In February 2021, three spacecraft approach Mars, in October or November, scientists plan to send a probe to Trojan asteroids, at the same time a new orbital telescope is going to be launched into space, which can revolutionize the universe. In 2021, we will also see the launch of new missiles from private aerospace companies.
Here is a list of space missions scheduled for the next 12 months.
Martian TrioLast summer, the UAE, China and the United States sent their devices to Mars. The first to the Red Planet will arrive by the Arabic probe Emirati Hope ("Nadezhda"), this will happen on February 9; He will explore Mars with orbits. The main scientific task of the Arab Space Station is to make a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere. Emirati Hope will explore the dust storms in the lower layers of the atmosphere and how the weather changes on the planet during the Martian day and year.
The next day, February 10, the Chinese mission "Tianwean-1" will arrive at Mars (translated as "questions to heaven" or "Questions to the sky"). For three months, TianVen-1 system, consisting of a orbital probe and a landing module with a rover on board, will circle around the planet, and in May will send a descendable apparatus with a rover to the surface. China for the first time trying to plant the apparatus on the surface of another planet, the most difficult thing in this mission is to make a soft landing. In case of success, the Chinese rover will search for water, the preparation of geological maps, collecting and analyzing the surface composition of the surface.
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The American Marso Party Perseverance ("perseverance") approaches Mars. Landing on the surface is scheduled for February 18. If the initial stage of the mission will be successful, in the dried crater lake Ezero Rover will begin to look for signs of microbial life. The device will explore the surrounding area for the presence of biosignatures, after which it will begin to collect samples of rocks, which will then leave in a cache-container, other missions will be returned to the ground.
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Perseverance is attached by the Ingenuity helicopter ("ingenuity"), which NASA is going to test at low height. Scientists say that in case of success, American engineers will make a kind of revolution in the study of space: a new type of robots will appear, which can study the planets and their satellites from a bird's eye view.
Second test flight Starliner capsules without crew and first piloted flightIn December 2019, Boeing conducted unmanned tests of his Starliner ship. However, during the ORBITAL TEST FLIGHT-1 test flight (OFT-1), during which the ship should have approached the ISS and dock with the station, there were difficulties with the software of the device, and could not get to the city of Starliner.
Boeing specialists have studied the problem, eliminated it and are now going to hold the second unmanned trials orBital Test Flight-2 (OFT-2). Run is scheduled for March 29. If Boeing succeeds, Starliner will become a second commercial piloted ship, after Crew Dragon from Spacex approved by NASA to derive astronauts into orbit.
If the unmanned tests of Starliner in March 2021 will be successful, in the summer on board the ship will fly astronauts for the first time, it will be Michael Fink, Nicole Mann, Barry Wilmore. The first pilot flight of Starliner to the ISS is scheduled for June.
Moonpiece of Japan, Great Britain, USAIn the US, there is a NASA COMMERCIAL LUNAR PAYLOAD SERVICES program (CLPS). The country's space agency is looking for and concludes contracts with private companies for so-called space transport services. As part of these contracts, "private traders" should develop small robotic landing devices, to then send them to the surface of the satellite, all-terrain vehicles or lunaries of partner countries, mainly in order to intelligence lunar resources.
One of these companies has become Pittsburgh's Astrobotic, whose Peregrine Lander's descended module in the summer of 2021 should deliver two tiny lunas on the moon: the Japanese robot on the wheels of Yaoki and the British lunok spider developed by Spacebit. These are the first lunar robots of Japan and the UK, the devices will be engaged in the study of the satellite surface.
If the mission of Peregrine Lander will go according to the plan, the landing module will deliver the moon of cremated remains of the famous science fiction writer Arthur Clark.
In October, the Second Private American company Intuitive Machines plans to send its landing attitude NOVA-C. The device is an unmanned cargo device with a liquid-jet engine on a liquid methane, capable of delivering up to 100 kg of cargo at a time. In 2021, the company's module is going to deliver five NASA payloads to the surface of the satellite, after which it will transmit various data to our planet for 13.5 terrestrial days.
In November, the first flight of the super-heavy two-stage NASA SLS carrier missile versions of the Block 1. As part of the unmanned mission, Artemis 1 "(Artemis-I) SLS will have to bring Orion ship to the lunar orbit, which will fly the moon and three weeks later Return back to the ground.
The SLS flight will take place only if the construction of the rocket is completed on time and it will pass all the necessary tests. Recall, the first launch of SLS NASA has repeatedly transferred, last time in 2020.
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The Mission "Artemis 1" plays an important role in NASA plans for landing people to the moon. In case of success of this mission, in 2022 the Agency will fly away the moon with the crew on board, and in 2023 and in 2024 there is already a flight with disembarking astronauts to the surface of the satellite.
