Lunar Exploration and Solar System Missions Dominate Planetary Science Agenda for 2023

Across the United States, planetary science is entering the new year with intense activity, shifting plans, and renewed political support. NASA reports that preparations for Artemis 2, the first crewed mission around the Moon in more than fifty years, are reaching their final phase at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with the Space Launch System rocket scheduled to roll from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad thirty nine B as early as mid January, ahead of a planned early February launch window. According to NASA mission planners, this flight will test the Orion spacecraft in deep space and lay the groundwork for future lunar landings that will carry extensive geology and geophysics experiments on the Moon.

In cislunar space, NASA announced from its Glenn Research Center in Ohio that engineers have powered up the electrical system for the Gateway lunar space station for the first time. This power and propulsion system, developed with international partners, will eventually support long duration planetary science at the Moon, including observations of the lunar surface, the solar wind, and possibly near Earth asteroids, all from a stable orbit around the Moon.

Closer to Earth, Congress has just sent a strong signal about the future of planetary science funding. NASA Watch reports that the House of Representatives passed a major funding bill after intense debate over proposed cuts, and the bipartisan Planetary Science Caucus declared that the legislation keeps the United States on track to maintain leadership in space exploration. The caucus statement specifically highlights Mars Sample Return as the highest priority planetary science mission recommended by the 2023 Planetary Sciences Decadal Survey, and frames sustained support for Mars exploration as essential to retaining American expertise at institutions such as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

At the same time, global planetary missions are aligning with this push. The Planetary Society notes that January launch opportunities are opening for Japan’s Martian Moons Exploration mission to Phobos and Deimos, Europe’s Juice spacecraft is preparing a gravity assist near Earth on its way to Jupiter, and NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is approaching its earliest possible launch date, promising powerful new studies of exoplanets around distant stars.

Emerging patterns are clear. United States planetary science is pivoting toward a tightly integrated program, combining human missions around the Moon, a permanent presence in lunar orbit, and sophisticated robotic missions throughout the solar system, while Congress and advocacy groups work in parallel to shield this effort from disruptive budget cuts and preserve long term scientific momentum.

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