Future Chronology of Spaceflight

[NASAFanboy]

Timeline of Spaceflight, from 2013-2040.

2014- NASA launches the Orion onto EFT-1, a test launch spaceflight. Chang'e 3 lands on the lunar surface.

2015- Juno approaches the Jovian System, New Horizon arrives at Pluto. Bigelow Aerospace docks a inflatable module to the ISS

2016- Mission end for Juno. United States once again launches it's own spacecraft, with a manned Dragon capsule docking to the ISS. Probable mission end for Opportunity rover. Russia test flys it's new spacecraft to replace the aging Soyuz. China launches Tiagong-2.

2017- Space Launch System is launched onto a test flight, Dreamchaser and Blue Origin begin flying US Astronauts into Earth Orbit.

2018- Russia begins operations of the Rus-M, the successor to the Soyuz. China begins planning for lunar mission.

2019- Asteroid Redirect Mission is launched. Meanwhile, Deep Space Industries launches it's first "Dragonfly" space probe to the asteroid belt. Indian launches it's first manned orbital spacecraft.

2020- Bigelow funds the first commercial space station in Earth Orbit. Russia and the ESA work on a successor to the ISS. Japan launches components for a robotic lunar base. Mars rover is launched.

2021- Japan successfully constructs a robotic lunar base. The United States drags the asteroid into lunar orbit, where it is visited by astronauts on the new Orion MPCV. China successfully performs a lunar sample return mission with Russia and the ESA.

2022- Golden Spike announces a new partnership with Bigelow Aerospace to construct a American moon base. Russia sends spacecraft to orbit moon, China sends crew to High-Earth orbit, while the ESA launches it first manned orbital spacecraft to the ISS, but prefers to partner with international partners. China builds the Tiagong-3, a massive ISS-based spacestation.

2023- Russia lands manned spacecraft on the Lunar Surface, prepares to build a moon base. The United States is constructing an space station at EML-2, near the moon. China sends spacecraft to orbit moon.

2024- China lands on the moon, constructs small outpost in same year with Russia, ESA, and the United States. Golden Spike successfully tests it's lander.

2025- American astronauts enter interplanetary space for a short jaunt, then return back to Earth. The large station at EML-2 is fully completed. Golden Spike lands on the moon, and constructs a moon base with NASA and Bigelow, and the new international partners (China, United States, Russia, EU) add more modules to the new "International Moon base".

2026- ESA and United States perform a Mars Sample Return mission. The International Space Station is nearing the end of its life, and two successor space stations are built.

2027- ISS is deorbited, ending more than thirty years of service. The United States is developing a Mars Mission. China sends rover to Mars, followed by Sample Return Mission.

2028- Japan lands on the lunar surface. India follows, and prepares to build a moon base.

2029- Japan gears up efforts to build moon base by 2030.

2030- Japanese manned moon base is constructed. The United States lets it's EML-2 outpost be used by international partners.

2031- The United States launches manned spacecraft into Mars orbit, returns to Earth. The Chinese are entering interplanetary space with the Russians.

2032- The United States prepares for a surface mission to Mars. New probes are sent to interstellar space and the Kuiper Belt. Deep Space Industries performs a sample return from a asteroid belt. Bigelow builds a second station, deorbits first. Golden Spike is now the primary method of US lunar landings, and carries US Astronauts to the American/International moon base.

2033- Sample return mission from Phobos, successful rover landing on Venus by ESA and China.

2034- Russia prepares for manned Mars mission. China performs sample return. Second manned spacecraft enters Mars orbit.

2035- Manned US Spacecraft land on Mars. India performs Phobos Sample Return.

2036- NASA constructs a small research outpost on Phobos, a part of the "Red Rocks" mission. Russia and China land on Mars.

2037- Russia, ESA, China, India, and United States construct a manned base on Mars.

2038- Russia tows a space station to Mars Orbit. China constructs a second lunar base.

2039- Efforts are started to send expeditions to the outer planets. NASA lands a rover on Venus, followed by a sample return.

2040- Advancements in spaceflight allow for cheaper tourism in LEO. The first tourist arrives at Mars.

[Nuke]

2014-2064, same thing we have been doing

2065, fusion works, viable interplanetary engines are made as a result

2066, ???

2067-sun explodes, profit!

sun explodes-heat death of the universe, conquer universe

Edited October 23, 2013 by Nuke

[dlrk]

The sun isn't going to explode in 2067.

[Nuke]

that little - there means its a range of dates

[Kryten]

Rus-m was cancelled about two years ago. The Japanese have no plans for any rockets heavier than they've got now, never mind moon landings-in fact, their largest rocket is being retired the moment they run out of HTVs to launch with it. As far the rest, it simply doesn't reflect the kind of time this stuff actually takes-the russians are doing mars landings when the SHLV program is supposed to be doing it's earliest test missions, the Indians are doing a moon landing about when their first crewed launch at all is supposed to happen, et.c. et.c.

[Nibb31]

"Always in motion is the Future" - Yoda

Didn't you already post something like this a couple of months ago? I find it a bit arrogant to pretend to be able to make predictions beyond 10 or 20 years. Most predictions that were made 20, 30, or 40 years ago were all wrong about space and just about everything else (the Internet wasn't even "a thing" 20 years ago). Politics, technology, and society move way to fast to have any idea about what the priorities of Humanity will be in 2030 or beyond.

As for the near future, I'm pretty sure that SLS will be cancelled some time around 2015-2020. And China or Russia aren't going to the Moon any time soon. Any large aerospace project takes more than a decade to design and build, and nobody has any plans (or money) for a Moon landing architecture yet. Japan and India even less...

Golden Spike and Deep Space Industries are on the same level as Mars One, Almaz and other VC money sinks. They're not going anywhere.

[Langkard]

You should probably move the Asteroid Redirect Mission launch from 2019 to 2024. I caught a news conference on NASAtv yesterday discussing the small asteroid mission and the latest info seems to indicate a 2024 launch is more likely. I wish I could find the relevant video online, but it doesn't seem to be posted yet. The coolest part of the whole discussion was the information on the capture probe itself. It will be using the Solar Electric Propulsion system with an amazing 30 tons of xenon. 30 tons! They also mentioned 150 m/s several times in the presentation at roughly an 18 month burn. In addition, they named the likely candidate asteroids, for both the small asteroid mission and the proposed later large asteroid mission (relative to the small one) . I should have taken notes! A shame it isn't available on NASAtv at the moment. Good stuff.

[thunderstar]

"2039- Efforts are started to send expeditions to the outer planets. NASA lands a rover on Venus, followed by a sample return."

i don't think a sample return from venus will be ever possible

well maybe in the far far future when super powerful and eficient engines are invented

[LaydeeDem]

This timeline is way too optimistic. Also a rover on Venus? Seriously?

[NASAFanboy]

This timeline is way too optimistic. Also a rover on Venus? Seriously?

I needed something to fill it in. Besides, I've heard of several proposals for a rover on the Venusian Highlands, that might make it.

Its not way to optimistic. I'm finding most of you way to pesmisstic.

"We'll conquer the solar system by 2500"

Nope, by then, I'm thinking we'll be colonizing stars hundreds of light years away.

"Mars landing by 2050"

No....I'm thinking years earlier

[Kryten]

Read my post again. You've got things in there that are decades before they're actually planned to happen, combined with things that simply aren't planned to happen at any point. EDIT: Except the Chinese mars rover. That'll happen next launch opportunity or the one after that.