Russia on the moonRussia, which in early October plans to send the Moon-25 mission to the Luna in early October. The device will fall in the southern pole area for the study of the lunar regolith, exosphere and dust, also "Luna-25" will evaluate the mass fraction of the frozen water in the regulate. The South Pole of the Moon is very promising for research space. In 2009, the Indian probe Candraian-1 and the NASA LCROSS apparatus found a significant supply of water ice here. This region is considered by NASA as a goal of the first after a long interruption of the disembodiment landing, which should take place in the 2020s.
Running orbital telescopeIn late October, the beginning of November it is planned to launch the orbital telescope "James Webba" - one of the most important from the scientific point of view of space missions, which was postponed for more than one year due to technical problems and growing costs.
The telescope "James Webba" will be the successor "Hubble", and, as scientists hope, will help learn more about the atmospheres of distant planets and reveal the secrets of the early universe.
The orbital Observatory is almost ready for work, now it is preparing for the last tests, during which engineers will check the most complex parts of the telescope, such as a sunscreen.
Deep into the solar systemThis year, NASA is going to send the world's first planetary protection mission to Cosmos (Double Asteroid Redirection Test). Run is scheduled for the end of July. With the help of a special 500 kilogram automatic apparatus, scientists want to check whether it is possible to move the orbit of a small body, affecting it. For this, experts will collide the station with an asteroid Didymos, consisting of two tel: Didymos A (diameter of 780 meters) and Didymos B (diameter of 160 meters). From the impact, the amount of energy equivalent to the amount allocated during the explosion of three tons of trotyl is highlighted.
In essence, the Agency will experience technology that theoretically can become a "planetary shield": to change the course of the object so that it does not encounter earth.
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The probe will have to hit Didymos B at a speed of 6 km / s. It is assumed that the blow will change the asteroid flight trajectory and the Didymos B orbital speed of approximately 0.4 mm / c. In October 2022, the asteroid will fly almost 11 million kilometers from our planet.
In October-November, another NASA ambitious mission on the study of Trojan asteroids - Lucy should be launched. This is the first mission in the history of space research, which will have to study the population of Trojan asteroids rotating around the Sun together with Jupiter ("Ahead" and "Behind" the Planet). For 12 years, the device will examine 8 "space pebbles".
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System for removing space trashThe launch of the first commercial system to remove cosmic garbage is scheduled for March. The ELSA-D device from the Japanese company Astroscale will lead into orbit the Russian Rocket "Soyuz-2". The probe is a test system of two stations: a 175-kilogram "serving" station and a 17-kilogram "client" target. With the help of the magnetic capture, the "serving" station "will attract", and then "releases" the target to show the possibility of capturing the parts of the cosmic garbage in different conditions. If the tests are successful, Astroscale plans to implement technology to work and provide services for "cleaning" of cosmic garbage from orbit.
Trial launches of new launch vehiclesImmediately several private aerospace companies plan in 2021 to experience their new rockets.
In the summer, United Launch Alliance, which belongs to Lockheed Martin and Boeing, will hold the first trial launch of the super-heavy Vulcan media, which is stated, will be able to withdraw to geostationary orbit up to 14.5 tons of cargo. Key element of the future rocket - BE-4 engines using methane.
Closer to the summer, Blue Origin is going to test his heavy launch vehicle NEW GLENN, capable of increasing to a geostationary orbit up to 13 tons of payload. The first stage of the rocket will be equipped with the BE-4 seven engines, we talked about them above. Recently, NASA announced that New Glenn will join a fleet of commercial carrier-carrier agency.
In the fourth quarter, Spacex tested super heavy super heavy. This rocket will be equipped with 31 Raptor System Engine and will be able to display a geostationary orbit to 21 tons of payload. The company wants to use Super Heavy as the StarShip ship's stage to withdraw him to orbit. In the future, as Spacex plans, STARSHIP ships will be able to deliver people to the moon and Mars.
United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin and Spacex are not the only companies that are going to experience their rockets in 2021. Several startups on the launch of small satellites are also hoping to enter the "space market" in the new year: Firefly Aerospace and Relativity Spacet.
The Firefly Aerospace based on Texas is going to launch its new two-stage Alpha launch vehicle for withdrawing to the orbit of small satellites in 2020, but due to the pandemic, the company's plans have changed and the mission was postponed by 2021. Alpha will be able to withdraw to a geocentric orbit up to 600 kg of payload.
Relativity Space - Startup from Los Angeles, which printed its TERRAN 1 rocket on a 3D printer. It is planned that this carrier will withdraw small satellites from sites on Cape Canaveral. It is expected that the company will be expected for the first time in the second half of 2021.
Tourists at the ISS.In the second half of 2021, the first fully private flight to the ISS should take place. Agreement signed between Spacex and Startap Axiom Space provides for sending three space tourists to a station on the ship Crew Dragon. On the ISS, tourists plan to spend eight days.
In Axiom, it is noted that tourists flew to the space station before, but this time it will be the first "fully private mission" to the station.
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