Out of This World: A Look Back at 2024’s Most Significant Space Industry Milestones and a Glimpse into What’s Next in 2025

As we close out the year 2024, it’s time to reflect on some of the most significant and groundbreaking events in the space industry. And what a year it has been! From historic missions to record-breaking feats, the past 12 months have seen some truly remarkable achievements.

One such moment was SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission, which marked a major milestone for private spacecraft travel. In September, two crew members, Isaacman and Sarah Gillis, ventured into space to test the capabilities of SpaceX’s spacesuits and Dragon vehicle. The duo spent around 10 minutes each outside the ship, performing tests on the suits while connected to the vehicle via umbilical cord.

Another notable achievement was the moon landing attempts by multiple private companies and nations. Astrobotic had to abort its mission just ten days in, but Intuitive Machines and Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency did manage to reach the lunar surface – even if they didn’t quite achieve a perfect landing. China, however, can take pride in successfully landing on the far side of the moon with its Chiang’e 6 mission, which also returned samples.

In more government-related news, the US Space Force made some significant moves this year. It awarded major contracts to commercial providers like SpaceX and Rocket Lab, worth millions of dollars, signaling a willingness to pay top dollar for critical services. The contracts included an eight-launch deal with SpaceX worth $733 million and another 18-satellite contract with Rocket Lab valued at $515 million.

These developments highlight the growing importance of private companies in space exploration. With government agencies struggling to keep pace with the rapid advances in this field, it seems clear that commercial entities will play a vital role in pushing humanity further into the cosmos.

And what about 2025? It promises to be an even more eventful year for the industry. SpaceX is expected to launch its seventh Starship mission, while K2 Space will begin testing its extra-large satellite.

Source: techcrunch.com