Science in 2025: what to expect this year
Nature Podcast
Deep Dive
What are the key Moon missions to watch in 2025?
In 2025, iSpace in Tokyo will attempt its Venture Moon mission, carrying a lander and micro rover. Intuitive Machines in the US will send a Falcon 9 rocket with a lander carrying NASA's ice trail and a mass spectrometer to the Moon's south pole. NASA's Lunar Trailblazer will orbit the Moon to map water on its surface.
What is the significance of NASA's PUNCH mission in 2025?
NASA's PUNCH mission, consisting of four satellites, will capture 3D images of the Sun's atmosphere to study how energy and mass become the solar wind, a phenomenon that has puzzled astronomers for 60 years.
What is the focus of the SMILE mission in 2025?
The SMILE mission, a collaboration between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, will study how solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetic field.
What is the purpose of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar mission?
The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar mission will map nearly all of Earth's land and ice-covered surfaces twice every 12 days, providing crucial data for researchers studying the planet's state.
What is the Biomass Space mission expected to achieve?
The Biomass Space mission, led by the European Space Agency, will use radar to measure forest biomass and its role in the carbon cycle, aiding climate scientists in studying deforestation.
What are the key issues to be addressed at COP 30 in 2025?
COP 30 in Belem, Brazil, will address unresolved decisions from COP 29, including how $300 billion in annual climate finance for developing countries will be delivered, whether as grants or loans, and the balance between private and public sector contributions.
What are the concerns regarding Donald Trump's potential impact on climate policy in 2025?
Researchers worry that Donald Trump may pull the US out of the Paris Agreement again, which commits countries to limit global warming to 1.5-2°C above pre-industrial levels, as he did in 2019.
What are the potential implications of Robert Kennedy Jr.'s appointment as Health and Human Service Secretary?
Robert Kennedy Jr., a vaccine sceptic, could impact public health policies and research, raising concerns among scientists about the future of public health initiatives.
What advancements are expected in GLP-1 agonist drugs in 2025?
In 2025, Eli Lilly will complete a phase 3 trial for Orfogliprone, an oral, non-peptide GLP-1 agonist, while Emgen prepares a phase 3 trial for Maritide, a double-action drug targeting blood sugar control and metabolism. These drugs may also be explored for treating conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, addiction, and smoking.
What is the European Spallation Source and what will it achieve in 2025?
The European Spallation Source in Sweden, a massive neutron beam machine, will partially operate in 2025, firing a proton beam at a heavy metal target to generate neutron beams for studying condensed matter, magnetic materials, and material structures.
What is the status of the Future Circular Collider project at CERN?
CERN is completing a feasibility study in 2025 for the Future Circular Collider, a 91-kilometre ring-shaped particle accelerator, to evaluate its financial viability, technical aspects, and environmental impacts before making a final decision in 2028.
What is the significance of the FDA's review of suzitrogen in 2025?
The FDA is reviewing suzitrogen, a non-opioid painkiller developed by Vertix Pharmaceuticals, in January 2025. If approved, it will be the first new class of drugs to treat acute pain in over 20 years.
- iSpace's Venture Moon mission to the moon
- Intuitive Machines' mission to the moon's south pole
- NASA's Lunar Trailblazer mapping lunar water
- NASA's PUNCH mission to study the sun's atmosphere
- SMILE mission studying solar wind interaction with Earth's magnetic field
- NASA-ISRO SAR mapping Earth's land and ice
- Biomass mission measuring forest biomass
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