{"id":18211,"date":"2018-12-28T01:26:19","date_gmt":"2018-12-27T17:26:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/year-in-space-from-the-falcon-heavys-first-flight-to-the-solar-systems-last-frontier\/"},"modified":"2018-12-28T01:26:19","modified_gmt":"2018-12-27T17:26:19","slug":"year-in-space-from-the-falcon-heavys-first-flight-to-the-solar-systems-last-frontier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/year-in-space-from-the-falcon-heavys-first-flight-to-the-solar-systems-last-frontier\/","title":{"rendered":"Year in Space: From the Falcon Heavy\u2019s first flight to the solar system\u2019s last frontier"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_395911\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-395911\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-395911\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/20180206_Falcon_Heavy_Launch_Pad_35-630x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"630\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/20180206_Falcon_Heavy_Launch_Pad_35-630x768.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/20180206_Falcon_Heavy_Launch_Pad_35-768x936.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/20180206_Falcon_Heavy_Launch_Pad_35-1034x1260.jpg 1034w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/20180206_Falcon_Heavy_Launch_Pad_35.jpg 1680w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-395911\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SpaceX\u2019s Falcon Heavy rocket clears the tower in February 2018. (GeekWire Photo \/ Kevin Lisota)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Launches, launches, launches! 2018 was a big year for liftoffs, particularly for SpaceX and its billionaire CEO, Elon Musk. The past year also saw a number of notable trips to interplanetary destinations, including the Martian surface and two asteroids. What\u2019s up for next year? More of the same, only way different.<\/p>\n<p>For more than two decades, I\u2019ve been writing year-end roundups of the top stories in space science and exploration, with a look-ahead to cosmic coming attractions. 2019 could well bring about developments I\u2019ve been predicting on an annual basis going as far back as a decade, such as the rise of commercial human spaceflight.<\/p>\n<p>Other trends are easier to predict, because they\u2019re based on the cold, hard facts of celestial mechanics. Check out these tales from 2018, expected trends for 2019 and my year-end space roundups going back to 2001 (with lots of failed predictions). Then feel free to weigh in with your comments to tell me what I missed.<\/p>\n<h3>Five space tales from 2018<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Falcon Heavy takes flight:<\/strong> After years of development work, SpaceX\u2019s super-powerful Falcon Heavy rocket made a spectacularly successful debut in February\u2019s test launch, which sent billionaire CEO Elon Musk\u2019s Tesla Roadster and a mannequin driver named Starman into an orbit stretching out beyond Mars. The Falcon Heavy can send big payloads almost directly out to geostationary orbit, which is a selling point for heavyweight satellite operators ranging from ViaSat to the U.S. military. But it won\u2019t be certified to carry people to far-flung destinations. For that, Musk intends to turn to SpaceX\u2019s Starship (see below).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fresh and fading Mars missions:<\/strong>&nbsp;On the plus side, NASA\u2019s InSight lander touched down on the flat plain of Elysium Planitia and started deploying scientific instruments to monitor Mars\u2019 seismic activity and internal heat flow. On the potentially minus side, the solar-powered Opportunity rover fell out of contact this summer amid a planet-covering dust storm and hasn\u2019t been heard from since. In the year ahead, NASA will either have an amazing comeback story to tell&nbsp;\u2014 or read the rites and declare an end to Opportunity\u2019s 15-year mission on Mars. NASA\u2019s plutonium-powered Curiosity rover, meanwhile, just keeps going and going.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Sounds of Mars: NASA\u2019s InSight Senses Martian Wind\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yT50Q_Zbf3s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\" data-width=\"800\" data-height=\"450\" style=\"display: block; margin: 0px; width: 800px; height: 450px;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Big steps for small satellites:<\/strong> Speaking of InSight, that mission marked the first interplanetary CubeSat ride-along, featuring two MarCO nanosatellites nicknamed WALL-E and EVA. The pair worked perfectly, monitoring InSight\u2019s descent and sending along their own Red Planet pictures. CubeSats and their ilk were a big deal on other space missions, including a 64-satellite launch managed by Seattle-based Spaceflight, a record-setting 104-satellite launch executed by India\u2019s space agency in February and the first satellite launches by Rocket Lab\u2019s low-cost Electron rocket from New Zealand.