According to CSSS Vice President Larry Boyle, “It was a crowded year in space but most people didn’t notice because of all the COVID related news.” Indeed, 2021 was one of the most impactful years in space based on the breadth and scope of the many missions, both human and robotic. Unlike the 1960s and 70s, space is no longer the domain of just two national space programs. The players have expanded to include both a range of countries and an ever growing number of private companies – all attempting to take longer strides in space and expand the role space plays in our everyday lives.
In the 2021 Space Year in Review presentation, Chicago Society for Space Studies Vice President Larry Boyle provides an overview of the global space activities that occurred during 2021. In addition to covering the national programs of the United States, both NASA and the U.S. Space Force, the national space programs of the European Space Agency (ESA), China, Russia, Japan, India, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, and Iran are also discussed.
2021 was also the year of space tourism with the flights of Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and Inspiration4 . These and other commercial space activites will be addressed with a focus on Blue Origin, Boeing, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic.
With respect to the United States NASA program, human missions and programs that will be discussed include the International Space Station (including the Nauka module), Artemis, and the Space Launch System (SLS). NASA planetary missions covered include Perseverance, Ingenuity, Juno, Europa Clipper, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
| Date: | Sunday, December 5, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM Central |
| Location: | Online via Zoom Note that this event is restricted to CSSS members and Spacewatch subscribers. The Zoom link will be provided in the November 2021 issue of Spacewatch. |
| Description: | Due to local COVID event restrictions, CSSS will not be having our annual year-end party in person this year. Instead the 2021 Space Year in Review presentation will be a Zoom-based webinar. |
