From tourism flights to private space missions to launching the most powerful telescope, 2021 will be remembered as one of those years that ushered in a new era in space exploration. With plans afoot to return to the Moon and venture deep towards Mars in the coming decade, 2022 will be a year full of new adventures in space.

Here's what's in store for 2022:

PRIVATE ASTRONAUT MISSION

After successfully launching tourists into space onboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, NASA will launch the first batch of private astronauts into space in 2022. The spaceflight, designated as Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1), will launch from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida and travel to the International Space Station. Once docked, the Axiom astronauts are scheduled to spend eight days aboard the orbiting laboratory. The American space agency has already signed the second mission with Axiom space, which could happen by end of 2022, or in early 2023.

EXOMARS LANDER TO FIND SIGNS OF LIFE IN COSMIC NEIGHBOURHOOD

Developed as a collaboration between Europe and Russia, the ExoMars mission will launch in 2022 to further our understanding of Mars. The primary goal of the mission is to determine if there has ever been life on Mars and to better understand the history of water on the planet. The ExoMars rover, named Rosalind Franklin, includes a drill to access the sub-surface of Mars as well as a miniature life-search laboratory kept within an ultra-clean zone. The launch is likely to be conducted between August and October 2022.

ATTACK ON ASTEROIDS

While 2021 saw the launch of a unique planetary defence mission, the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission will arrive on the binary asteroid system Didymos in 2022. This won't be a simple arrival though, the spacecraft will hit the asteroid while travelling at a speed of roughly 24,000 kilometres per hour hoping it will change the orbit of the asteroid and demonstrate a unique planetary defence system. The mission will lay the foundation stone for a defence system to safeguard the planet from any potential asteroid impact in the future.

NASA will also launch the Psyche mission to a 140-mile-wide asteroid in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter. Scientists speculate it could be remnants of a planet due to the presence of iron and nickel composition. The spacecraft will be launched on SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

LUNA-25 FROM RUSSIA TO EXPLORE MOON

Russia's lunar lander mission Luna-25 will take off in 2022 on its way to the south polar region of the Moon. The mission will study the composition of the polar regolith, plasma and dust components of the lunar polar exosphere. Currently scheduled to launch in July 2022, it will hitch a ride on a Soyuz-2 Fregat into Earth orbit. According to TASS, the automatic station will become Russia’s first domestic device on a natural satellite of the Earth. The Luna-26 mission is to be launched in 2024, Luna-27 - in 2025, and Luna-28 - in 2027-2028.

JAMES WEBB TELESCOPE OPENS ITS EYES IN SPACE

Delayed by over 25 years, the James Webb Telescope will finally begin operation in 2022 unravelling the mysteries of the universe. The telescope, which will reach its intended orbit nearly 15,00,000 km away from Earth by the end of January will begin functioning and look at the birth of the first stars and the origin of our own universe.

CHINA'S PUSH ON MOON, MARS

China, which made history by becoming the first country to orbit, land and move on the alien surface in its first attempt, has shown its massive push in space exploration in 2021. In 2022, the country has bigger plans with the operation of its under-construction space station. Beijing is planning for more Mars missions, including a crewed launch in the coming years. Meanwhile, it has proposed orbiters for Venus and Jupiter. Work will continue on launching a Hubble-like-telescope as well.

MORE TOURISTS TO EXPLORE SPACE

2021 saw the emergence of space tourism with the millionaires and billionaires of the world flying into space strapped on rockets to see the planet from the best vantage point - out of it. 2022 is set to increase these tourism flights with Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic lining up several missions. Axiom space will join the list with its private astronaut mission. Apart from these SpaceX will test its Starship orbital rocket intended to take humans to the Moon and Mars.