Famous visitors, including a Star Trek legend, traveled into space throughout the year. New milestones were achieved by both government and privately held space flight firms, and scientists continued to make breakthroughs.
Here are eight of the most significant space events in 2021.
Boeing's Starliner Spacecraft Woes
Boeing's Starliner project was meant to resume in 2021 after NASA uncovered many issues. But a postponed test flight in October made people wonder when this commercial crew aircraft would be ready for prime time.
After controllers failed to release 13 oxidizer valves in the spacecraft's propulsion system, the uncrewed test launch of a CST-100 Starliner was postponed indefinitely. The grounded capsule was inspected within ULA's Vertical Integration Facility, but Boeing opted to transport the Starliner to its Kennedy Space Center plant after a week. The problem, according to Boeing, was caused by Florida's humid air, or at least anything related to moisture seeping into the system. The Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 trip to the International Space Station might take place in the first half of 2022, although no one knows for sure at this moment.
SpaceX Blasting in Texas
During the first part of the year, high-altitude tests of SpaceX's Starship prototype rocket generated a lot of buzz. The controlled aerodynamic fall, as well as the 160-foot-tall (50-meter) rocket's launch to a height of 6 miles (9.7 km), was not an issue. The rocket failed to withstand the landing in the final stage of the test, which proved to be the stumbling block.
On February 2, SN9 crashed hard at the Texas Boca Chica launch location, SN10 blew up minutes after landing on March 3, and SN11 disassembled quickly and unexpectedly on March 30. The Federal Aviation Administration was not amused, and it maintained a careful check on SpaceX throughout the year. Finally, on May 5, the SN15 rocket accomplished the seemingly impossible, prompting Elon Musk to tweet: "Starship landing nominal!"
Jeff Bezos vs. Elon Musk, NASA
A Blue Origin lawsuit challenging NASA's decision to grant SpaceX a $2.89 billion lunar lander contract was rejected by the United States Court of Federal Claims. NASA had offered many private contracts, according to SpaceX, and had "disregarded fundamental flight safety standards" related to SpaceX's prospective offering, according to the Jeff Bezos-owned corporation.
However, the lawsuit caused irreparable harm since it hindered NASA and Elon Musk's SpaceX from working on the Human Landing System (HLS), a critical component of the planned Artemis Moon missions. Work has begun; however, NASA has attributed the delay of the Artemis III mission to seven months of litigation, among other factors. The mission will now land on the Moon no early than 2025, rather than 2024 as intended.
SpaceX Leaky Toilet
In September, astronauts on the Inspiration4 mission, the first all-private flight to space, had to maintain their composure after an alarm went out, suggesting a "serious" but unidentified problem. The cause of the warning was subsequently discovered to be "mechanical difficulties" with Crew Dragon's waste management system, notably its fans, which move human waste away from the body. Thankfully, the Inspiration4 crew was able to reactivate the toilet with the support of SpaceX ground controllers. According to Elon Musk, upgrades to the Crew Dragon toilet will be required.
Later, SpaceX (per SpaceFlightNow) said that a tube in the tank became loose, preventing urine from entering the storage tank and causing it to leak beneath the Crew Dragon's floor. A similar problem was discovered in Endeavour, a Crew Dragon stationed outside the International Space Station. By October, SpaceX had allegedly fixed the issue, with Endurance becoming the first Crew Dragon to have the updated toilets.
FAA Suspends Richard Branson
On July 11, Richard Branson made history by becoming the first billionaire to visit space. However, things went worse in the days after his assertion that his pilots had ignored a caution signal during the 53-mile (86-kilometer) rise. A spaceplane operated by Virgin Galactic, VSS Unity strayed off course and entered uncharted airspace. The pilots also risked a dangerous descent and landing since the spaceplane failed to achieve its targeted trajectory. The Federal Aviation Administration was alarmed and ordered Virgin Galactic to be suspended pending an inquiry into the event. The FAA reinstated the airline's certificate in late September after completing the needed remedial procedures.
Blue Origin Sends Captain Kirk to Space
William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk on Star Trek, was allowed to see Earth from beyond the Kármán line, the globally acknowledged space limit. Shatner's excursion on October 13 was just a few minutes long. Even so, it was enough to make the actor cry. Glen de Vries, a 47-year-old entrepreneur who traveled to space with Shatner, tragically perished in an aircraft crash on November 11.
Mystery Object Found Near Chinese Satellite
SpaceNews said officials discovered an apparent apogee kick motor in orbit aboard China's Shijian-21 satellite, launched on October 23. Apogee kick motors are used to place payloads into their intended orbits, and they're usually placed in graveyard orbits, but it was lodged securely in geosynchronous orbit, together with Shijian-21. The two items are in close proximity to one another and appear to be in sync. Given the unusual design, it's possible that the object isn't an apogee kick motor but rather a "sub-satellite" whose role has yet to be defined. We'll have to wait and see, as China has remained silent.
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