Space exploration gave times of hope in a difficult year.
Three countries sent spaceship towards Mars in 2020. Astronauts have been launched into orbit from the United States for the first time in nearly 10 years. And robotic researchers collected rocks from the Moon and from asteroid.
High expectations for 2021
Expectations are high for 2021 as well. Next February, it is expected to land on Mars and the James Webb Space Telescope is set to launch in the fall. The giant telescope replaces the famous Hubble Space Telescope.
Other developments are also expected. Aerospace company Boeing hopes to catch SpaceX in launching astronauts. And place tourism eventually coming off the ground.
Scott Hubbard was the first director of the Mars program of the U.S. space agency (NASA). He now teaches at Stanford University. He said, “2021 promises to be so much of a bright space exploration spot, perhaps even more. “
Major projects moved forward
Although the coronavirus crisis created problems for all space programs in 2020, the most important projects were still ongoing.
The US, China and the United Arab Emirates have launched a spacecraft into Mars.
NASA’s artificial intelligence explorer is expected to land on Feb. 18. Sustainability cuts into dry soil, gathering samples to return to Earth.
The UAE spacecraft is the first attempt in that country to visit another planet. It will explore the Martian atmosphere.
Tianwen-1 in China looks for signs of ancient life on the red planet.
China also studied the Moon in 2020. In December, a Chinese spacecraft landed and then removed the lunar surface. He collected the first moon rocks to return to Earth since the 1970s.
Japan brought back pieces of the asteroid Ryugu. More asteroid samples on the way. NASA’s Osiris-Rex spacecraft received samples from the asteroid Bennu in October. The samples are expected to return in 2023.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX company did a lot in 2020. In May, SpaceX became the first private company to put humans into orbit, a success that only three powerful nations could claim before.
In November, four more astronauts rode Dragon SpaceX to the International Space Station. Three weeks later, SpaceX launched the largest cargo yet into the space station for NASA.
Mark Kelly who was elected Senator for the state of Arizona said the event was something “Americans should be proud de. ”
Until SpaceX flights, the Soyuz spacecraft with three in Russia was the only way to get astronauts to the space station after NASA flights.
SpaceX ended the year with a test mission of Starship, the spacecraft the company is building to transport humans to the moon and to Mars. The incident on Dec. 9 was marked by an explosion when it landed. Nonetheless, Musk said he was delighted.
In addition, SpaceX is expanding the number of people willing to ride in its Dragon spacecraft. Late next year, SpaceX plans to launch its first privately funded Dragon flight in a contract with Houston-based Axiom Space.
Axiom businessman Eytan Stibbe will be joined by Axiom astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria of former NASA astronaut and former president of the Spaceflight Commercial Alliance. Two others pay with them to visit the space station.
“This is the very beginning of private space and will take the ball over to many private missions to orbit every year, ”Lopez-Alegria said in an email.
Two other space travel companies are still conducting test missions. They are Blue Origin Jeff Bezos and Virgin Galactic by Richard Branson. These companies have not yet set deadlines for sending people on short trips to the edge of space and back.
The future of space programming in the US
US President Donald Trump has said he wants a moon to occur with American astronauts by 2024. This was the first of NASA’s Apollo program more than 50 years ago.
In December, NASA introduced 18 astronauts who will be training for the lunar program called Artemis.
John Logsdon of the George Washington University Institute for Space Policy said the past four years “have been positive for the U.S. civil space program. Logsdon said, “No … major programs have been canceled, the human study program has been given clear direction, and funding existing programs have been expanded. ”
My name is Iain Russell.
Marcia Dunn told this story to the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. It was Mario Ritter, Jr. the editor.
2020 saw many successes in space exploration
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Words in this story
spaceship – n. a vehicle used for outdoor travel
asteroid – n. any thousands of tiny planets orbiting the sun
tourism – n. travel activity to a place for enjoyment
spot – n. a small piece of surface that differs from other areas: a particular place or place
sample – n. a bit of something that will give you information about what was taken from it
many – adj. more than one
mission – n. an action or work that someone is given to do
proud – adj. causing people to be happy
positive – adj. good result, not bad
funding – n. money available for a cause