Following a series of high-profile events in March, April 2025 presents an active lineup of space missions involving exploration, research, and new technology tests. NASA, SpaceX, Roscosmos, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) are preparing to execute key operations that include crewed flights, asteroid flybys, and research on space weather. These missions aim to improve understanding of both Earth and deep space, while testing vehicles and systems crucial for future endeavors. The growing involvement of private actors, including missions led by non-professional astronauts, reveals the increasing commercial presence in space activities.
March included notable occurrences such as the safe return of NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule after an extended stay on the ISS. Firefly Aerospace achieved a stable lunar landing, while Intuitive Machines faced a setback when its lander tipped over and lost power. SpaceX also conducted a Starship test flight that ended in another mid-flight explosion. These events marked a month of both achievements and ongoing technical challenges, especially for companies focused on lunar exploration and next-generation launch vehicles.
What missions are taking off in April?
How is NASA advancing research on solar activity and asteroid exploration?
The month begins with Fram2, a private mission organized by SpaceX, scheduled to launch around April 1 using a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center. The flight will carry four civilian participants: Chun Wang, Jannicke Mikklesen, Eric Philips, and Rabea Rogge. The crew will orbit Earth for up to five days to study the polar regions, human physiology in space, and obtain the first human x-ray imagery recorded in orbit. This mission continues the trend of private-sector participation in space research and Earth observation.
On April 8, a Soyuz rocket is set to transport NASA astronaut Jonathan Kim along with Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Aleksey Zubritsky to the International Space Station. Their eight-month stay will support the maintenance of station systems and scientific experiments, representing continued collaboration between U.S. and Russian space agencies despite broader geopolitical tensions. The launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome reinforces the operational role of Soyuz in crewed spaceflight missions.
NASA plans to launch the TRACERS mission on April 13 using a Falcon 9 rocket. It consists of two satellites designed to measure the effects of magnetic reconnection caused by solar wind interactions with Earth’s magnetosphere. Understanding this phenomenon is critical for predicting space weather that can affect satellites, communication systems, and power grids. The mission supports broader efforts to monitor solar activity for protective and planning purposes.
“TRACERS will help us better understand fundamental space physics,”
NASA officials stated during an earlier briefing.
NASA’s Lucy spacecraft, launched in 2021, is scheduled to conduct a flyby of the asteroid Donaldjohanson on April 20. This pass provides a test of its instruments before visiting Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids later in the mission. Donaldjohanson, a 3-mile-wide asteroid located in the main belt, serves as a milestone checkpoint in Lucy’s 12-year voyage. The mission aims to gather insights into the early formation of the solar system.
“Lucy’s flyby gives us a valuable rehearsal and scientific data,”
NASA representatives noted about the upcoming event.
United Launch Alliance may also carry out a launch using its Vulcan Centaur rocket in April, although the exact date remains unconfirmed. The vehicle is expected to transport classified payloads for the U.S. Space Force, marking an operational step for the Vulcan system, which is positioned as a replacement for the Atlas V. If successful, the mission will mark Vulcan’s entry into national security launches and continue ULA’s legacy in supporting government space infrastructure.
While earlier updates suggested Vulcan’s debut launch would take place in late 2023, multiple delays postponed its operational use. Now, with hardware and mission requirements aligning, the anticipated April 2025 launch will serve as a key test of its readiness. Similarly, TRACERS was first announced in 2019, highlighting the long-term planning and development cycles typical of NASA science missions. Lucy’s flyby this month follows its successful 2021 launch and a trajectory adjusted in 2023 to accommodate a complex multi-asteroid tour.
April’s planned missions reflect a spectrum of goals from commercial exploration to scientific analysis and defense-related launches. With Fram2 and Lucy showcasing private-public collaborations and TRACERS focused on space weather, these activities underscore the diversity of interests driving current space efforts. The involvement of civilian astronauts as well as traditional agencies such as Roscosmos and NASA highlights the evolving dynamics of space operations. For readers tracking progress in aerospace, Lucy’s asteroid encounter and TRACERS’ data-gathering efforts may offer particular insight into how space environments interact with Earth and its technology systems. Meanwhile, the Vulcan Centaur’s expected mission will signal ULA’s ability to transition to its new generation of launch vehicles, potentially affecting procurement strategies for national defense payloads.
