2022 Rewind: Space Edition.

January

Virgin Orbital Joins NASDAQ

A rocket in the middle of Times Square? Space tourism and transportation company Virgin Orbital joins the NASDAQ stock exchange as an important step towards global investment in expanded Space tourism. Although the prices for commercial space flight remain high and exclusive to the wealthy population, Virgin Orbital and countless other private industries are making progress in expanding opportunities for a wider demographic. Enlisting the company on a stock market gives the general public investment options for the vision of commercial space travel. 

Water Found on the Moon

Chang’e, a Chinese lander on the Moon’s surface, became the first spacecraft to discover physical water mass samples on the Moon. Chang’e used spectral reflectance measurements to detect water in the rocks near its landing site, which confirmed volcanic eruptions in the Procellarum region and the solar wind causing a higher concentration of water molecules in the rocks rather than in the surface crust. In 2009, Indian probes detected water; however, the water samples were detected from the moon’s orbit, unlike the up-close examinations that Chang’e accomplished. Finding water could indicate signs of life and be a potential fuel source for future human settlers.

February

Starship Fully Stacked For The First Time

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk showed off the largest and most powerful rocket in human history as it reached its final phase of construction. The Starship will be the primary rocket propelling the American return to the Moon and the eventual colonization of Mars in the mid-21st century. The rocket carries 33 Raptor engines, the most powerful propulsion system in the world. The years of meticulous research and engineering led to Starship being able to launch 100 tons (220,000 lbs) to low Earth orbit, legally classifying Starship as a super heavy-lift launch vehicle.

Falcon 9 Lands For the 100th Time

Reusable SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket boosters land in Florida for the 100th time after launching dozens of Starlink satellites into low earth orbit. This is monumental because it demonstrates humanity's engineering and technical capabilities to reuse rockets and significantly decrease space transportation costs. A typical NASA Space Shuttle launch costs $170 million per astronaut compared to a mere $55 million for Falcon 9. It is truly breathtaking that Falcon 9 has placed nearly 14,000 satellites in Earth’s orbits, or nearly 40% of all satellites ever successfully deployed!

March

Russian Cosmonauts Use Ukrainian Colors

Just a few weeks before a new batch of Russian cosmonauts arrived on the International Space Station (ISS), Vladimir Putin announced a “Special Military Operation” in Ukraine, otherwise known as an invasion. Despite international tensions and the ongoing military conflict, the Russian and American space agencies have since continued the missions on the ISS collaboratively. In fact, American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts successfully returned to Earth on a Russian Soyuz capsule. Although not specifically stated or admitted as support for Ukraine, the Russian cosmonauts greeted fellow European and American astronauts on the ISS with smiles and hugs in Ukrainian flag colors.

First Unintentional Artificial Moon Collision

A decently sized rocket booster intercepted the Moon’s gravitational field and slammed into the lunar surface uncontrollably and unintentionally. There have been plenty of moon landings and crashes, but all attempts were intentional and controlled; this time, however, the booster is a space junk and unexpectedly entered a trajectory that intercepted the Moon’s path precisely. There have been great controversies regarding the space junk’s origin. Initial sources indicate the potential of it being a SpaceX booster; however, later academia suggests that it may be a Chinese heavy fuel carrier. With both sides rejecting the claims, we may never know the booster’s origin, but we do know that the increasing frequency of launches led to greater concentrations of junk and potential hazards.

April

Mars Helicopter Aces 25th Flight

The NASA Ingenuity helicopter aced its 25th flight, carrying heavier payloads in a longer distance alongside its companion rover. It reached a new record speed of 5.5 meters per second and flew a distance of over 700 meters. For the first time, humanity flew on a planet other than Earth when Ingenuity and its rover touched down on the Red Planet in 2021. Despite some previous technical obstacles, the NASA team has since created meaningful test flights with the helicopter, and this 25th flight broke many records. The Ingenuity mission is conducting scientific research and data collection so we can better understand the ecosystem of our future Martian colonies.

Rare Planetary Alignment Photobomb

Space stations could also steal the moment! In an infrequent astronomical event, four planets— Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Saturn— aligned and became observable in the Northern hemisphere. Countless astronomy enthusiasts grabbed the telescope and got more than just the historic alignment of planets: the International Space Station and the Chinese Space Station also joined the pack. It is a good way for humanity to leave its mark in the books for the best photobomb of the century. 

