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This year, humanity has been able to glimpse the universe in ways never before possible, and space missions have taken an unprecedented leap to unravel the mysteries of the universe.
Witnessed the first mission to the International Space Station wholly owned by space travelers. A new space-based internet service played a key role in the war in Ukraine. Also, NASA and its international partners have launched historic spacecraft and technology that may one day be used to land humans on Mars.
“There is no doubt that 2022 was out of this world,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in a statement. “2022 will go down in history as one of the most successful years of any NASA mission. I guess.”
Here are some of the unforgettable space discoveries and moments of 2022.
After years of preparation, NASA finally State-of-the-art lunar exploration program from the ground An unmanned test flight that carried an astronaut-worthy spacecraft around the moon.
The mission was chock-full of big moments. The rocket that put the mission into orbit, the Space Launch System (SLS), became the most powerful rocket ever to reach orbit, boasting 15% more thrust than the Apollo program’s Saturn V rocket.
Upon reaching space, the Orion capsule, which flew empty except for a few test mannequins, captured stunning images of the Earth and Moon. And Orion’s orbital path swung far beyond the far side of the Moon, farther than any spacecraft designed to carry humans.
The commissioning paved the way for future Artemis missions aimed at returning humanity to the Moon before planning the route of the first manned space flight to Mars.
Not only has NASA worked with the International Space Agency to advance its human exploration program, but it has also made strides in its scientific endeavors. After decades of anticipation, James Webb Space Telescope will finally start observing the universe in July.
Since then, the world’s most powerful space observatory has turned its gaze planetwith stars galaxy Infrared, invisible to the human eye.
The telescope has discovered unseen aspects of the universe and previously hidden features. The most distant galaxy ever observedWebb also shared new perspectives on some of astronomy’s favorite cosmic features, putting them in a new light. of pillar of creation.
Telescope images are already surpassing astronomers’ expectations — and the best news: The web is just getting started.
But the Webb Telescope wasn’t the only space observatory that expanded our understanding of deep space. of The Hubble Space Telescope has discovered the most distant single star ever observed, faintly shining 28 billion light-years away.This star existed just 900 million years after the Big Bang created the universe, and it took about 13 billion years for its light to reach Earth.
Astronomers have nicknamed the star Earendel, derived from an Old English word meaning “morning star” or “rising light.”
Meanwhile, astronomers use the Event Horizon Telescope to First image of a supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxyThis first direct observation confirmed the existence of a black hole known as Sagittarius A* as the beating heart of the Milky Way.
Black holes don’t emit light, but the cosmic object’s shadow was surrounded by a bright ring that was bent by the black hole’s gravity.
In late September, NASA had a success. Completed the first test mission for planetary defense. space agency Crashed a spaceship into Demorphosa small asteroid orbiting a larger space rock named Didymos — and yes, The clash was intentional. Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) It was a full-fledged demonstration of deflection technology.
Neither Dimorphus nor Didymos pose a threat to Earth, but the system was a perfect target for testing technology that could one day be used to protect Earth from asteroid impacts.
The DART mission is the first time humans have intentionally altered the motion of celestial bodies in space.of The spacecraft changed the orbit of the asteroid asteroid by 32 minutes.
And that’s not all that 2022 has to offer regarding the study of anomalous objects in the sky. In June, NASA announced it would delve into the mysteries surrounding unidentified aerial phenomena, more commonly known as Unidentified Flying Objects or UFOs. Later Space Agency We have selected a team of experts We are addressing this challenge across many disciplines, including astrobiology, data science, oceanography, genetics, policy, and planetary science.
NASA officials have not suggested that extraterrestrials might be responsible for such phenomena. It is to seriously consider how it will be studied through a different lens.
“Without access to huge datasets, it is nearly impossible to verify or explain observations. Therefore, the focus of this work is to identify the nature of UAPs scientifically, which future Let NASA know if it can collect such data,” according to a NASA news release.
Meanwhile, on Mars, the InSight lander mission came last due to Surplus of dust on solar panels (When No whirlwind to clean them), but geostationary spacecraft made history in 2022. InSight detects the largest earthquake on Mars, Caught the sound of space rocks crashing planet – which Created a crater that reveals a treasure trove of subterranean ice.
With InSight finished, the Perseverance rover’s companion continues to soar the skies of Mars beyond its original five flight missions.of Ingenuity helicopter broke its own altitude record Since April 2021, we have completed 37 successful flights to Mars. The tiny chopper served as an aerial reconnaissance for Perseverance, which collected an incredibly diverse range of Martian rock and sediment samples.
The rover is currently setting up a depot of samples that will be stored on the surface of Mars. Samples have been recovered and he will be returned to Earth in 2033 through an ambitious Mars Sample Return Program. Send a lander and two recovery helicopters to the red planet 10 years after this.
Speaking of space rocks, a rare specimen landed on Earth in 2014. But scientists just put the pieces of that puzzle together this year, and the findings were published in a U.S. Space Force document.
of First known interstellar meteor to hit Earth It crash landed on the northeast coast of Papua New Guinea in January 2014.
Interstellar meteors are cosmic rocks of origin From outside our solar system, such as ‘Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object in our solar system detected in 2017.
Just in case, NASA has had many successes this year, but it has also faced reminders of tragedy and disaster. Investigators said he left Bermuda in March to search the supposed Triangle shipwreck. The Bermuda Triangle is said to be the site of dozens of shipwrecks and plane crashes. documentary.but the crew came across the unexpected Another location off Florida’s east coast: 20-foot (6-meter-long) debris from the dismembered Space Shuttle Challenger It crashed shortly after takeoff in 1986, killing all seven crew members on board.
It was the first debris found since shuttle debris washed ashore in 1996.
“This discovery enhances the legacy of the seven pioneers we lost and gives us an opportunity to reflect on how this tragedy has changed us all. said in a statement. “At NASA, our core value of safety is, and must continue to be, our top priority, especially as our missions explore more space than ever before.”
As Russia launched its invasion in February and parts of Ukraine lost internet access, space-based internet systems, which were almost non-existent a few years ago, began to provide critical connectivity.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX designed and launched a system called Starlink. It utilizes thousands of small satellites orbiting hundreds of miles above Earth. Satellites work together to cover the globe with internet connectivity. All you need to go online is the easy-to-use Starlink satellite dish.
Musk and SpaceX sent thousands of those dishes to Ukraine. but, The funding controversy followedthe use of Starlink in the countries of Eastern Europe is welcomed As a game changer in strategic communication for that purpose Even as the ongoing war disrupts cell phone and internet networks, it has allowed Ukraine to fight effectively.
But Starlink is just a small part of SpaceX’s booming business. The company regularly launches satellites as well as astronauts into space on behalf of NASA. And this year, SpaceX flew a few wealthy thrill-seekers to the International Space Station. Missions brokered by AxiomThis event was the first mission on the space station. It was fully paid for by paying customers and included only civilians.
The crew was 4 people. Michael López-Alegría, a former NASA astronaut turned Axiom employee, was the mission commander. The three paying clients were Israeli businessman Eitan Stibbe, Canadian investor Mark Pathey, and Ohio-based real estate mogul Larry Conner.
The mission, dubbed AX-1, began on April 8 and was originally billed as a 10-day trip. However, the delay extended the mission by about a week.
Allowing civilian missions to the space station is part of NASA’s plan to have more commercial activity in low-Earth orbit as it focuses on exploration of deep space.
