It’s been a busy year for NASA, filled with asteroid missions and collaborations with industry, other national space agencies and the U.S. military. This year, the power of space to inspire and spur innovation has reached every corner of the world.
Here is NASA 2023 Summary
THE RETURN OF OSIRIS-REX
It had been an incredibly long journey for the OSIRIS-REx capsule when it touched down in the Utah desert in September. The asteroid probe was launched in 2016 on a two-year journey to the carbon-rich asteroid Bennu with the ambitious mission goal of returning a charged sample. OSIRIS-REx did its job well and collected about 250 grams of extraterrestrial rocks and dust before returning home; The largest specimen of asteroid ever to return to Earth.
“The OSIRIS-REx sample is the largest carbon-rich asteroid sample ever sent to Earth and will help scientists investigate the origins of life on our own planet for generations to come,” NASA chief Bill Nelson said when the capsule was launched in October. content revealed.
After dropping off the Bennu sample, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft changed course and gained a new name: OSIRIS-APEX. The old dog is now on its way to the asteroid Apophis, which it will study for about 18 months.
NUCLEAR NEWS
NASA started 2023 on a high note, announcing in January a groundbreaking partnership with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to launch the United States’ dormant nuclear thermal propulsion program for spaceflight after a 50-year hiatus from pursuing the technology. .
Nuclear fission engines existed in a gray area under the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, but if developed safely they could greatly reduce the travel time needed to send humans to Mars.
PSYCHIC IMPROVES
Bennu wasn’t the only asteroid on NASA’s mind this year. After months of delays and uncertainty, the agency finally sent the Psyche probe aboard Falcon Heavy on course for the eponymous metal-rich asteroid in October. The target asteroid’s high metal content is unique among asteroids approached by Earth visitors, and the probe aims to increase our understanding of such objects. Psyche is expected to reach its goal in 2029.
ROAD LEADERSHIP
NASA’s contributions to exploration can best be measured by how well it has been able to encourage and fund the development of new technologies in the commercial sector. This year, agency programs have led to major advances in the industry.
The Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program is in full swing, and many of the awardees are preparing for their first lunar lander launches (let’s say five times faster). The first two are scheduled to launch in January; Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander is aiming for 8th, and Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C is aiming for 12th.
Commercial providers are now paving the way for human spaceflight. Two SpaceX crew missions flew to the ISS this year, along with the Ax-2 private astronaut mission through Axiom Space. Boeing also sent its long-awaited Starliner capsule to the station for the first time in May.
A HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Last but not least, we couldn’t go through a recap of NASA’s greatest achievements without wishing the ISS a very happy (and only slightly belated) birthday as it celebrates its 25th year of operations this year. As NASA begins determining its strategy for the historic station’s end-of-life, we can’t help but feel a little nostalgic.