List of proposed Solar System probes

Short description: none

There are currently various proposed space probes to focus on the exploration of the Solar System. For planned missions to the Moon see the dedicated list of missions to the Moon, with its section future missions. Launched probes are in the List of Solar System probes and the List of active Solar System probes.

## Contents

* 1 Scheduled missions
* 2 Proposed missions
* 3 Suspended missions
* 4 See also
* 5 References

## Scheduled missions

Mission name  | Launch date  | Target  | Description  | Ref(s)

|
|
|
|

Martian Moons eXploration and Idefix rover  | 2026  | Mars  | Phobos sample return mission, Phobos rover, Deimos flyby  | [1]
Venus Life Finder | NET summer 2026  | Venus  | Atmospheric probe by Rocket Lab and MIT  | [2]
M-Argo | 2027  | Asteroid  | Cubesat mission to a near-Earth asteroid  | [3]
DESTINY+ | 2028  | Asteroid  | Asteroid 3200 Phaethon flyby  | [4]
Dragonfly  | July 2028  | Saturn / Titan  | Titan rotorcraft lander  | [5]
Rosalind Franklin | 2028  | Mars  | Mars rover, ExoMars | [6][7]
Tianwen-3 | 2028  | Mars  | Mars sample return mission  | [8]
MBR Explorer | 2028  | Asteroid  | Flyby mission to seven asteroids  | [9]
Ramses  | 2028  | Asteroid  | Orbiter  | [10][11]
Venus Orbiter Mission | 2028  | Venus  | Orbiter  | [12]
Tianwen-4 | September 2029  | Jupiter, Uranus  | Jupiter and Callisto orbiter, Uranus flyby  | [13][14]
Comet Interceptor | 2029  | Comet  | Flyby of an Oort Cloud comet  | [15][16]
VERITAS | 2029  | Venus  | Orbiter  | [17]
EnVision | 2031  | Venus  | Orbiter  | [18]
Mangalyaan-2 | 2031  | Mars  | Orbiter and lander  | [19][20]
DAVINCI | 2032  | Venus  | Orbiter and atmospheric probe  | [21]

## Proposed missions

Mission name  | Preliminary launch date estimate  | Target  | Description  | Ref(s)

|
|
|
|

Estimated launch date  | Estimate by  | Estimate as of
Asteroid deflection mission  | 2027  | CNSA  | 2025  | Asteroid  | Asteroid deflection mission; possible target is 2015 XF261 or 2016 WP8  | [22][23][24]
Space Reactor‑1 Freedom / Skyfall  | NET 2028  | NASA  | 2026  | Mars  | The "first nuclear powered interplanetary spacecraft" and several Ingenuity-class helicopters  | [25]
Solar Polar Orbit Observatory | 2029  | National Space Science Center  | 2025  | Sun  | High-inclination solar orbiter, Jupiter flyby  | [26]
Mars Telecommunications Network | The MTO mission was revived by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by U.S. President Donald Trump, that allocated $700 million for the development of a new MTO.  | Mars  | Orbiter  | [27]
Tera-hertz Explorer | Originally planned to be launched in "2020s". There are no updates after 2021.  | Mars  | Orbiter and lander  | [28][29]
Uranus Orbiter and Probe | NET 2031  | NASA | 2023  | Uranus  | Orbiter and probe  | [30][31]
Shensuo | 2032  |  | 2026  | Outer planets  | "Voyager-like" mission to outer planets  | [32][33]
Venus atmospheric sample return  | 2033  | DSEL/CNSA  | 2025  | Venus  | Return atmospheric samples from Venus  | [34]
Interstellar Probe | 2036  | NASA | 2022  | Outer planets  | "Voyager on steroids"  | [35]
Venera-D | 2036  | Russian Academy of Sciences  | 2025  | Venus  | Orbiter and lander  | [36]
Enceladus Orbilander | 2038  | NASA | 2023  | Saturn / Enceladus  | Enceladus orbiter/lander  | [37]
Mars Research Station for ISRU  | 2038  | DSEL/CNSA  | 2025  | Mars  | Mars surface research station for In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)  | [34]
Probe to Neptune and Triton  | 2039  | DSEL/CNSA  | 2025  | Neptune / Triton  | Exploration of Neptune and its moon Triton  | [34]
L4 (Probe to Enceladus)  | 2042  | ESA  | 2024  | Saturn / Enceladus  | Enceladus lander  | [38][39]

## Suspended missions

The following missions were suspended or cancelled because of political, budgetary, or other reasons. The spacecraft were already assembled at the time of suspension/cancellation, so these missions can be resumed.

