Exploring the space gave moments of hope in a difficult year.
Three countries sent spaceship to Mars in 2020. Astronauts launched into orbit in the United States for the first time in almost 10 years. And robotic explorers have collected rocks from the moon and a asteroid.
High expectations for 2021
Expectations are also high for 2021. Landings on Mars are expected next February, and the planned launch of the James Webb Space Telescope will take place in the fall. The huge telescope takes the place of the famous Hubble Space Telescope.
Other developments are expected. The aerospace company Boeing hopes to catch up with SpaceX at the launch of the astronauts. And space tourism may eventually descend from the ground.
Scott Hubbard was the first director of the US space agency’s (NASA) Mars program. He now teaches at Stanford University. He said: “2021 promises to be as bright as a space exploration place, maybe even more. “
Major projects have been advanced
Although the coronavirus crisis created problems for all space programs in 2020, most very important projects continued.
The United States, China and the United Arab Emirates have launched spacecraft to Mars.
NASA’s Perseverance robot explorer is due to land on February 18th. Perseverance will be cut in the dry soil, collecting samples for returning to Earth.
The UAE space probe is the country’s first attempt to visit another planet. He will study the Martian atmosphere.
Tianwen-1 from China will look for signs of ancient life on the red planet.
China also conducted lunar explorations in 2020. In December, a Chinese spacecraft landed and then launched from the moon’s surface. It has collected the first lunar rocks to return to Earth since the 1970s.
Japan has brought back pieces of the asteroid Ryugu. More asteroid samples I am on the road. NASA’s Osiris-Rex spacecraft received evidence from the asteroid Bennu in October. The samples are scheduled to return in 2023.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX company did much in 2020. In May, SpaceX became the first private company to send people into orbit, a success that could only be claimed by three powerful nations before.
In November, four more astronauts traveled with a SpaceX dragon to the International Space Station. Three weeks later, SpaceX launched the largest transport to date to the NASA space station.
Mark Kelly, who was elected senator for Arizona, said the event is something “Americans should be proud of.”
Until SpaceX flights, the Russian three-seater Soyuz was the only way to take astronauts to the space station after NASA flights stopped.
SpaceX ended the year with a test flight of Starship, the spacecraft the company is building to transport humans to the moon and Mars. The December 9 event was marked by an explosion on landing. Even so, Musk said he was extremely happy.
In addition, SpaceX is expanding the number of people willing to travel in its Dragon spacecraft. Late next year, SpaceX expects to launch the first privately funded Dragon flight in a deal with Axiom Space in Houston.
Michael Lopez-Alegria of Axiom, a former NASA astronaut and former president of the Commercial Space Federation, will go with Israeli businessman Eytan Stibbe. They will be joined by two other people who pay to visit the space station.
“This is the true beginning of private space flights and will make the ball roll towards multiple private missions to orbit the year, “Lopez-Alegria said in an email.
Two other space travel companies are still conducting test flights. These are Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic. Those companies have not yet set dates for sending people with short flights to the edge of space and back.
The future of US space programs
US President Donald Trump has said he wants US astronauts to land on the moon by 2024. It would be the first since NASA’s Apollo program more than 50 years ago.
In December, NASA introduced 18 astronauts who will train for the program of the month called Artemis.
John Logsdon of the George Washington University Institute for Space Policy said the past four years “have been positive for the American Civil Space Program. Logsdon added: “No … the major programs have been canceled, the human exploration program has been given a clear direction and funding for existing programs has been increased. “
I’m John Russell.
Marcia Dunn reported this story to the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.
2020 has seen many successes in space exploration
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Words in this story
spaceship – n. a vehicle that is used for space travel
asteroid – n. any of the thousands of small planets orbiting the sun
tourism – n. the activity of traveling to a place for pleasure
place – n. a small area of a surface that is different from other areas: a certain space or area
sample – n. a small amount of something that gives you information about the thing from which it was taken
multiple – adj. more than one
mission – n. a task or a task that someone is given to do
proud – adj. causing people to be satisfied
positive – adj. a good result, not a bad one
funding – n. money available for a purpose