Tail to Mars and competition with SpaceX: the top 5 space missions in 2021

 Many interesting space missions will start over the next 12 months. We are talking about the most unusual and ambitious projects from different countries that will come true this year.

Despite the restrictions and bans associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, several iconic space launches have taken place over the past year that, without exaggeration, have changed the rocket and space exploration industry.

NV has already compiled a selection of major space missions for 2020, including the triumph of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, as well as ESA and NASA's most important mission to explore the Sun.

Now is the period to talk about the rest of these missions, as well as other space launches that will take place in 2021. Spoiler alert: this year you will not be bored either.

Beginning of the Artemis mission 1

This year, one of the most important launches is planned, perhaps the most ambitious modern project of NASA: the Artemis space program (Artemis). As part of this program, U.S. engineers plan to send the first woman to the moon in 2024 and create a permanent colony of her astronauts orbiting a natural Earth satellite.

Despite SpaceX's success, the primary vehicle for this mission will be the SLS launcher, which Boeing has been developing for more than 10 years.

The particularity of the rocket lies in its engines: the SLS has the most powerful propulsion system ever developed for such machines. NASA predicts that the rocket will be able to deliver around 24 tons of payload to the moon.

In the coming days, the first test of the liquid fuel SLS engines will be carried out. If all goes according to plan, the launcher should take off at the end of 2021 as part of the Artemis 1 mission.

The success of the entire Artemis program will largely depend on this mission.

 Full house on Mars

 Last summer, several countries sent their spacecraft to Mars at the same time: for China and the United Arab Emirates, these were the first Martian missions, and for NASA, the launched Perseverance rover was already the fifth of the history of the United States, not to mention the others. American objects in the red. Planet.

Persistence will land on the surface of Mars on February 18, 2021 at Jezero Crater, which scientists say was the delta of an ancient river and the source of life billions of years ago. If successful, the rover will become the second active rover in addition to the Curiosity rover, which has been exploring Gale crater since 2012.

 

The Chinese probe Tianwen-1, in turn, will not be able to descend to the planet's surface until April 2021, and its purpose is to study Martian soil, analyze the chemical composition of the soil and research there biomolecules.

Unlike Chinese and American spacecraft, the Arab probe "Al Amal" (from Arabic - hope) will not descend to the surface of the planet; Using various research instruments, the probe must study the Martian climate from orbit. The launch of this device in the orbit of Mars is also expected in February 2021.

Manned launch of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner

 

After the successful launches of Crew Dragon last year, it is no longer very relevant to recall that Boeing had every chance of overtaking Elon Musk and being the first to prepare its spacecraft to send NASA astronauts to the ISS.

After the failed Boeing CST-100 Starliner test launch in late 2019, it was clear that all laurels will go to SpaceX and Crew Dragon's first manned flight is only a matter of months away.

Nonetheless, Boeing continues to honor the terms of its contract with NASA and the company is expected to complete the first manned launch of its spacecraft this year.

The CST-100 Starliner flight to the ISS with three NASA astronauts on board is not expected until June 2021. If successful, the Americans will have two spacecraft that can carry people into orbit.

Hello Roskosmos with your "Union", which is almost 10 years old, they were the only ships in the world to perform manned space flights.

The beginnings of Blue Origin

Another SpaceX competitor this year could be Jeff Bezos' rocket company Blue Origin.

The company is making for the first launch of its New Glenn rocket, which will be capable of lifting 13 tonnes of payload in geostationary orbit and 45 tonnes in low earth orbit.

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