From manned missions to asteroid defense, 2022 was full of groundbreaking space milestones that captured the world’s attention. CGTN’s sci-tech reporter selected six space-related stories that changed the game in 2022.
#1 – China’s space station
At the top of the list is the construction of the China Space Station. China’s Manned Space Agency has yet to officially announce its completion, but it has already sent the station’s three main modules into orbit: a core and two laboratories. Together they form the iconic T-shaped configuration of the space station. Today, China has its own space station open to international collaboration.
#2 – NASA’s Artemis mission
After four attempts, the experimental Orion spacecraft mounted a huge Space Launch System rocket and gave us a glimpse of what Earth looks like from the Moon. Its splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on December 11 marked a new chapter in humanity’s return to the Moon after more than half a century.
The mission’s success also kicked off a new lunar exploration race, which saw China run the fourth phase of a program it launched in April. With the Chang’e-6, 7 and 8 launch missions, China aims to explore the south pole of the moon and begin building the International Lunar Research Station.
#3 – Destination: Mars
By 2022, the number of operational Mars probes reached 11. However, it has since been reduced by one with the retirement of America’s InSighter a few days ago.
China’s first Mars rover, Zhurong, has been exploring the red planet for more than a year. As of May 15, it had logged 347 Martian days and captured 940 gigabytes of data. It has now gone into hibernation during the cold, dark Martian winter.
2022 was also a launch window to Mars, as the astronomical phenomenon known as “Mars opposition” offered spacecraft the most fuel-efficient route to the planet. Unfortunately, none have been released this year, and the window won’t reopen for another two years.
#4 – The James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) captured some of the most incredible images ever seen. Launched on Christmas Day 2021, the JWST has celebrated its first birthday and will continue to transmit amazing cosmological data.
#5 – Asteroid Redirection Tests
If an uninvited guest is hurtling toward Earth, planetary defense experts want to knock out potentially threatening asteroids or comets years or even decades before impact. As such, fifth on the list are mankind’s attempts to affect the orbit of a celestial body, which the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission first achieved.
In April, China announced an asteroid defense system expected to be tested in 2025 or 2026. It will monitor a risky asteroid and potentially divert it from its path toward Earth.
#6 – Low Earth Orbit Disorder
In 2021, China’s space station had to maneuver twice to avoid collisions with SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, which engage in an average of 1,600 close encounters each week, accounting for nearly 50 percent of ‘these incidents. Once the entire constellation is deployed, that number will increase to 90 percent.
With the rise of the commercial space industry and an increasingly crowded low Earth orbit, orbital clutter poses a real threat to space exploration. China is active in space governance and has presented several solutions at Airshow China 2022.
For example, a fist-sized device installed aboard a satellite can be deployed like a kite, helping to speed up the deorbiting of obsolete spacecraft. Either that or a satellite fuel supplier could extend its life.
With the dream of sustainable exploration in mind, we can optimize our shared space through cooperation.
What do you think and what tops your wish list for 2023?