Mission name  | Cancellation date  | Description  | Status and reason  | Ref(s)

|
|
|
|

Janus | 2023  | Dual asteroids probe  | Was expected to be a secondary payload on the Psyche launch. After the delay, it was assessed that Janus wouldn't be able to reach the required trajectory. Both spacecraft were placed into long-term storage.  | [40]

## See also

* Timeline of Solar System exploration
* Planned space telescopes
* Proposed space telescopes
* Planned heliophysics missions
* Planned Earth observation satellites
* Planned Moon missions
* Planned Venus missions
* Planned Mars missions
* Planned outer planets missions
* Future visits of minor planets and comets
* Future and proposed missions to be placed at Lagrange points

## References

1. ↑ "MMX - Martian Moons eXploration" (in en). https://www.mmx.jaxa.jp/en/. "The current schedule has a launch date in JFY 2026, followed by Martian orbit insertion in JFY 2027 and the spacecraft will return to Earth in JFY 2031."
2. ↑ "Rocket Lab Mission to Venus". https://www.morningstarmissions.space/rocketlabmissiontovenus.
3. ↑ "ESA Technology CubeSats" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Technology_CubeSats/ESA_Technology_CubeSats.
4. ↑ "宇宙科学・探査ミッションの進捗状況について" (in ja). ISAS. CAO. 9 October 2024. p. 11. https://www8.cao.go.jp/space/comittee/27-kagaku/kagaku-dai63/siryou2.pdf.
5. ↑ "NASA Awards Launch Services Contract for Dragonfly Mission". NASA. 25 November 2024. https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-awards-launch-services-contract-for-dragonfly-mission/.
6. ↑ "NASA, European Space Agency Unite to Land Europe's Rover on Mars - NASA" (in en-US). https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-european-space-agency-unite-to-land-europes-rover-on-mars/.
7. ↑ Foust, Jeff (2024-04-10). "ESA awards contract to Thales Alenia Space to restart ExoMars" (in en-US). https://spacenews.com/esa-awards-contract-to-thales-alenia-space-to-restart-exomars/.
8. ↑ Jones, Andrew (2024-03-08). "China targets 2030 for Mars sample return mission, potential landing areas revealed" (in en-US). https://spacenews.com/china-targets-2030-for-mars-sample-return-mission-potential-landing-areas-revealed/.
9. ↑ Kenneth Chang (May 29, 2023). "The United Arab Emirates Is Heading for the Asteroid Belt". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/29/science/uae-asteroid-mission.html.
10. ↑ "Introducing Ramses, ESA's mission to asteroid Apophis". https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Planetary_Defence/Introducing_Ramses_ESA_s_mission_to_asteroid_Apophis.
11. ↑ "Boost in funding expands Space Safety programme" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Boost_in_funding_expands_Space_Safety_programme.
12. ↑ "Union Cabinet Approves India's Mission to Venus, and Sample Return from the Moon". https://www.isro.gov.in/UnionCabinetApprovesIndiasMission.html.
13. ↑ CNSA Watcher [@CNSAWatcher] (23 December 2023). "Tianwen-4, launching Sept 2029, will journey to Jupiter using Venus & Earth gravity assists. Targeting Jupiter capture by Dec 2035 & a Uranus flyby in March 2045, the mission includes 2 probes, one exploring Jupiter's system and another flying by Uranus.". https://twitter.com/CNSAWatcher/status/1738469749179171088.
14. ↑ Andrew Jones published (2022-09-22). "China wants to probe Uranus and Jupiter with 2 spacecraft on one rocket" (in en). https://www.space.com/china-probes-jupiter-uranus-same-launch.
15. ↑ "ESA's new mission to intercept a comet" (in en-GB). http://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/ESA_s_new_mission_to_intercept_a_comet.
16. ↑ "Comet Interceptor" (in en-GB). http://www.cometinterceptor.space/.
17. ↑ "NASA Selects 2 Missions to Study 'Lost Habitable' World of Venus - NASA" (in en-US). https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-selects-2-missions-to-study-lost-habitable-world-of-venus/.
18. ↑ "ESA selects revolutionary Venus mission EnVision". ESA. 10 June 2021. https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/ESA_selects_revolutionary_Venus_mission_Envision.
19. ↑ Kuthunur, Sharmila (17 May 2024). "India's ambitious 2nd Mars mission to include a rover, helicopter, sky crane and a supersonic parachute". https://www.space.com/india-mangalyaan-2-mars-mission-rover-helicopter-sky-crane.
20. ↑ "Unmanned helicopter likely to join India's second space odyssey to Mars". rfi. 5 March 2024. https://www.rfi.fr/en/science-and-technology/20240305-unmanned-helicopter-likely-to-join-india-s-second-space-odyssey-to-mars.
21. ↑ "FY 2025 PRESIDENT'S BUDGET REQUEST SUMMARY". NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/fy-2025-budget-request/.
22. ↑ Lea, Robert (11 July 2024). "China plans to deflect an asteroid by 2030 to showcase Earth protection skills" (in en). https://www.space.com/china-planning-planetary-defense-asteroid-mission.
