Dozens of launches, critically important science and the dawn of space tourism were some of the key highlights for the year that was in space.

There were 31 launches from the Space Coast, ranging from experiments and human launches to the International Space Station to science and military missions to low Earth orbit and beyond.

Peter Cranis, the executive director of the Space Coast Office of Tourism, said the proliferation of launches is helping the economy of the Space Coast return to pre-pandemic levels of activity.

“From an occupancy perspective, you see that the weeks where there are launches really spiking,” Cranis said. “Of course, comparing ourselves to 2020, in 2021 we’re way beyond that. So, we were really looking back to 2019 numbers. And seeing we were matching 2019 and, in some cases, beating it in a given week. So, ’21 was really an impressive turnaround for us.”

Journey to the ISS

Continuing the trend of crewed launches from Kennedy Space Center (KSC), NASA and SpaceX sent up two new four-astronaut crews to the ISS with the launches of Crew-2 and Crew-3. Both Crew-1 and Crew-2 astronauts also safely splashed down following their six-month stint at the orbiting outpost. 

SpaceX also launched three cargo missions to the Space Station, packed with science and supplies for the astronauts on board. 

Highlighting her first trip to space, Crew-3 astronaut Kayla Barron also completed her first spacewalk alongside veteran astronaut Tom Marshburn. 

Northrrop Grumman also sent two Cygnus cargo freighters to the Space Station, launching from Wallops Island, Virginia. 

A global dialogue around space debris was sparked anew following Russia’s destruction of a defunct Soviet satellite in mid-November, which caused those aboard the Space Station to take shelter in their respective launch vehicles. 

The move was widely condemned by several U.S. agencies as well as other countries. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told Spectrum News 13 in November that it was his understanding that the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, was also blind sighted by the move.

“I think it demonstrates that it was one hand of the Russian government not knowing what the other hand was doing,” Nelson said just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Scientific accomplishments

The past year was also full of important science experiments, demonstrations and missions that were years, if not decades, in the making. 

Early in the year, the Perseverance Mars rover touched down on the Red Planet. Over the months that followed, it collected samples that will eventually be brought back to Earth and deployed the Ingenuity copter, which made several flights.

Missions bound for asteroids had a markedly good year. The Lucy spacecraft launched on a ULA rocket on a first-of-its-kind, 12-year mission to explore the Trojan asteroids that fall within Jupiter’s orbit. SpaceX launched the Double Asteroid Redirect Test (DART), which is the first planetary defense mission. 

It’s designed to see if humans can alter the trajectory of an asteroid in order to prevent one from hitting the Earth, if one does threaten the planet in the future.

SpaceX also launched NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) spacecraft, another first-of-its-kind observatory, which is dedicated to measuring the polarization of x-rays from active cosmic entities, like black holes and pulsars. 

Probably the most highly anticipated bit of science and engineering was launched on Christmas morning when an Ariane 5 rocket sent the James Webb Space Telescope on its million mile journey to peer back to the first stars and galaxies in our universe. 

Misses and mishaps

After having to repeat the slate of tests known as the Green Run early in the year, among other delays, NASA had to push back the launch of its first Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will kick off the Artemis program bound for the Moon.

At the start of the year, the space agency was optimistic that a launch by the end of 2021 was possible. At this point, NASA is targeting March 2022 as the earliest launch window. 

Boeing also continued to struggle with its Starliner spacecraft. Its vehicle was selected as the second in a two-vehicle operation for the Commercial Crew Program. Following an incomplete, uncrewed orbital flight test (OFT) in 2019, the company aimed for a July launch for OFT-2. 

However, valve issues that have yet to be fully resolved caused the test launch to be pushed back to a new target date in May 2022. The delay of Starliner not only caused the company to switch its modules for the upcoming test, but also forced NASA to add three extra launches to SpaceX’s previous six-launch contract in order for there not to be a gap in the launch schedule. 

The farthest-reaching space-related issue dealt with space debris. Conversations were sparked anew after Russian conducted an anti-satellite missile test and destroyed a defunct Soviet satellite. 

The debris forced those aboard the ISS to shelter in their respective spacecraft and sparked condemnation from several U.S. agencies and countries around the world. 

Space tourism

2021 was the year that really kicked off what may be viewed by some as a billionaire space race. But the advent of space tourism brought several regular people to the edge of space and beyond. 

Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin sent their founders on a trip with others on a brief visit to suborbital space.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk didn’t make the journey on the Inspiration4 mission, but instead, billionaire Jared Isaacman launched with three others on a three-day orbit around the world. The venture was also a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which raised more than $240 million so far.

On the Space Coast, Space Perspective announced that it will build its worldwide campus in Titusville and bring 240 jobs to the area to support its luxury balloon ride. It will start ferrying customers in 2024.

Looking ahead

In addition to the launches of both Artemis 1 and Starliner, the new year is also expected to feature the first orbital launch test of SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket. Starship was the vehicle chosen as the first lunar lander for the Artemis program.

Blue Origin is said they are aiming for a late 2022 launch of its orbital-class New Glenn rocket form the Space Coast. 

Relativity Space is also looking at a 2022 debut launch for its 3D-printed Terran 1 rocket from Launch Complex 16 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Axiom Space is also looking at late February to launch the first private astronaut mission to the Space Station.