SPACE EVENTS 2022
The last 12 months have seen some pretty impressive space-related events and discoveries. The commercial space race kicked into high gear with flights by Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin and SpaceX, the latter of which launched the first all-civilian crew to low-Earth orbit. Even Star Trek actor William Shatner got in on the act, swapping the Starship Enterprise for Blue Origin’s New Shepard.
In the last month of 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope should have finally launched, kick-starting a new era of discovery, yet even before this new space telescope starts examining the atmospheres of exoplanets, researchers may have made history by discovering the first planet ever found outside the Milky Way.
2022 will pick up the baton from 2021, building on the groundwork laid this year. While it’s difficult to predict what we will discover in the forthcoming 12 months, we can look ahead to the scheduled launches, science tests and astronomical events. This includes our continuing exploration of Mars – scouring our neighbour for signs that life may once have existed on or below its surface – flybys of the moons of Jupiter and our return to the lunar surface.
FEBRUARY
ARTEMIS 1 LAUNCHES FIRST FLIGHT
In February, Artemis 1 will hopefully begin its work, signifying an important step for human space exploration. The first
