What 2025 has in store for us in science: the year of Jupiter

After a scientific year marked by an incredible solar eclipse, we will still look to the sky in 2025. On the menu: Jupiter and a new map of the sky.

• Also read: 2025, a pivotal year for Trump and Trudeau… but also for you

Appointment postponed

Propelled 1000 times further than David Saint-Jacques, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen should have become Canada’s greatest traveler in September 2025 by heading to the Moon. But the Artemis 2 mission was postponed for a year by NASA on December 5. Even if the rocket did not plan a moon landing, it would have made history by counting a woman and a black man for the first time on a lunar mission. It’s only a postponement.

Jupiter Monday

In its ninth year of exploration in orbit around Jupiter, NASA’s Juno probe will come as close as ever to the moons Ganymede, Europa and Io. Juno is also expected to bring back never-before-seen images of polar storms and auroras from the largest planet in the solar system.

New look at space

The Vera C. Rubin telescope in Chile, the first major observatory named in the name of a woman – the American astronomer (1928-2016) shed light on several mysteries of the galaxies – is expected to deliver its first images in February 2025. It will allow a fresh look at the sky by taking photos of the sky every three days. We should better understand the evolution of supernovae and asteroids.

The China-United States rivalry

While the race for the Moon in the 1960s was marked by rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States, that of the 21^e century pits China against the same Americans. In 2025, we will see more and more Chinese missions targeting a permanent lunar base which will be established independently of that orchestrated by NASA. “Several countries are targeting the Moon and we can expect two lunar bases to be developed simultaneously, by China and the United States,” summarizes astrophysicist Robert Lamontagne.

Will Disease X strike?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the public of the possibility of an unknown disease that could cause a global epidemic called ‘disease X’. This term officially designates a “hypothetical disease, still unknown, which could cause a serious epidemic or a global pandemic”. It could be caused by a virus or another pathogen that is still unknown, or that is identified as not very virulent. Without wanting to cause panic or be alarmist, the WHO wants to ensure that countries plan vaccination and other strategies to limit the damage when this disease strikes.

The privatization of space

In 2025, the satellite market should attract attention due to the desire it arouses by private companies interested in the commercial potential of this new Eldorado. Private enterprise is now essential in space exploration and Elon Musk, who moved closer to power due to the election of his friend Donald Trump, is in an excellent position to score points with his company SpaceX.

Quantum year

The year 2025 has been declared the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology by the United Nations. This is a completely new form of computing capable of increasing current computing capabilities tenfold. In Sherbrooke, Quebec’s home of quantum research and applications, numerous events will be organized to raise public awareness of this emerging sector. The Montreal Science Center is preparing an exhibition, and several universities are organizing conferences and workshops on this theme.