2024 is on course to set new records for the number of orbital launch attempts and successful orbital launches. This year saw a significant increase in space activity, with notable missions including the first successful launch of the Vulcan Centaur rocket, multiple developmental launches of SpaceX's Starship, and China's Chang'e 6 mission. 

This momentum has opened the way for significant missions and milestones, many of which were scheduled for or achieved in 2024. However, alongside these triumphs, the year also underscored the complexities of space exploration, with delays and unforeseen challenges serving as reminders of the risks involved. This article’s first part highlights some of the most significant milestones and setbacks of 2024, a year that illuminated both the successes and trials of humanity’s pursuit of the stars. 

Key Space Milestones Achieved in 2024 

Japan lands on the Moon for the first time  

On January 19th, 2024, Japan etched its name in space history with the successful landing of its robotic spacecraft, Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), on the lunar surface. This marked a giant leap for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and solidified Japan's place as a major player in lunar exploration. SLIM became the first Japanese spacecraft and the fifth to achieve a soft landing on the Moon. The mission aimed to gather valuable scientific data and pave the way for future human or robotic lunar exploration.  

First US Private Moon Lander Since Apollo is Launched 

The launch of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur rocket is a debut of the new generation of launch vehicles designed to meet the increasing demand for cost-effective and reliable space access. With its successful liftoff, Vulcan Centaur signals the growing role of private industry in shaping the future of space exploration. 

At the heart of this mission is Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander, carrying 20 payloads, including NASA's scientific instruments under its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. If successful, Peregrine will become the first American lunar lander since Apollo 17 in 1972 and potentially the first private mission to reach the Moon. This milestone demonstrates how government agencies like NASA are leveraging partnerships with private companies to enhance capabilities, reduce costs, and focus on groundbreaking research for missions like Artemis, which aims to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon. 

The world's first samples from the far side of the moon are brought to Earth 

China's Chang'e 6 mission is a lunar exploration project by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). Launched on May 3, 2024, this mission aimed to collect samples from the far side of the Moon, a first in lunar exploration. 

The mission involved a lander and a rover that touched down on the lunar surface on June 1, 2024. They collected about 1,935 grams of lunar samples using a robotic scoop and drill. These samples were then transferred to an ascender, which launched them into lunar orbit. The samples were eventually brought back to Earth, landing in Inner Mongolia on June 25, 2024. 

China's Chang'e 6 mission achieved several historic firsts. It successfully collected the first-ever samples from the far side of the Moon, offering invaluable insights into lunar geology and history. The mission's findings, including evidence of ancient volcanic activity, provide new perspectives on lunar evolution and the early solar system. This milestone provided invaluable insights into lunar geology and history, including evidence of ancient volcanic activity. Chang’e 6 not only advanced China’s space exploration capabilities but also highlighted its growing influence in global space initiatives. 

NASA's Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter's Moon Europa is launched 

Jupiter's moon Europa, with its tantalizing potential for life, has captured NASA's attention. This enigmatic moon harbors a saltwater ocean, containing over twice the volume of water found in Earth's oceans, making it an intriguing celestial body. Europa might offer the essential ingredients for life: water, energy, and organic molecules.  

NASA's Europa Clipper mission, launched in 2024 and expected to arrive at Jupiter in 2030, is designed to investigate whether Europa and similar ocean worlds could provide a suitable environment for life as we know it. Europa's ice-covered surface conceals a vast liquid saltwater ocean, possibly heated by vents on the ocean floor, akin to those in Earth's deep oceans, teeming with life despite the absence of sunlight. Jupiter's magnetic field could further contribute to Europa's potential habitability by energizing its ice, potentially producing vital molecules like methane, ammonia, and hydrogen.  

The spacecraft, Europa Clipper, will orbit Jupiter, occasionally diving through its radiation field to collect data during flybys of Europa. By conducting over 40 close flybys during a 3.5-year mission, Europa Clipper aims to determine if this ocean world could support life, making it the first dedicated mission to a celestial body with a global ocean beyond Earth.  

With an array of scientific instruments, including radar, magnetometer, cameras, spectrometers, and atmospheric samplers, it will extensively study Europa's surface, ice, ocean, and plumes. Additionally, Europa Clipper will scout landing sites for future missions that may explore the moon's surface. 

Proba-3 Mission: A World-First in Satellite Formation Flying  

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 mission sets a groundbreaking precedent in space technology by demonstrating unparalleled precision in satellite formation flying. Launched in Dec 2024 , Proba-3 consists of two small satellites—the Coronagraph spacecraft and the Occulter spacecraft—that fly in tandem with millimeter-level accuracy, forming a "virtual giant satellite." 

This mission is a world-first because it autonomously maintains extreme precision over extended periods, operating at distances of about 150 meters with arcsecond-level angular alignment for six continuous hours. Unlike earlier missions that relied on ground control, Proba-3’s satellites navigate, position, and maintain their formation independently. 

Proba-3’s precision flying will allow it to perform groundbreaking scientific observations. The mission’s giant solar coronagraph, created by the precise alignment of its two satellites, will block out the Sun’s bright disk to study its faint corona—something impossible to achieve with a single satellite. 

The mission will also validate advanced technologies and algorithms, including relative GPS navigation, collision avoidance maneuvers, and rendezvous techniques for both cooperative and uncooperative targets. These innovations go beyond this mission, with potential applications in Mars sample return missions and satellite de-orbiting technologies. 

Proba-3 is more than just a mission; it serves as a laboratory in space, pioneering a technological revolution that will redefine multi-satellite operations and pave the way for the next generation of scientific exploration. 

Space Perspective's Successful Test Flight – a Step Forward for Space Tourism 

Space Perspective is a space tourism company that aims to offer a unique and luxurious journey to the edge of space, using a hydrogen-filled balloon and capsule instead of traditional rocket-based methods.  

In 2024, Space Perspective has successfully completed the first full test flight of its 700-foot-long space balloon and eight-person capsule. During the six-hour test flight, the hydrogen-filled balloon and capsule ascended to 100,000 feet, reaching the edge of space before splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico. This achievement proves the viability of their space-balloon concept, a crucial step as the company moves toward further uncrewed and eventually piloted flights. 

Looking ahead, Space Perspective plans to build on this test flight data, progressing toward future uncrewed and piloted missions, with commercial flights expected to begin in 2026. 

As we wrap up Part 1 of our exploration into the space milestones of 2024, it’s evident that this year has set a new bar for innovation and achievement in the cosmos. But the journey is far from over. In Part 2, we’ll take a closer look at the upcoming missions, anticipated breakthroughs, and the challenges that still lie ahead in the quest to explore the final frontier. Stay tuned for the next installment of 2024’s space odyssey.