May

Boeing Starliner Finally Succeeds

After years of delay, Boeing’s orbital human-grade spacecraft for NASA finally accomplished its ISS mission and returned to Earth safely. In 2018, there was no doubt that Boeing would be the first to bring American astronauts back to ISS on American rockets; however, manufacturing and management failures in Boeing’s commercial aviation sector dragged progress. SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft was the only American option to return to orbit. With Boeing’s success this month, NASA praised the great achievements of Starliner and anticipated greater flexibility in using both Starliner and Dragon for diverse-ranging missions ahead.

Groundbreaking Mars Water Data

Zhurong, a Chinese rover on Mars, retained substantial data on Mars indicating that water may have flowed on Mars’ surface far more recently than previously anticipated. On the 92nd sol (Mars days), Zhurong stated that water likely flowed 700 million years ago, drastically contrasting to the three billion years estimation. California Institute of Technology has studied the data and confirmed the new discovery. 700 million years ago, Earth entered consecutive ice ages that paved the way for molecular life forms while Mars still had water! The sophisticated instruments on Zhurong are expected to give us more exciting data in the near future.

June

Stratolaunch Breaks Height Record

The world’s largest plane by wingspan (385 feet), almost twice the width of an Airbus A340-600, broke the height record on its seventh test flight. Stratolaunch is powered by six Pratt and Whitney engines and is a prospective platform for launching space-related hypersonic projectiles. Despite experiencing some financial woes in 2019, Stratolaunch has rebounded with continuous research and development on this massive plane. Air-Launch-To-Orbit (ALTO) missions conserve greater fuel and lower delta-V than conventional launch systems. 

Pentagon And NASA Begin To Study UFOs

Calling unexplained objects in the air Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP) instead of the commonly referred to name UFO, the United States Department of Defense and NASA teamed up to create an office for studying UAP. This decision came after the Pentagon released videos of the Navy and Air Force’s encounters with unidentified flying objects performing unreal maneuverability and speed capabilities. For instance, the most advanced aerial laser in the American military arsenal spent 15 minutes attempting to capture the object. The total UFO sightings in the United States also rose dramatically in 2022. 

July

James Webb’s Jaw-Dropping Photos

In December of 2021, the most powerful space telescope launched by NASA and European Space Agency aimed to provide higher resolution photos than the previous Hubble space telescope. When the first images of James Webb came back in July, they resulted in both tears and parties among astronomers. James Webb has long been considered the next major leap in human astronomy, allowing us to study the cosmos with the most cutting-edge technology available. The photo above is just a preview of James Webb’s full potential. There can be nothing but anticipation of what James Webb could offer us in the near future.

First Mars Map Completed

A Chinese Mars orbiter broke history by mapping the entire red planet for the first time. After arriving in Martian orbit just a year ago, Tianwen 1 completed 1,344 orbits around Mars and nailed key scientific features of geological navigation and mapping. The probe is also expected to conduct atmospheric testing and aerobraking experiments. Soon, in 2028, Tianwen 2 will launch and is expected to break new ground on the Martian research missions. These new orbiters are also key communication components for current United States and Chinese rovers on Mars’ surface.

August

First South Korean Moon Mission

South Korea joined the few nations that have visited the moon! Before this month, only the United States, China, Russia (Soviet Union), European Union, and India had had probes and/or rovers on the moon. South Korea’s first lunar orbital satellite, carried by SpaceX Falcon 9, is expected to join the party. The South Korean satellite reached the moon in December of 2022 and began its scientific mission of tracking the magnetic field between Earth and the Moon. Although it would take four months for the spacecraft to get to the Moon, compared to the usual three-day journey, South Korea is a part of the greater diversification of lunar national representations.

Private Space Station Passes Key Test

The first private space station Orbital Reef passed the NASA and US Space Force system definition review (SDR). This step is the major design examination of space stations, but the joint effort of Boeing, Sierra Space, and Blue Origin aced the criteria. In December 2021, NASA awarded $130 million to Orbital Reef to encourage an American commercial space outpost before the ISS decommissioning in 2030. Although it primarily focuses on scientific research, this private space station also hosts a greater demand for space tourism. 

