2021 is a big year for space news.
From commercial space races to operations in red planet, space exploration has been in the public spotlight.
Here are some interesting ones:
February 18 – NASA’s Mars Research lands on the surface of Mars
on February 18And NASA agency The fifth rover on Mars, Persevere, has successfully landed in Jezero Crater on Mars.
“This landing is one of the key moments for NASA and United States and global space exploration – when we know we are on the cusp of discovery and are sharpening our pencils, so to speak, to rewrite textbooks,” said Administrator Steve Gorczyk in a statement. . “The March 2020 Perseverance Mission embodies the spirit of our nation to survive even in the most difficult situations and inspires and advances science and exploration.”
April 19 – NASA’s Mars Creativity Helicopter flies
on April 19NASA made history again after the Ingenuity Mars helicopter completed its first powered and controlled flight on another planet.
The helicopter flew for 30 seconds at a planned altitude of 10 feet, and spent 39 seconds in the air.
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter is seen here in this close-up taken by Mastcam-Z, two pairs of zoom cameras aboard the Perseverance rover. This photo was taken on April 5, the 45th day of Mars or the day of the Mars mission.
(Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU)
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NASA SpaceCRAFT MAKES HISTORY, OFFICIALLY ‘TOUCH’ THE SUN FOR THE FIRST TIME
“Creative has made its first flight – the first flight of a powered aircraft on another planet!” He heard a flight control voice say in a NASA audio broadcast.
May 8 – Chinese missile booster falls to Earth
On the evening of May 8th, a The main stage of the Long March 5B China booster return Earth Atmosphere, on fire Moldive Islands.
After NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and others accused Beijing of reckless behavior, the Chinese government said the standards were different from those of the United States and other space programs.
“We are willing to cooperate with other countries, including the United States, to enhance cooperation in the use of outer space, but we also oppose double standards in this matter,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.
At the end of the month, the race The first spacecraft lands on Mars on this planet and began to wander on its surface.
June 2 – NASA selects two missions to study Venus
On June 2 NASA announced He has chosen Two new missions to Venus.
The VERITAS missions (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, Spectroscopy) and the DAVINCI+ (Venus’s Deep Exploration of Noble Gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) missions map the closest planets to Earth and measure their atmospheres.
DAVINCI+ will also determine whether a planet has an ocean.
It is expected to be launched in the time frame from 2028 to 2030.
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July 11 – Richard Branson reaches outer space on the rocket ship Virgin Galactic
On July 11, billionaire Richard Branson and his five crew launched into space, will fly more than 53 miles above Earth on its final test mission before commercial space flights begin in the new year.
The 71-year-old man became the first person to launch his own spacecraft. Defeat Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos in nine days.
November 15 – Russian weapons tests threaten the International Space Station (ISS).
On November 15th, Russian weapons test It created more than 1,500 pieces of space junk, threatening astronauts on the International Space Station.
Nelson told The Associated Press at the time that he was “outraged” by the move and “cannot believe that the Russian government” would carry out the test.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the test also threatened the satellite.
This image provided by NASA shows an artist’s view of the Parker Solar Probe as it approaches the sun.
(Steve Gribbin/Johns Hopkins APL/NASA via AP)
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Russian officials dismissed the allegations Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the attack was carried out with “surgical precision”.
Astronauts now face four times greater risk than usual from space junk, according to Nelson.
December 14 – NASA spacecraft “touches” the sun for the first time
On December 14, the spacecraft touched the sun for the first time.
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NASA’s Parker Solar Probe flies through the sun’s corona, or upper atmosphere, and samples particles and magnetic fields there.
Scientists say it will take months to recover the data and months to confirm.
Parker – launched in 2018 – was 8 million miles from the center of the Sun when it first crossed the boundary between the solar atmosphere and the outgoing solar wind.
The spacecraft has entered and exited the corona at least three times.
Preliminary data suggest Parker also entered the corona during the approach of August 9, but scientists say more analysis is needed.
Parker will continue to approach the Sun and dive deeper into the corona until his grand final orbit in 2025.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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