Astronauts on the moon and Mars? World space leaders lay out visions for an ambitious future

SYDNEY — Leaders of the world’s major space agencies shared visions for space in the coming years at a major space congress in Australia’s biggest city, showcasing a wide range of plans for the future of space.

Representatives of NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) took turns laying out their plans on Monday (Sept. 29) at the 2025 International Astronautical Congress (IAC) here in Sydney.

The One-to-One with Heads of Space Agencies plenary event kicked off with NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy being asked about his agency’s plans for the moon. “It’s been 53 years since we had humans on the moon, right? So I think it’s important to go back. Starting next year, we’re going back with Artemis 2; we’re going out around the moon and back. Then, with Artemis 3, we’re going to put astronauts on the south pole of the moon.”

Duffy, asked about what success in space looks like 10 years into the future, said, “Sustained human life on the moon.” That would also play a role in a much more challenging journey, he added: “I think we’re going to have made leaps and bounds on our mission to get to Mars,” and be on the cusp of putting boots on the Red Planet.

Head of ESA Josef Aschbacher spent his time talking about the agency’s Vision 2040, an effort that he says aims to provide a framework of objectives for ESA beyond three-year funding cycles and the tenure of a single agency director general. “This is a much wider one, much stronger one, and a longer view strategy,” Aschbacher said.

“This is something that is developed together with the member states,” he added. The plan includes working with partners to get European astronauts to the moon, as well as developing key technologies and spacecraft for exploration.

This vision will also seek to boost European autonomy, resilience and independence in space, while underscoring the importance of cooperation and expanding collaboration with key partners such as JAXA and NASA.

India, meanwhile, stressed its ambition to get its own astronauts into space. ISRO chairman V. Narayanan outlined his country’s growing ambitions for exploration and human spaceflight. India’s Gaganyaan project to put astronauts into Earth orbit is progressing, despite delays. Narayanan said getting the launch vehicle rated for human spaceflight and conducting orbital flights with the crew module and reentry tests will prepare India to independently launch astronauts into space. The current target for the first crewed Gaganyaan spaceflight is early 2027.

V. Narayanan also stated that India’s participation in the LUPEX joint south pole lunar landing mission with JAXA had recently been approved. That mission, in which India will provide the lander and JAXA the launch vehicle, is expected to fly later in the decade. Beyond this, ISRO is targeting 2040 for putting astronauts on the moon. “The exploration of the moon is going to be a continuous activity,” V. Narayanan said.

Bian Zhigang, vice administrator of CNSA, outlined a number of recent successes, including the Chang’e 5 and Chang’e 6 moon sample-return missions, some of the material from which has been sent to international partners for study. The country’s Tianwen 2 probe is also on its way to a near-Earth asteroid following launch in May this year.

While China’s goal of landing astronauts on the moon by 2030 was not discussed, Bian did stress that China — which is beginning to construct its own satellite megaconstellations — is working on space debris mitigation, as well as space traffic management, including monitoring debris and providing alerts. The nation is also doing work that could help clean up Earth orbit. “We are currently researching the active removal of this space debris on orbit,” Bian said through a translator.

CSA head Lisa Campbell also stated that Canada is preparing for one of its astronauts to fly around the moon as part of the Artemis 2 mission, set to launch early next year. But Canada also sees opportunities to make a mark globally in key areas of space, including in-space robotics, critical deep-space systems, AI applications, quantum capabilities and more. She also announced investments in dual-use space technologies and Earth observation initiatives that will also boost the Canadian economy.

Finally, JAXA president Hiroshi Yamakawa said that Japan is preparing to launch its first HTV-X, a new uncrewed cargo spacecraft to resupply the International Space Station. Launch is to take place a month from now, on Oct. 31, flying on the seventh H3 rocket.

Japan is also gearing up for an ambitious 2026 mission to sample Mars’ moon Phobos. The spacecraft for the Martian Moons eXploration mission, or MMX, is currently undergoing final testing. “Launch will take place in 2026 and the samples will be back in 2031,” Yamakawa said.

The IAC in Sydney is the 76th edition of the annual congress, which brings together space agencies, astronauts, scientists, researchers, industry and press. This year’s event attracted around 7,000 participants.