September

Historic DART Mission Success

DART, standing for Double Asteroid Redirection Test, is humanity’s first attempt to deflect an asteroid. Led by NASA, the small satellite successfully slammed head-on with a small asteroid and deflected the planetary body’s trajectory and motion. It was a monumental demonstration of humanity’s capacity to protect the Earth in the case of a potential asteroid impact. Physically, the change in momentum in the inelastic collision caused the asteroid to deflect and move to a flight path that wouldn’t hit the Earth. Although this asteroid wasn’t going to hit Earth, it is safe to say that we have the capacity to avoid dinosaurs’ fate!

Biggest European Satellite Launched

The heaviest and most powerful European rocket, Arianne 5, carried the Eutelsat Konnect VHTS satellite into orbit around Earth. This ginormous probe— the largest ever for the European Space Agency— will provide high-speed internet across Western Europe with a connection speed of nearly 500 gigabits per second. This mission is a stride toward decreasing the effects of the digital divide caused by fixed land-based internet connectivity. The projected lifespan of this large satellite is 15 years, and it is expected to contribute massively to the European economy.

October

Most Powerful Indian Rocket Launched

Carrying 36 United Kingdom OneWeb satellites, ISRO Indian rocket inaugurates a new era for Indian space exploration. The 143-foot-tall rocket lift-offed near the south of Chennai and headed southeast toward the Bay of Bengal. The solid rocket boosters ran out of fuel after two minutes, allowing initial stage separation and eventual deployment of the British internet satellites by the private company, OneWeb. The successful launch and orbital mission have been celebrated in the British Isles and India. OneWeb depended on Russian Soyuz for orbital launches; however, the sanctions brought by the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict paved the way for collaboration with the Indian space agencies.

Partial Solar Eclipse

Residences in London, Rome, and countless other Western European cities witnessed the last major astronomical event of 2022. The partial solar eclipse started over eastern Iceland and ended near Yemen. On Earth, there was no specific place that experienced a total solar eclipse because the Sun and the Moon weren’t perfectly aligned. This particular solar eclipse covered an 82% maximum near the north pole and continued to decrease its coverage; once it arrived in France, it was a 14% maximum.

November

We Are Going Back To The Moon

The Florida coast's night sky lightened with the historic launch of the Artemis I mission that is taking Americans back to the moon. Nearly 50 years after the last Apollo astronauts stepped foot on the lunar surface, the Artemis missions will allow America and its allies to return to the Moon and, this time, stay there. The rocket launched is called the SLS, the most powerful rocket ever launched in human history. Although this launch did not carry humans, NASA expects human-graded flight in 2024 and colonization by the 2030s; this particular trial aims to test critical reentry systems and instrumental efficiencies. Artemis's mission will also include constructing a compact space station around the Moon, a truly ambitious feat. The future looks bright with the successful launch of Artemis I, and we eagerly await the excitement of dwelling on the Moon!

The Second Space Station Completed

The Chinese Manned Space Agency announced the completion of the Tiangong space station. The International Space Station and Tiangong are the only two space stations orbiting around Earth, making China the third nation to construct a space station, after the United States and the Soviet Union. Tiangong could house up to six people and host scientific experiments. China has also opened the space station to international participation. Under the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, Tiangong will host experiments from Belgium, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Spain. The European Space Agency also has plans to send astronauts to Tiangong in the near future.

December

NORAD Santa Tracking 

The North American Aerospace Defense Command made thousands of eagerly waiting kids’ dreams come true with live tracking of “Santa” on the space radar system. Normally designed for defending the United States and Canada in case of nuclear ballistic missiles, NORAD made the special occasion to fly an F-16 under the ensign SANTA over North America, hoping to celebrate the festive season with everyone observing the special annual occasion and remind the world of the peaceful coexistence despite the rapid militarization of space over the past two years.

Moon Mission Great Success

After launching just a few weeks before splashing down on the pacific coast, Artemis I completed the historic mission of returning to the Moon after a five-decade halt. USS Portland from the United States Navy assisted in the Orion ocean recovery in the picture. All scientific missions, including the hardest entry testing, were aced with flying colors. NASA now anticipates the true potential of returning man back to the Moon and eventually staying there for long durations. This successfully wrapped up the magnificent year of space exploration with the Artemis crew, NASA team, and the rest of the world eagerly awaiting the exciting years ahead!