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Virgin Galactic\u2019s first spaceflight:<\/strong> For the first time since 2004, test pilots have broken through to the space frontier in the skies over California. December\u2019s test flight carried Virgin Galactic\u2019s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane, christened VSS Unity, above the 50-mile altitude mark. That\u2019s below the 100-kilometer height currently used as the international standard, but it\u2019s high enough to count for the more than 600 \u201cFuture Astronauts\u201d that Virgin Galactic has signed up for suborbital space trips. \u201cI used to think of space as a destination, but I now realize it\u2019s a journey, with some amazing milestones along the way,\u201d Virgin Galactic\u2019s billionaire founder, Richard Branson, said in a video letter to his grandchildren.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"VSS Unity's First Spaceflight\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/h8T9mVkGh3s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\" data-width=\"800\" data-height=\"450\" style=\"display: block; margin: 0px; width: 800px; height: 450px;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Seeing asteroids up close:<\/strong> 2018 brought not just one, but two encounters with near-Earth asteroids. First, Japan\u2019s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft&nbsp;closed in on a half-mile wide space rock known as Ryugu and sent down three mini-probes. Then NASA\u2019s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft made its rendezvous with the quarter-mile-wide asteroid Bennu and began scientific observations. Both spacecraft will descend to the surface of their respective asteroids, gather up samples and carry them back to Earth. The missions should&nbsp;provide new insights into how the solar system formed&nbsp;\u2014 and how to divert potentially threatening asteroids like Bennu when the time comes.<\/p>\n<h3>Five space trends for 2019<\/h3>\n<p><strong>New rides to space:<\/strong> Virgin Galactic\u2019s first spaceflight provided a \u201cmillion-dollar view\u201d for its test pilots, but if all goes well, passengers could start enjoying the view next year, paying $250,000 (more or less) for the privilege. And that\u2019s not all: Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos\u2019 Blue Origin venture is expected to start flying passengers as well on its New Shepard suborbital spaceship. SpaceX and Boeing are working on new rides as well. The current schedule calls for flights on SpaceX\u2019s upgraded Dragon spacecraft and Boeing\u2019s Starliner capsule to start heading to the International Space Station next year. That would mark the first crewed flights to orbit from U.S. soil since NASA retired its space shuttle fleet in 2011.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Setting sights on the moon:<\/strong> NASA\u2019s agenda for trips beyond Earth orbit calls for commercial robotic missions to the moon\u2019s surface to begin as early as next year. There\u2019s also likely to be further preparation for (and debate over) building a crewed platform in lunar orbit, known as the Gateway. 2019 should bring a heightened focus on the history of lunar exploration as well, with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing coming up in July. Seattle\u2019s Museum of Flight will play a big role in the celebration, in part because the Apollo 11 command module is due to be on display there for the anniversary. But wait \u2026 there\u2019s more: China\u2019s Chang\u2019e-4 lander should touch down on the moon\u2019s far side in early January and deploy a rover to explore a new lunar frontier.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"We Are NASA\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WeA7edXsU40?start=4&amp;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\" data-width=\"800\" data-height=\"450\" style=\"display: block; margin: 0px; width: 800px; height: 450px;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>A \u2018Starship\u2019 for Mars:<\/strong>&nbsp;SpaceX is building a bright and shiny prototype for its Starship&nbsp;\u2014 the spaceship that was used to be known as the Mars Colonial Transporter, or Interplanetary Transit System, or Big F***ing Rocket. And Musk says short-hop tests could begin in Texas in March or April, with a \u201cfull technical presentation\u201d to follow. SpaceX\u2019s Starship and its Falcon Super Heavy booster are designed to take passengers around the moon in the early 2020s, transport settlers to Mars later in the decade, and basically do everything that SpaceX needs to do on the space frontier (including point-to-point travel between earthly destinations, spacecraft servicing and satellite constellation deployments). Speaking of satellite constellations, the next year could well see more progress for SpaceX\u2019s Starlink broadband access network as well as rival networks planned by OneWeb, Telesat and other players.