2021 UNMISSABLE SPACE EVENTS

JANUARY

Astra Rocket 3.0

NEXT ATTEMPT BY SMALL CALIFORNIAN COMPANY TO LAUNCH MICRO-LAUNCHER

Although it has not yet reached orbit, Astra is a well-established new launch vehicle company from San Francisco, only announcing its presence in 2020 to make an attempt on the DARPA launch prize. After two launch failures from its pad at Kodiak Island, Alaska, hopes are high that it will join the club of private orbital launchers on the next attempt.

JANUARY

STARLINER ORBITAL FLIGHT

THE NEXT UNCREWED TEST OF BOEING’S CAPSULE

Though SpaceX has commenced commercial crew flights to the ISS in 2020, Boeing has also been building a new crew transport capsule. The Starliner made an initial uncrewed test in December 2019, but suffered a software fault that prevented it completing its flight to the ISS. After extensive software troubleshooting the Starliner will repeat the uncrewed launch to the ISS in early 2021. If all goes well a second Starliner should carry astronauts Nicole Mann, Mike