23. ↑ Foust, Jeff. "China reschedules planetary defense mission for 2027 launch". https://spacenews.com/china-reschedules-planetary-defense-mission-for-2027-launch/.
24. ↑ "Error: no `|title=` specified when using {{Cite web}}". https://spacenews.com/china-signals-new-target-for-2027-asteroid-deflection-test/.Error:+no+`|title=`+specified when+using+{{[[Template:Cite+web|Cite+web]]}}&rft.atitle=&rft_id=https://spacenews.com/china-signals-new-target-for-2027-asteroid-deflection-test/&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikibooks.org:Engineering:List_of_proposed_Solar_System_probes">
25. ↑ "NASA Unveils Initiatives to Achieve America’s National Space Policy - NASA". https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-unveils-initiatives-to-achieve-americas-national-space-policy/.
26. ↑ Jones, Andrew (2025-02-25). "China to send a spacecraft out of the ecliptic to study the Sun's poles" (in en-US). https://spacenews.com/china-to-send-a-spacecraft-out-of-the-ecliptic-to-study-the-suns-poles/.
27. ↑ "This evening, the Senate Commerce Committee released the Senate version of the reconciliation bill, which includes money to fully fund Gateway, as well as funding for both SLS and Orion for the Artemis 4 and 5 missions. Also, $1.25 billion for the ISS.". X (Spaceflight Now). https://x.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1930751772131201114?t=u_6NpMpGlp3XWk5JrVcAWg&s=19.
28. ↑ Takeshi Kuroda, Yasuko Kasai, Shinichi Nakasuka, Hiroyuki Maezawa, Takayoshi Yamada, Ryohei Takahashi: TEREX-1: A micro-satellite terahertz lander for the exploration of water/oxygen resources on Mars. 43rd COSPAR Scientific Assembly, Abstract B0.5-0006-21 (oral), id.223, January 2021.
29. ↑ Kasai, Yasuko (13 June 2018). "Tera-hertz Explorer, TEREX, Mission". University of Tsukuba. NICT. https://www2.ccs.tsukuba.ac.jp/Astro/assets/doc/uchu-forum-2018-06-13-kasai.pdf.
30. ↑ Simon, Amy; Nimmo, Francis; Anderson, Richard C. (7 June 2021). "Journey to an Ice Giant System: Uranus Orbiter and Probe". Planetary Mission Concept for the 2023–2032 Planetary Science Decadal Survey (NASA). https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Qlun6EF0v472eOMXXokHxa6B2tBLNkdv. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
31. ↑ Foust, Jeff (2023-05-03). "Plutonium availability constrains plans for future planetary missions" (in en-US). https://spacenews.com/plutonium-availability-constrains-plans-for-future-planetary-missions/.
32. ↑ 吴伟仁; 唐玉华; 苏俊辰; 宋昱岐; 陈晓; 张天柱; 陈建岳; 韩承志 et al. (2025-10-30). "太阳系边际探测任务设计与关键技术" (in zh). 深空探测学报(中英文） 12 (5): 453–462. doi:10.3724/j.issn.2096-9287.2025.20250050. ISSN 2096-9287. https://jdse.bit.edu.cn/sktcxb/cn/article/doi/10.3724/j.issn.2096-9287.2025.20250050.
33. ↑ Jones, Andrew (2026-01-16). "China advances plans for dual solar system boundary missions". https://spacenews.com/china-advances-plans-for-dual-solar-system-boundary-missions/.
34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 Jones, Andrew (2025-03-27). "China unveils planetary exploration roadmap targeting habitability and extraterrestrial life". https://spacenews.com/china-unveils-planetary-exploration-roadmap-targeting-habitability-and-extraterrestrial-life/.
35. ↑ Stone, Richard (28 July 2022). "'Voyager on steroids.' Mission would probe mysterious region beyond our Solar System" (in en). Science. doi:10.1126/science.ade1070. https://www.science.org/content/article/voyager-steroids-mission-probe-mysterious-region-beyond-solar-system. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
36. ↑ "Президент РАН сообщил о переносе сроков российских миссий на Луну и Венеру". https://meduza.io/news/2025/08/22/prezident-ran-soobschil-o-perenose-srokov-rossiyskih-missiy-na-lunu-i-veneru.
37. ↑ MacKenzie, Shannon M.; Kirby, Karen W.; Greenauer, Peter J.; Neveu, Marc; Gold, Rob; Davila, Alfonso; Lunine, Jonathan I.; Cable, Morgan et al. (14 October 2020). "Encealdus Orbilander: A Flagship Mission Concept for Astrobiology" (in en). NASA Technical Reports Server. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20205008712. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
38. ↑ "Saturn's moon Enceladus top target for ESA" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Saturn_s_moon_Enceladus_top_target_for_ESA.
39. ↑ "L4 to Enceladus Exploring the habitability of Saturn’s Icy Moons". ESA. https://www.science.esa.int/web/cm25/l4-to-enceladus.
40. ↑ "NASA to Store Janus Spacecraft, Mission to Study Asteroid Systems – Janus" (in en-US). 2023-07-11. https://blogs.nasa.gov/janus/2023/07/11/nasa-to-store-janus-spacecraft-mission-to-study-asteroid-systems/.

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|

2021|

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2022|

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2023+|

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|

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* ARIEL / Comet Interceptor]] (2028)
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