Events - 2026 to 2028

From 2029 onwards, it will be extremely interesting in terms of space probes and space research, but the period until then is not boring either. In the following, the most important spacecrafts and projects are presented, which you can watch in the waiting period.

As always, I don't show a complete list, but concentrate on the missions that are most interesting from my point of view. If there ist one missing, this page is expanded and updated.

2026

Vera Rubin - First results

The 8-meter telescope Vera Rubin Observatory (formerly LSST), based in Chile, will image the entire southern sky every three days, 100 times a year. The goal is to detect changes in the sky that would not be possible with single observations. The telescope was completed in 2025 and has already started its work, with the first results being presented this year. I'm curious to see if it can help in the search for Planet Nine, and how many new celestial bodies will be found within a radius of 20 light-years of our Sun that we have no idea about yet.

https://rubinobservatory.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_C._Rubin_Observatory

IMAP - First results

In the years from 2008 onwards, the IBEX probe explored the interaction of the heliosphere with the galactic medium. It discovered irregularities that no one had predicted and are known as IBEX-Ribbon. The probe had only limited resolution, so IMAP should continue its work with improved instruments. It was launched in September 2025, the first results have already been published, and updated images of the IBEX ribbon are expected to be announced in 2026.

https://imap.princeton.edu/
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/imap/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar_Mapping_and_Acceleration_Probe

MMX + Idefix - Start towards Phobos

The Japanese Space Agency JAXA has big plans with MMX (Martian Moons Exploration). After its launch in August 2026, it is scheduled to arrive at Mars' moon Phobos in September 2027, explore it from orbit, take samples during two landings in early 2029 and return them to Earth in 2031. On board is the small Idefix rover, co-developed by DLR, which is lowered from a height of 100 metres weeks before the first landing.
The H3 launch vehicle had a false launch at the end of December 2025, which is still being investigated. Hopefully it will work out with the start date, otherwise we will have to wait 2 years.

https://www.mmx.jaxa.jp/en/
https://www.dlr.de/en/research-and-transfer/projects-and-missions/mmx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martian_Moons_eXploration

Bepi-Colombo - Arrival at Mercury

ESA's large Mercury orbiter will arrive at the innermost planet in November 2026, a year later than originally planned due to problems with propulsion. We should not expect a flood of images from ESA, but over time the findings of the last and so far only Mercury orbiter MESSENGER will be significantly refined.

https://sci.esa.int/web/bepicolombo
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/BepiColombo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BepiColombo

Hera - Arrival

In September 2022, the 170-meter-wide moon Dimorphos of the asteroid Didymos was bombarded with NASA's DART probe as a test in case the orbit of an asteroid on a collision course with Earth had to be changed. DART was successful, the moon's orbital period was reduced from 11 hours and 55 minutes by 33 minutes, three times more than expected.
The ESA built Hera will reach the asteroids in December 2026 and will investigate the visible effects of the impact on the moon and the extent to which the event affected the immediate surroundings.

https://www.heramission.space/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hera_(space_mission)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/65803_Didymos

2027

Lucy - Two asteroid flybys

During its 12-year mission, NASA's Lucy probe is expected to complete a total of seven flybys of asteroids. Since most of the targets have either similarly sized companions or small moons, it will get a close-up look at over a dozen of the rocky small bodies. In August 2027 it will be the turn of Eurybates and Queta, followed a month later by Polymele and S/2022.
Immediately after the launch in October 2021, one of the solar cell wings could not be fully deployed, missing a few percent of electrical power. So far, NASA has the problem under control and nothing stands in the way of the mission being carried out as planned.

https://lucy.swri.edu/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_(spacecraft)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3548_Eurybates
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15094_Polymele

MMX - Arrival at Phobos

The Japanese MMX spacecraft will reach Mars in July and enter orbit around Phobos in September. This will be followed by a 15-month exploration from orbit before sampling is ventured at the beginning of 2029.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobos_(moon)

Escapade - Arrival at Mars

The project consists of two small orbiters, each weighting 535 kilograms, that will reach Mars in September 2027. They are to explore its atmosphere and magnetosphere, and their interaction with the solar wind.

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/escapade/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESCAPADE

Roman Space Telescope - Launch

The construction of the Hubble-like Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope was completed in November 2025, and since then it has been in the testing phase. It has about the same resolution as its predecessor, but can cover a hundred times larger area with one image and thus produce results much faster. The launch to the L2 point is planned for the end of 2027 or early 2028.

https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov/
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Grace_Roman_Space_Telescope

2028

Lucy - Two asteroid flybys

Once again Lucy is flying past asteroids, Leucus in April 2028 and Orus in October. That's it for the next years, another will take place in 2033.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11351_Leucus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21900_Orus

NEO-Surveyor - Launch

The spacecraft is to be positioned at the L1 point between Earth and Sun and use an infrared telescope to search the area near the Sun for potentially dangerous asteroids.
It is not yet certain when the launch will take place. Some sources speak of 2027, others of 2028. Since the mission is only partially represented in the news, I suspect 2028. Construction began in spring 2025.

https://neos.epss.ucla.edu/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEO_Surveyor

Moreover

Unmanned moon landings
I've lost track of it a bit in recent years, so many quietly announced, sometimes very small landers have tried their hand at the moon. Some made the landing, some didn't, and several ... something in between. This will continue in the same manner, probably with mixed success as before. A large lander from Blue Origin could be launched as early as spring 2026, which I give higher chances of success.

Manned orbit of the moon
Project Artemis has to contend with many time shifts and problems, but they should be able to complete a manned orbit of the moon between 2026 and 2028. I don't expect the first human landing on the moon since the Apollo missions until 2028 at the earliest, rather later.

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Development of launch rockets
Several launch rockets of different sizes are likely to go into regular operation.
With the Starship, probably no one knows where this will end and whether Musk's darling will ever be finished at all. New Glenn, on the other hand, has completed two successful launches in 2025, one successful landing, and could enter regular operations in 2026.
The smaller rockets Neutron (New Zealand) and Spectrum (Germany) still have to prove themselves, the latter has had a false launch, several attempts are planned for 2026.
For an overview see page Space - Launch vehicles.

Exoplanets
The launch of several space telescopes is imminent, which will go in search of exoplanets or investigate already known ones in more detail. ESA's Plato mission is equipped with 26 small telescopes and will go on a search, while the smaller Pandora is designed to study individual planets and their atmospheres. Plato is scheduled to go on its journey at the beginning of 2027, Pandora has already taken this step on January 10, 2026.

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/pandora/
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Plato
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLATO_(spacecraft)