(CNN)It's time to go deeper into space.
While 2020 may have derailed and delayed some scientific plans due to the pandemic, 2021 still promises to be a year of science "the likes of which we've rarely seen," according to Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate.
Multiple missions will explore Mars, new telescopes will begin observations and plans are underway to return humans to the moon by 2024.
The Parker Solar Probe will make its next close approach of the sun in January. The OSIRIS-REx mission will begin its two-year return journey to Earth after successfully collecting a sample of the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. The ongoing NASA Juno mission continues to rewrite what we know about Jupiter and its moons. And scientists will explore and study samples returned from the asteroid Ryugu by Japan's Hayabusa2 mission.
While the pandemic will likely delay the launch and progress of some missions, others remain on track, especially those already in space. Here's what else we can expect in 2021.
Exploring Mars in new ways
It's true that 2020 was the year of multiple missions launching to Mars -- China's Tianwen-1, the United Arab Emirates' Hope Probe and NASA's Perseverance rover -- and 2021 will likely be the year of new discoveries on Mars.
The three missions took advantage of an alignment between Mars and Earth that occurs every 26 months, allowing for quicker and more efficient trips when the two planets are on the same side of the sun.
All three should arrive at Mars in February.
The Hope Probe will go into orbit around Mars, marking the first time the UAE has orbited the red planet. The probe will stay in orbit for a Martian year -- equivalent to 687 days on Earth -- to gather data about Mars' atmosphere.
Tianwen-1, whose name means "Quest for Heavenly Truth," is China's first mission to Mars. The probe will orbit the planet before landing a rover on the surface, with the hope that it can gather important information about the Martian soil, geological structure, environment, atmosphere and signs of water.
Tianwen-1 includes an orbiter, deployable camera, lander and a rover. Once the lander touches down on Mars, it will extend a ramp that allows the rover to roll down to the surface. The orbiter can be used to relay signals from the rover to Earth, and the rover can send messages to Earth on its own.
Perseverance will land on Mars on February 18. The rover is equipped with multiple cameras, including video, as well as microphones, that will hear and record the landing live. NASA expects to have the sound, images and video back on Earth within a few weeks of the landing.
Tucked up beneath the rover is Ingenuity, the first helicopter to fly -- if it succeeds -- on another planet.
Once the rover has landed, Perseverance's two-year mission will begin.
The rover will also find a nice, flat surface to drop the Ingenuity helicopter so it has a place to use as a helipad for its potential five test flights during a 30-day period. This will occur within the first 50 to 90 sols, or Martian days, of the mission.
Once Ingenuity is settled on the surface, Perseverance will drive to a safe spot at a distance and use its cameras to watch and record Ingenuity's flight.
After those flights, Perseverance will begin searching for evidence of ancient life, study Mars' climate and geology and collect samples that will eventually be returned to Earth via planned future missions.
