2020 brings Space closer than ever; Countries, Companies & Agencies plan next big step

Amid unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, it is hard to believe that 2020 is almost over. Life on Earth has been disastrous this year, however, humans have been making great progress up in , making 2020 one of most fruitful years for industry in history. From Elon Musk’s rocket company X launching nearly 16 missions, including its first-ever crewed flight to International Station, to UAE launching Arab world’s first mission to Mars, this year’s launches have raised hopes for interplanetary living. 

ditionally, a number of international teams are also testing new ways to explore moon, including visiting its dark side for first time. With some days left for 2020 to end, re are still some more missions that are yet to be launched. However, below is a compiled list of some of  most exciting government and commercial projects which have been successful. 

1. X Crew Dragon

Back in 2019, X h designed “Crew Dragon,” which became first privately owned craft to successfully dock with ISS. In 2020, NASA sent two of its astronauts to ISS abro Crew Dragon, which became X’s first-ever crewed mission to . On May 30, craft carried NASA astronaut Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken into orbit for a rendezvous with station, becoming first crewed vehicle to fly from US soil since retirement of shuttle in 2011. 

(Im: @Raptor22d/Twitter)

2. NASA’s Mars 2020 Rover 

NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover was launched on July 30 this year and it is scheduled to land inside 28-mile-wide Jezero Crater on afteron of February 18, next year. Perseverance rover is highlight of NASA's $2.7 billion Mars 2020 mission that will operate along landing strategy discovered by its predecessor, Curiosity rover. A rocket-powered sky crane will lower Perseverance to Jezero's floor on cables, n fly off to crash-land a safe distance away. rover will use its vanced instrument suite to track for signs of ancient Mars life in Jezero. Mars rover will also collect and cache samples for a future return to Earth and demonstrate techlogies that could aid future exploration of red planet.

(Im: NASA/Website) 

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3. X’s Starlink

Starlink is a satellite internet constellation that aims to provide high-speed internet access to users around world, especially in rural areas and remote regions. X's Starlink is one of Elon Musk's most ambitious projects where private company plans to deploy a huge constellation of around 12,000 satellites into  low Earth orbit. X has been regularly launching Starlink satellites into for its mega constellation project. company eventually plans to offer internet services at affordable prices; however, it seems a bit expensive at moment.

4. Hope Mars Mission

Back in July, United Arab Emirates became an interplanetary country as it successfully launched Arab world’s first mission to Mars. On July 20, 'Al Amal,' or 'Hope' probe took off from Tanegashima Centre in, Japan, at 06.58 local time (21.58 GMT) with an assist from a Mitsubishi rocket booster. mission to red planet will be a seven-month journey, where it will orbit and send back data about Martian atmosphere.

Im: @DBXOffice/Twitter) 

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5. China’s Chang’e 5

China National ministration (CNSA) launched a mission to moon on vember 24. mission consisted of both a lunar rover and a system designed to land on Moon. Chang'e-5 probe comprises an orbiter, a lander, an ascender, and a returner. Its lander-ascender combination touched down on rth of Mons Rumker in Oceanus Procellarum, also kwn as Ocean of Storms, on near side of moon on December 1. This is first time a Chinese craft has carried out rendezvous and docking in lunar orbit. Chang'e-5 is one of most complicated and challenging missions in Chinese aero history, as well as world's first moon-sample mission in more than 40 years.

(Im: @Newscientist/Twitter) 

6. Solar orbiter 

European ncy (ESA), in collaboration with NASA, launched a solar orbiter mission on February 10 for studying and analysing physics of Sun and will also be first to capture ims of Sun's poles. satellite orbits star, beaming high-resolution photos and measuring solar wind as part of mission. Coated with a heat shield developed by Irish firm Enbio, called SolarBlack, craft can endure temperatures of more than 500 degrees Celsius, hot eugh to melt le. satellite will make a close approach to sun every five months, and at its closest will only be 42m km away, closer than planet Mercury.

(Im: AP)

7. China’s Mars probe Tianwen-1

Tianwen-1 launched for its Mars mission on July 23 aboard Long March 5 rocket. Tianwen-1 which translates to "questions to heaven" was launched from Wenchang on Hainan Island, as per a report published in journal Nature Astromy which was composed by team members of China's Tianwen-1 Mars mission. China has isolated an area stretching from Isidis Planitia across to big volca Elysium Mons for landing where NASA's Viking 2 lander touched down in 1976.  According to study, China’s rover will operate for at least 90 Martian days. 

(Im: @ChinaEUMission/Twitter)

8. India’s PSLV-C49 satellite launch - w 51 successful PSLV launches

Indian Research Organisation (ISRO) on vember 7 successfully launched PSLV-C49/EOS-01 Mission. PSLV rocket was launched from Satish Dhawan Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota around 3:02 pm, marking first launch for year of 2020. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C49) is a four-state rocket and is 44.5 m in total height. rocket is fuelled by propellant Hydroxyl-terminated polybutiene (HTPB) and overall weight of PSLV-C49 is 320 tonnes. Also kwn as 'workhorse of ISRO', this series of carriers have been highly successful in ISRO's multiple missions to launch satellites into various orbital levels of . 

(Credit: @ISRO)

9. Russia’s Soyuz MS-17 craft

Russian government sent a group of NASA astronauts to ISS abro a Soyuz rocket and Soyuz MS-17 craft combo. Soyuz capsule, carrying a NASA astronaut and two cosmonauts, docked to ISS after it blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on October 14.  crew members embarked on a two-orbit, three-hour journey to station where y joined Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner. latest Soyuz journey has also beaten fastest time of missions carrying supplies to station.

 10. X-ISS cargo mission

NASA’s commercial cargo provider X on December 6 launched Dragon resupply craft to International Station (ISS) at  11:17 a.m. 21st commercial resupply services (CRS-21) mission’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at ncy’s Kennedy Center in Florida. X’s CRS-21 will deliver science equipment and supplies for NASA under its second resupply contract. For first time Elon Musk-owned ncy has at least 2 of its capsules in orbit with recent upgred Dragon craft’s launch.

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