This is a list of proposed space probes that are planned to focus on the exploration of the Solar System, ordered by date of spacecraft launch. Launched probes are in the List of Solar System probes and the List of active Solar System probes.
Mission name | Launch date | Description | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Spring 2025 | Two Mars orbiters | [1] |
![]() | May 2025 | Asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa sample return, comet 311P/PanSTARRS orbiter | [2] |
![]() | April 2026 | 4-person lunar flyby | [3] [4] |
![]() ![]() ![]() | 2026 | Martian moon sample return mission | [5] |
![]() | 2026 | Lunar south pole lander, rover and flying probe | [6] |
![]() ![]() | NET summer 2026 | Private Venus atmospheric probe by Rocket Lab and MIT | [7] |
![]() ![]() | 2026-2028 | Lunar lander and rover | [8] |
![]() | 2027 | Lunar sample return mission | [9] |
![]() | Mid 2027 | 4-person lunar flyby, 2-person lunar landing | [3] [10] |
![]() | 2027 | Lunar orbiter | [11] |
![]() | 2028 | Asteroid 3200 Phaethon flyby | [12] |
![]() | July 2028 | Titan rotorcraft lander | [13] [14] |
![]() | 2028 | Mars rover, ExoMars | [15] [16] |
![]() | 2028 | Lunar lander | [11] |
![]() | 2028 | Mars sample return mission | [17] |
![]() | 2028 | Flyby mission to seven asteroids | [18] |
![]() | 2028 | Venus orbiter | [19] |
![]() | September 2029 | Jupiter and Callisto orbiter, Uranus flyby | [20] [21] |
![]() | 2029 | High-inclination solar orbiter, Jupiter flyby | [22] |
![]() ![]() | 2029 | Flyby of an Oort Cloud comet | [23] [24] [25] |
![]() | 2029 | Venus orbiter | [26] |
![]() | 2031 | Venus orbiter | [27] |
![]() | 2031 | Mars orbiter and lander | [28] [29] |
![]() | 2032 | Venus orbiter and atmospheric probe | [30] |
Mission name | Preliminary launch date estimate | Description | Ref(s) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Estimated launch date | Estimate by | Estimate as of | |||
![]() | 2024[ needs update ] | Scientia Sinica Informationis | 2019 | "Voyager-like" mission to outer planets | [31] [32] |
![]() | 2025 | Ramon.Space | 2022 | Lunar lander | [33] |
![]() ![]() | 2027[ needs update ] | ESA | 2023 | Mars sample return mission | [34] |
![]() | 2028 | ESA | 2024 | Asteroid orbiter | [35] [36] |
![]() | 2020s[ citation needed ] | Mars orbiter and lander | [37] [38] | ||
![]() | 2031 | Russian Space Research Institute | 2023 | Venus orbiter and lander | [39] |
![]() | 2030 | Roscosmos | 2024 | Lunar sample return mission | [40] |
![]() | NET 2031 | NASA | 2023 | Uranus orbiter and probe | [41] [42] |
![]() | 2036 | NASA | 2022 | "Voyager on steroids" | [43] |
![]() | 2038 | NASA | 2023 | Enceladus orbiter/lander | [44] |
The following missions were suspended or cancelled because of political, budgetary, or other reasons. The spacecraft were already assembled at the time of suspension/cancellation, so these missions can be resumed.
Mission name | Cancellation date | Description | Status and reason | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 2024 | Lunar rover | "NASA stated cost increases, delays to the launch date, and the risks of future cost growth as the reasons to stand down on the mission." NASA announced they would consider "expressions of interest" from industry to use the "VIPER rover system at no cost to the government". In October 2024, VIPER passed all pre-launch tests. | [45] [46] |
![]() | 2023 | Dual asteroids probe | Was expected to be a secondary payload on the Psyche launch. After the delay, it was assessed that Janus wouldn't be able to reach the required trajectory. Both spacecraft were placed into long-term storage. | [47] |
![]() | 2022 | Mars lander | Originally part of the joint ExoMars mission with ESA, planned to deliver Rosalind Franklin rover. Mission was cancelled because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Spacecraft was returned to Roscosmos; officials stated that they will launch it without the rover, but no date was given. | [48] |
The current schedule has a launch date in JFY 2026, followed by Martian orbit insertion in JFY 2027 and the spacecraft will return to Earth in JFY 2031.
The launch date for Dragonfly, the fourth mission in the New Frontiers Program, has been delayed to June 2027.