As 2024 comes to a close, Universe Space Tech reflects on significant events in space exploration, from Starship successes to the challenges faced by Starliner, alongside new interplanetary missions and the conclusion of others.
The Ingenuity helicopter, which was deployed on Mars by the Perseverance rover in April 2021, originally served as a technology demonstrator. Its primary goal was to test the feasibility of aerial exploration of the Red Planet using heavier-than-air vehicles.
Ingenuity exceeded expectations, completing nearly three years of operations and flying approximately 17 kilometers, despite being designed for only five flights and 30 days. Unfortunately, its 72nd flight on January 18, 2024, ended with an emergency landing that damaged its blades, rendering it unable to fly. NASA maintained communication with Ingenuity for a time before transitioning it to an autonomous research station mode, where it is expected to wake daily, measure temperatures, and take images, storing data for future missions.
2024 was marked by SpaceX's continued advancements with Starship, conducting four test flights of the most powerful rocket system in history. The seventh flight is scheduled for early 2025, featuring an upgraded version of the spacecraft with larger fuel tanks. Key objectives include achieving orbit, orbital refueling, and recovery operations using Mechazilla. The success of these operations is crucial for timelines regarding human return to the Moon and Elon Musk's ambitions for a Mars mission by the decade's end.
In contrast, Boeing faced significant challenges with its CST-100 Starliner spacecraft. Initially slated for a 2017 debut, the first uncrewed flight did not occur until 2019, followed by a series of issues. The Starliner finally launched with crew in June 2024, but due to propulsion problems, NASA opted not to use it for the return of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who remained aboard the ISS for eight months. Although the Starliner eventually returned successfully, its future remains uncertain amid rumors of project discontinuation or sale.
Early 2024 also saw two private lunar missions. The Peregrine lander from Astrobotic experienced a fuel leak shortly after separation, forcing it to re-enter Earth's atmosphere. Conversely, Intuitive Machines' Odysseus successfully became the first private spacecraft to land on the Moon on February 22-23, despite technical difficulties during landing that compromised its communication.
Japan's JAXA launched the SLIM lander in September 2023, which aimed to demonstrate precision landing technology. After a lengthy journey, it began its descent on January 19, 2024, but encountered engine failure, resulting in a non-standard landing position. Despite this, SLIM demonstrated its primary goal and transmitted several images back to Earth.
China's Chang'e-6 mission made history by collecting and returning lunar samples from the Moon's far side, launching on May 3 and successfully landing on June 25. This mission's findings suggest prolonged volcanic activity on the Moon, reflecting China's growing space ambitions and plans for a crewed lunar landing by the decade's end.
The Polaris Dawn mission, funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman, launched on September 10, 2024, achieving two milestones: a new crewed spacecraft altitude record and the first private spacewalk, involving Isaacman and astronaut Sarah Gillis.
NASA's Europa Clipper, aimed at Jupiter's icy moon, launched in 2024, while the European Space Agency's Hera mission targeted the Didymos binary asteroid system, set to arrive at Dimorphos in late 2026 to study the effects of a previous impact.
In December, ESA launched Proba-3, which will create artificial solar eclipses for solar corona observations. Meanwhile, the NEOWISE telescope concluded its mission after more than a decade of service, concluding with its re-entry on November 2, 2024.
2024 ended with the Parker Solar Probe setting a new record, approaching the Sun at a distance of 6.2 million kilometers, enabled by a November maneuver. This achievement places Parker in the upper solar corona, with its heat shield enduring temperatures of 1500 °C. Although Parker will not change its orbit further, its mission is likely to continue due to operational success.