Space 2023: Take a look at the space missions this year

Video caption, What epic space missions we will see in 2023?

We all love a space story, don't we? Well space fans... get set for plenty of them in 2023.

2022 ended with the Artemis 1 mission - firing an unmanned Orion spacecraft around the Moon.

And there will be heaps of rocket launches and space missions throughout this year too, many of which to prepare mankind for a return trip to the lunar surface.

Here we take a look at just some of the big events that are out of this world.

Moon missions

Following the success of Orion's lunar orbit, Nasa is set for more missions to test out equipment and conduct science experiments and get ready for a manned mission to the Moon expected in 2025.

There will be multiple missions taking place, one of which will be the launch of the first Nova-C lunar lander and deliver five science instruments safely to the Ocean of Storms region on the Moon.

Image source, Intuitive Machines/NASA

Image caption, Developed by a private company, Intuitive Machines, the Nova-C lander will be launched on a Space X Falcon 9 rocket in March.

It's packed with technology that will help scientists on Earth test out instruments in advance of any manned missions.

Low-frequency radio systems, sensors and cameras will all be tried out to see how effective they are at gathering information and recording data that will be crucial to further missions.

The first Vulcan Centaur rocket will launch the Peregrine lunar lander - also part of the preparation for a crewed landing on the Moon.

Equipped with five main engines to perform all of the spacecraft's major manoeuvres, this lander will be used for delivering payloads to the Moon... just like a delivery van!

Space tourism

Blasting off to the International Space Station (ISS), two separate flights this year will take paying guests on a 10 day holiday orbiting the Earth.

Now that's going to be a room with a view!

On top of that, eight people have been chosen by a Japanese billionaire to join him on a Space X flight around the Moon! (Although regulators in the US haven't actually given permission for the flight to go ahead yet)!

ISS re-supply missions

Image source, NASA

Image caption, The ISS could not function without the regular supply missions delivering equipment and food to the astronauts that live there for months at a time.

In recent years we have seen the successful deployment of Space X's Crew Dragon spacecraft - the private company, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, is tasked with the job of resupplying cargo and people safely to and from the ISS.

And 2023 will see Nasa crew flights too - so keep a watch for those!

But it's not just Dragon spacecraft carrying Nasa astronauts this year. We have the launch of the first operational mission of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner.

The Starliner is a partially reusable spacecraft designed to transport crew to the International Space Station and other low-Earth-orbit destinations - so we'll see that in action for the first time too.

It's reusable up to 10 times and it's packed with innovative tech, including tablets and wireless internet!

Icy moons

Image source, NASA

Image caption, Io, Jupiter's third largest moon, with the largest gas giant as a backdrop, offering a stunning demonstration of the ruling planet's relative size.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is keen to get in on the space action as well with plans to launch the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer spacecraft.

The mission will require patience... it's going to take EIGHT - yes EIGHT yearsto get there. How old we you be then?

When it does finally make it there it will be tasked with exploring Jupiter and its large ice-covered moons.

All that before October, when Space X's Falcon Heavy will launch a Nasa exploration mission to the large metallic asteroid named Psyche.

Due to software and tech malfunctions, this mission, delayed from 2022 means it will not complete its mission until 2029.

But it will perform a flyby of Mars... when it eventually gets there.

That's classified!

Obviously here at Newsround we're keen to give you facts, information and knowledge... but there are some things even we don't know.

America's newest branch of its armed forces - The US Space Force - has several classified payloads blasting off into space this year - for reasons of which we do not know... adding more mystery to the new 'guardians' of the galaxy.

Lots of information about the Space Force is 'classified' and can only be seen by people with special access, which shows that top officials in the United States government are not wanting to give away all its secrets.

We do know it launched a space plane last year that successfully completed a record orbit of 908 days...

These are just some of the missions expected to launch in 2023, so stay tuned to Newsround this year for all things that are 'out of this world'.