New space missions will aim to measure Earth's biomass from space, return stranded astronauts to Earth and prepare for landing humans on the moon. DW explains what's in store for 2025. Space science and exploration hit exciting new heights over the last 12 months.

We learned that galaxies are much bigger than we thought, how Europe is building its new flagship rocket Ariana 6, and what being stranded in space does to an astronauts' body. Germany's first female astronaut will head to space in 2025, too. ISRO to Launch US Satellite Enabling Voice Calls via Smartphones from Space; Here’s Everything We Know About It.

2025 Is Set To Be Just As Exciting, but What’s Ahead?

'Stranded' NASA Astronauts to Return to Earth in Spring

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore will return to Earth in March 2025. The two astronauts were left on the International Space Station (ISS) in June 2024 after propulsion issues with their spacecraft meant their eight-day mission had to be extended. While not technically "marooned,"given there are regular crew and supply voyages that could return them at a later date, the pair of astronauts were forced to stretch their stay on the ISS from two weeks to, now, a minimum of nine months.

The astronauts have since joined Crew-9, a mission from SpaceXlaunched to the ISS to carry the two astronauts back home. Crew-9 was originally planned to return to earth in February 2025, but NASA announced in December it will delay the Crew-10 launch, which is set to replace Crew-9. Crew-10 is being delayed by a month, meaning the astronauts should return to Earth in March if there are no further delays. ISRO SpaDeX Mission Update: 2 Spacecraft Injected Into Right Orbit, India Eyes Another Tech Feat With Space Docking Experiment.

Measuring Biology From Space

2025 will be the year the European Space Agency (ESA) begins analyzing Earth's ecosystems from space. The FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX) mission will provide global maps of plant health and stress. FLEX has a 3 1/2 year design lifetime from launch.

The satellite will include new instruments capable of measuring photosynthetic activity from space for the first time. The instrument, called FLORIS, will measure vegetation fluorescence to record photosynthesis on a mass scale to provide better understanding of how plant ecosystems affect the global carbon cycle.

A separate ESA mission launching in 2025 will also analyze Earth's forests. The Biomass mission will measure information about the state of our forests and how they are changing. The results from both missions could help inform policy around climate change protection, agricultural management and food security.

Next Steps for Artemis, but No 2025 Action

2025 will be a crucial year for NASA's plans to return humans to the moon as part of the Artemis program, but there won't be any rockets going up. Instead, space enthusiasts will NASA's progress in ticking off key milestones in preparation for the Artemis II mission. In 2022, Artemis I successfully tested an uncrewed flight of Orion into lunar orbit. Artemis II is the follow-up mission aiming to put a human crew on board in 2026. The Artemis III mission will put humans back on the moon's surface for the first time since 1972.

The Artemis II mission was intended to launch in late 2025, but has been pushed to April 2026 at the earliest to give more time to address issues detected with the Orion Spacecraft on its first mission. The delay also gives commercial partners SpaceX and Axiom Space time to meet their key milestones in the development of the Starship lunar lander and new spacesuits respectively. Astronauts will be using the LUNA facility in Germany to train for future trips to the Moon's surface.

Lunar Eclipses and Meteor Showers

There will also be plenty of things happening near Earth that we'll be able to see with our naked eyes, or with telescopes. That is unless more satellites continue to blind astronomers' view of space. The Quadrantid meteor shower runs from mid-November through mid-January each year, peaking on January 3. The meteors will radiate from the northern sky but appear in all parts of the sky. You need to be up in the small hours of the morning and hope the peak comes at the right time in your part of the world.

The Eta Aquariids meteor showers will also be visible from April 20 to May 21. The Eta Aquariids are a strong shower when viewed from the southern tropics but can also be viewed north of the equator. The Eta Aquariids peak from May 3-4. Another date for your space calendar is March 14, when a total eclipse of the moon will be visible in Pacific, Americas, Western Europe, and Western Africa. Depending where you live, you will have a second chance in 2025 on September 7, when a lunar eclipse will be visible in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. There's no need to worry about any asteroids or meteors hitting Earth, though.

Edited by: Zulfikar Abbany

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 02, 2025 02:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).