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"callout clearfix\"><strong>Year in Science:<\/strong> Genetic breakthroughs make dreams (and nightmares) come true<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Sky spectacles:<\/strong> It\u2019s hard to top 2017\u2019s total solar eclipse, but how about a total lunar eclipse? North and South America are perfectly positioned to see the full moon turn blood-red (or maybe smog-brown) on the night of Jan. 20-21. By some definitions, that event will mark a \u201csupermoon\u201d as well. But I reserve that term for the largest full moon of a given year (which occurs on Feb. 19 next year). There\u2019ll also be a rare transit of Mercury on Nov. 11, which you\u2019ll need your solar-safe viewing filters to observe. If you\u2019re in the mood to travel, you can take a chance on a total solar eclipse that crosses over the Pacific Ocean, Chile and Argentina on July 2&nbsp;\u2014 plus a \u201cRing of Fire\u201d annular solar eclipse that passes across the Middle East and Asia on the day after Christmas.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The farthest frontiers:<\/strong> Three years after its Pluto flyby, NASA\u2019s New Horizons probe is set to make history again on the New Year\u2019s night of Dec. 31-Jan. 1. The piano-sized spacecraft will go through an even closer encounter with a mysterious object nicknamed Ultima Thule, 4 billion miles away on the solar system\u2019s icy fringe. Because of the partial government shutdown, NASA\u2019s coverage of the event will be severely limited. Fortunately, the New Horizons team has set up alternate coverage channels on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter&nbsp;(including the @JHUAPL account managed by Johns Hopkins University\u2019s Applied Physics Laboratory) and on the Web. I\u2019ll also be sending back dispatches from Mission Control at APL, so stay tuned.\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Get Ready: New Horizons Is Approaching Its Next Target | SciShow News\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/D96bv-c23yE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\" data-width=\"800\" data-height=\"450\" style=\"display: block; margin: 0px; width: 800px; height: 450px;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Years in space<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>2017 in review: An all-American solar eclipse<\/li>\n<li>2016 in review: Gravitational waves found<\/li>\n<li>2015 in review: Pluto revealed<\/li>\n<li>2014 in review: Landing on a comet<\/li>\n<li>2013 in review: Meteor blast sets off alarms<\/li>\n<li>2012 in review: Curiosity rover lands on Mars<\/li>\n<li>2011 in review: Farewell to the space shuttle<\/li>\n<li>2010 in review: NASA changes course<\/li>\n<li>2009 in review: Moon probe detects water<\/li>\n<li>2008 in review: Planets spotted around alien stars<\/li>\n<li>2007 in review: China makes big moves in space<\/li>\n<li>2006 in review: Shuttle fleet gets back on track<\/li>\n<li>2005 in review: A brief return to flight for NASA<\/li>\n<li>2004 in review: Commercial Space Age dawns<\/li>\n<li>2003 in review: Shuttle Columbia is lost<\/li>\n<li>2002 in review: Rocket successes and failures<\/li>\n<li>2001 in review: Reflections on a pale blue dot<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SpaceX\u2019s Falcon Heavy rocket clears the tower in February 2018. (GeekWire Photo \/ Kevin Lisota) Launches, launches, launches! 2018 was a big year for liftoffs, particularly for SpaceX and its billionaire CEO, Elon Musk. The past year also saw a number of notable trips to interplanetary destinations, including the Martian surface and two asteroids. What\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[678,2173,4809,2174,4810,2937,5096,5097],"class_list":["post-18211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-falcon-heavy","tag-kuiper-belt","tag-nasa-new-horizons","tag-new-horizons","tag-new-horizons-probe","tag-ultima-thule","tag-year-end","tag-year-in-review-2018"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18211"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18211"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18211\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}