever reason, can’t make this date, there are two more dates available: 2. September and 5. September. Guess what mission I’m talking about? It’s NASA’s Artemis I mission. It’ll be the first launch of the SLS and the Orion capsule and the European service module on an uncrewed demonstration to and around the Moon. If you want to know what happened so far, take a look at this post.

Targeted for September 2022

If Artemis can’t make its first launch date, it’ll slip into September. Therefore, it might also be our first launch of the month.

The second one might be Luna 25. It would be Roscosmos (or Russia’s) first mission to the Moon since 1976. It’s called Luna 25 because it is planned as a continuation of the soviet lunar program. I’m still not sure, if we’ll see it launch. But I won’t rule it out.

Targeted for October 2022

As soon as October, we might see the first launch in the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. A program to motivate commercial companies to develop transportation services to the lunar surface. If the plan holds, the Peregrine Mission One will be the first launch and landing on the Moon of this program. Consequently, becoming the first commercial lander on the Moon.

Targeted for November 2022

Another lunar lander is aiming for a launch this year, Mission 1 from ispace. They are now targeting November as their month to launch. This mission will bring multiple payloads to the Moon, including the Rashid rover from the UAE and JAXA’s Mission 1.

The Rashid rover is a 10-kilogram robotic explorer. It’ll take pictures with multiple cameras, study the lunar plasma, as well as why the dust is so sticky. If the landing is successful, it’ll be the smallest rover yet to land on the Moon.

In addition, JAXA will send a robot to the surface of the Moon. This one, however, will be a transformable robot. Its mission is to collect data on the lunar surface. Take a look at the links below for more information.

Targeted for December 2022

One month later, we might see the third lander launch this year. This time from Intuitive Machines. They are now targeting 22 December 2022 as the launch date of their first mission, also known as Nova C. Like the Peregrine Mission One, the Nova C mission is part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. It’ll deliver multiple payloads to the lunar surface.

Not earlier than 2023

Alright, 2023 is not 2022 anymore. However, we have already seen missions slip to 2023. These are JAXA’s Slim mission and ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 mission. Both are currently targeting to launch in January 2023. Let’s hope we don’t see more missions slipping into 2023. However, a slip is better than a failure.

Credit for image at the top: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute