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During 2022, numerous space missions recorded the best results and set new records. Photo/NASA/Space
China has also displayed impressive capabilities in space exploration to match the capabilities of the United States (US) and Russia. The following are the top 5 space missions for 2022, summarized from the Space page, Monday (26/12/2022).
1. Mission to the Moon Artemis 1
NASA’s Artemis 1 mission faced many challenges before launch, from rocket leaks to two major hurricanes hitting Florida. Finally, the Artemis 1 mission consisting of a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft was launched on November 16, 2022.
Read also; Successful launch of Artemis 1, NASA’s debut piloting the world’s most powerful rocket
All went well, the massive SLS rocket lifted off and sent the Orion spacecraft into a deep retrograde orbit, before heading to and around the Moon. Orion spent 25.5 days on its mission and streamed live footage from space, before completing its mission by returning to Earth and landing in the Pacific Ocean.
If Artemis 1 achieves all of its major goals, NASA plans to send humans (astronauts) on the Artemis 2 mission, which will circle the Moon in early 2024. It will then be followed by Artemis 3, which will carry astronauts and land on the surface. of the Moon in 2025.
2. The Orion spaceship sets a new record
The unmanned spacecraft Orion has successfully completed its initial mission before sending astronauts to the moon. The Orion spacecraft also set a new record for the furthest flight from Earth, surpassing the Apollo 13 record.
Read also; The record for the furthest, the Orion spacecraft’s position is 270,000 miles from Earth
The Orion spacecraft flew approximately 435,000 kilometers from Earth on November 28, 2022. This distance surpasses the record ever set by the Apollo 13 mission, which flew 400,171 kilometers from Earth during its orbit around the Moon on April 13, 1970.
The Apollo 13 crew set the record by accident. They planned to land two astronauts on the lunar surface at the Fra Mauro plateau, but an emergency forced the spacecraft’s mission to divert to a flight around the Moon and back to Earth on April 17, 1970.
3. The DART mission changes the trajectory of the asteroid’s orbit
NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission was a very successful test of Earth’s defense system against asteroid threats. The spacecraft tested a “kinetic impactor” technique for changing the trajectory of an asteroid in space, to counter the threat of an intruding asteroid headed for Earth.
Read also; NASA Planetary Defense System Successful, DART Mission Shortens Dimorphos Orbit by 32 Minutes
The DART mission flew to the Didymos asteroid system and crashed into its small moon, called Dimorphos, on Sept. 26. DART’s goal was to shorten Dimorphos’s orbit around the asteroid by about 73 seconds, but the DART mission was able to change its orbit by 32 minutes.
NASA tested the DART mission because it found about 40% of large 140-meter-wide asteroids that could pose a threat to Earth. NASA also keeps tabs on other dangers through a network of partner telescopes on the ground and in space.
4. Operation of the James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope, also known as Webb or JWST, successfully recorded the first images of the galaxy on July 12, 2022. This result was quite surprising after NASA’s largest and most sophisticated space telescope was launched on December 25 worth $10 billion, 2021.
Read also; 5 first photos of the universe recorded by the James Webb telescope, all spectacular
That’s no small feat, as the telescope must complete hundreds of steps to start working to see the universe using infrared light. James Webb has taken several science-quality images of planets, galaxies and other objects.
The James Webb Telescope has four different instruments that can collect data in 17 different ways. Webb plans to look back at the earliest stars and galaxies in the universe, as well as nearby solar system objects.
5. China completes construction of the Tiangong space station
China’s National Space Agency, which operates independently of the international space community due to a ban on US bilateral cooperation with NASA, built the Tiangong Space Station by 2022. The station is modular like the International Space Station (ISS ), including a central module and two laboratories.
Read also; China completes construction of T-shaped Tiangong space station
After taking the Tianhe capsule and Wentian module into space in April 2021 and September 2022, China completed the basic T-shape of the station by launching the Mengtian module on October 31, 2022. The size of the Tiangong space station is about one-fifth the size of the ISS.
Taikonaut (astronaut) Shenzhou 14 China is the key to the completion process of the construction of Tiangong station. They spent more than six months in space before landing on December 4th. China hopes the Tiangong space station will operate permanently longer and host commercial missions.
(wib)
