How Many Missions Are In Space Right Now?

How many missions are in space right now? In the past decade, one hundred twenty four teams have launched countless objects into orbit around our planet. Thirteen hundred and eighty nine of them have been deployed, traveled or settled on planets or moons. This number doesn't include additional study missions or satellites above Earth's orbit. At the same time, there are also hundreds of other unknown objects and small specks of light shooting through the cosmos. These unidentified objects may be important but without further information, it is unclear what role they will play in our future. Should you know how many missions are in space right now?

Space Missions

Here are few space missions where we are currently working

1. The International Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station that has been permanently staffed since November 2000. It provides a platform for human research in space and for the conduct of scientific experiments. Research conducted includes biology, human biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science. The ISS acts as a laboratory for scientists from all over the world including astronauts from many different countries who have visited the station on missions to perform research on board.

The ISS is a laboratory in microgravity where astronauts can carry out experiments in space to further our understanding of life on Earth and in space. The station is also used to test new technology that may be used on future missions to other planets or even to other destinations such as asteroids or Mars.

2. Beresheet

The satellite has a payload capacity of about 10 kilograms and a mission duration of 100 days. The spacecraft was launched on November 21, 2018, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The Beresheet spacecraft is the first in a series of satellites that are expected to be launched into space by Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd (IAI).

The spacecraft will be used for studying the Earth's gravity field and for land mapping.

The satellite will also be used for measuring the force of gravity on Earth, which can help scientists understand how our planet rotates around its axis and changes shape over time.

3. Progress 71

The Space Exploration Initiative, also known as P71, is a proposed space exploration program that was proposed by the Obama Administration in 2011. It was announced at the White House in the same year that President Barack Obama wanted to have an increased focus on space exploration and develop a plan for sending astronauts to Mars by 2030.

The initiative would be funded through significant increases in NASA's budget, which would include funding for the Orion spacecraft and a new rocket system called SLS. The program would also involve NASA's involvement with private companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin.

4. OSIRIS-REx

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft was launched on September 8, 2008. Since then, the spacecraft has been orbiting around Earth and performing science operations.

On August 31, 2018, the mission team announced that they found a near-Earth asteroid that is almost as big as a football field. The asteroid will be named Bennu in honor of the Egyptian goddess of fertility and motherhood.

OSIRIS-REx has now traveled more than 2 billion miles during its journey to Bennu. It will arrive at its destination in September 2020.

5. InSight lander

The InSight lander is a robotic spacecraft that will study the interior of Mars. Its mission is to investigate the processes that shaped the Red Planet, including how its crust formed and whether there was ever water on its surface.

InSight will be launched in March 2016 and arrive at Mars in November of that year. It will then spend several months gathering data about Mars' interior using seismometers, heaters and other instruments.

Sending a probe to Mars has always been one of NASA's goals, but it took decades for the agency to develop a spacecraft capable of landing on the planet and surviving for up to seven years. The InSight mission is only one of three currently planned by NASA that will focus on exploring Mars' interior, including one that will use rovers to study its geology and another that will look for evidence of life below the surface.

6. Chang'e 4 Lander/Yutu-2 Rover

China's Chang'e 4 lunar landing mission is estimated to be the first mission in history to successfully land on the moon. The spacecraft entered lunar orbit on December 7, 2018, and will make its soft landing on the Moon on January 3, 2019.

The mission is expected to last about 30 days during which it will perform scientific experiments and collect samples from the lunar surface.

It will also carry a lander/rover named Yutu-2 that was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) — China's state-run aerospace manufacturer.

Yutu-2 is said to be able to move up and down slopes, as well as roll over using wheels at its ends and sides. It also has solar panels that can generate power for its systems during nighttime periods when there is no sunlight available.

Conclusion:

The total number of active space missions on the list stands at 372, with a total of 517 individual objectives. NASA tops the charts with 78 active missions, while China comes in second place with 29 missions. The European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan round out the top three, both with 13 active missions. While publicly available information is accurate up to publication time, new missions are launched regularly and it is possible for some of the numbers to fluctuate slightly.