Monday, November 30, 2020

Solar System Missions Update 2020-12

Here's my map of all active and future Solar System Missions as of December 1st 2020.

This Month will bring two sample returns back to Earth. The Chinese Chang'e 5 mission is currently in orbit around the Moon, the Lander presumably already separated from the orbiter, will touch down on the 1st, and collect samples in the next few days. After the ascend module delivers them back to the orbiter, it will depart back to earth and finally release the return capsule for a touch down, maybe on the 17th. All of that in December! The asteroid sample return mission Hayabusa 2 has already all the action behind it and is currently on approach for a return capsule touch down on the 6th. The spacecraft will go on an extended mission wit more flybys, as will problably the Chang'e 5 orbiter.

On the 26th Solar Orbiter will do its first Venus gravity assist flyby, on the 30th Juno will have its perijove #31, and the Mars flotilla of Perseverance, Al Amal and Tianwen is still en route to Mars. Jupiter and Saturn will be in conjunction around Christmas.

Data, images and documentation are available on my space exploration history GitHub repository and the associated website.

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