Space Missions to Mars are going to be a norm in 2020. Large companies and agencies are already planning for upcoming missions such as getting moon samples, taking a close study of the sun, and etc.
Commercial space transportation
This year could be possibly the time where astronauts from NASA will travel in space using commercial crew vehicles. Crew Dragon from Space X and Starliner from Boeing are set up to fly the pioneering astronauts hopefully this year. The spacecraft are presently undergoing tests to ensure that it is a safe vehicle for humans.
Last December, Starliner stepped up when it was test launched even though it did not reach its planned destination due to too much fuel burning during the launch. SpaceX on the other hand was able to reach its station when it was launched last March 2018 without a crew. It is currently preparing for another test in January which is a flight abort test.
Lately, the program had been criticized by the Office of the Inspector General of NASA because of its delays.
Launching of the Solar Orbiter
A combined mission of both the European Space Agency and NASA, Solar Orbiter is expected to launch on Feb 5 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The vehicle is designed to get near the sun with 0.28 astronomical units away from this burning star while it is orbiting around Mercury. This operation will last for seven years.
Launchings in July 2020
Mars is anticipated in its orbit to come near to Earth this 2020, and in July there will be four main launchings to this planet.
NASA will finally launch Mars 2020 Rover this coming July 17 to seek areas that have been habited in history, and on July 25 Russia plan together with European Space Agency plans the same thing for their Rover ExoMars Rosalind Franklin.
Other countries such as the UAE will launch their Hope Mars Mission in Japan while China plans to launch a Smaller Rover for Mars. The Indian Space Research Organization plans their Small Satellite Launch Vehicle to lift off its first in the earlier months of 2020.
To save more on the cost of operations and some possible technicalities, they aim to make one small launcher that can fit a few people but can launch as frequently as possible. The first launch will happen this 2020 for BlackSky Global.