The Biggest Space Missions to Look For in 2023

While humans won’t be heading back to the Moon until 2025, there’s plenty to get excited about in the new year.

Image of the moon looking towards the Earth from space.Credit: Dima Zel/Shutterstock

With just how exciting 2022 was when it came to space news — from the reveal of the first images taken the James Webb Space Telescope to NASA crashing the DART spacecraft into an asteroid — it may seem like 2023 will be quiet in comparison.

However, that’s not the case. From expeditions throughout the solar system to new breakthroughs in commercial space travel, here are the biggest space missions to keep an eye on throughout 2023.

Way back in 2016, NASA launched its OSIRIS-REx mission. The craft arrived at the asteroid Bennu in October 2020 to collect rock samples. OSIRIS-REx is estimated to return to Earth with the samples on Sept. 24, 2023, though that date could change as the year progresses.

Bennu is a small asteroid compared to others in the solar system, as it is ...

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The Biggest Space Missions to Look For in 2023

While humans won’t be heading back to the Moon until 2025, there’s plenty to get excited about in the new year.

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Brightest Radio Burst on Record Originated in Galaxy 130 Million Light Years Away

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Tiny Particles Reveal Asteroid Bennu's Origin Story at the Beginning of the Solar System

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