2021 has been a very productive year for human beings to explore space. Many important projects have been implemented this year. Especially in the last days of 2021, the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest telescope ever built and expected to shed light on the unknowns of space, was a historic moment. However, 2022 is already promising big projects.
Space tourism steps are taken
Large organizations investing in space want to lift the curtains between human beings and space. Organizations that want to fully launch space tourism in the coming period are preparing to implement their planned projects in the near future. Here are 3 big projects expected to be done in the first quarter of 2022…
Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1)
SpaceX provides the touristic trip to the International Space Station (ISS), which is 400 kilometers away from Earth. It will be organized by Texas-based Axiom Space. In addition, it will use the Falcon 9 rocket of SpaceX, which has successfully passed all the tests, and the Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Tourists, called “private astronauts” by NASA, will undergo a series of astronaut training. Former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría will accompany the trip, which will be attended by 3 important business people. The Ax-1 mission, the first tourism mission that NASA will organize to the ISS, will take place on February 28, 2022.
Artemis 1 quest
There is little time left for the first leg of the Artemis mission, one of the projects that NASA attaches the most importance to. Artemis 1,2 and 3 steps, which are the first 3 steps of the long-term project, have already been planned. Within the scope of this project, NASA, which wants to make a manned journey to the Moon, will perform an uncrewed flight to the Moon orbit with Artemis 1. The project is expected to take place in March 2022.
The first step, Artemis 1, is a pioneer for other missions. NASA plans to complete the Artemis mission by 2028. At the end of these missions, the first touristic trip to the Moon will be made. If this long-term project is successful, scientists will plan the same mission for Mars.
Starship orbit test flight
The second leg of SpaceX’s Starship project is expected to take place in 2022. The project, called the return to the moon project, is also very important for the company’s CEO, Elon Musk. Date not confirmed yet. The first orbital flight of the spacecraft, which is stated as the most powerful rocket in the world, was planned to be made in January 2022. However, no statement has been made from the company yet.
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