Incredible Science and Exploration Missions Set to Amaze in 2023

Subscribe to CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter and dive into the universe with updates on incredible discoveries, groundbreaking advancements, and much more. 2021 has been a year of remarkable milestones in the fields of science and space exploration.

SpaceX's Mars rocket exploded into a fiery inferno over the ocean not once, but twice. Meanwhile, a spacecraft swung by Earth to release pieces of an asteroid that could potentially hold secrets of the solar system. These events seemed like they were plucked straight out of a science fiction novel. This all happens as humanity sets out on a new mission to explore the universe, utilizing scientific instruments on the ground and spacecraft to journey among the stars.

Not only is there a renewed effort from NASA and the US government, but also from countries like India and China, as well as significant investment from private-sector businesses worldwide, a distinctive characteristic of the space race in the 21st century. Let's take a look back at some of the most remarkable moments in outer space from 2023.

The most powerful rocket ever constructed launches and explodes. Twice

The largest launch vehicle ever constructed, SpaceX's Starship rocket, took off from the company's facilities in South Texas on November 18, 2023. Unfortunately, the test mission ended in an explosion. (Source: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images)

Earlier this year, SpaceX's Starship, the rocket and spacecraft system intended to transport humans to Mars, made two important flight attempts. Unfortunately, the first attempt in April resulted in the vehicle losing control and ultimately being destroyed by SpaceX.

In November, during the second attempt, the 400-foot (120-meter) vehicle successfully fired all its engines and reached outer space, making it much farther into flight. However, both the Starship spacecraft and rocket booster ultimately exploded.

The test launch mishaps were not significant setbacks for SpaceX, as the company is known for embracing fiery failures in the early stages of rocket development.

The success of Starship carries great significance, as SpaceX rushes to prepare the vehicle to transport astronauts to the moon for NASA as soon as 2025. CEO Elon Musk has set his sights on using Starship to land humans on Mars by 2029.

There is ongoing controversy among some South Texas residents regarding the environmental impact of SpaceX's private spaceport and its operations. Meanwhile, in 2023, the company's owner and public figure, Elon Musk, became embroiled in unrelated controversies.

The Indian Space Research Organization has released an image from video showing the surface of the moon as the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft gets ready to land on August 23, 2023. This historic event marks India as the first country to successfully land a spacecraft in the moon's south pole region.

ISRO/AP

A new moon race is underway, and the participants so far have been robotic.

In April, the race to reach the lunar surface began with Ispace, a private Japanese company, as it attempted to land their commercial vehicle, the Hakuto-R lander, on the moon. Unfortunately, it ended with a crash-landing. Following this, in August, Russias space agency, Roscosmos, experienced a similar outcome when its Luna-25 mission also crashed into the moons surface.

India's space agency achieved a successful touchdown with the Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander on August 23, making India the fourth country to land a spacecraft on the moon, after the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China. Additionally, India made history by becoming the first country to land a spacecraft in the moon's south pole region.

Only China and India have achieved successful lunar landings in the 21st century, with Russia and the United States not returning to the moon since the 1970s. Additionally, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is currently preparing for a lunar landing attempt early next year.

Leaking spacecraft forced an astronaut to spend a year in space

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio works inside the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module in May 2023.

NASA

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio had anticipated a six-month stay on the International Space Station, but when the Russian Soyuz spacecraft experienced a coolant leak in late 2022, his return was delayed by six months while a replacement ride was arranged.

In September, he returned to Earth's solid ground after spending 371 days in orbit, surpassing the record for the longest stay in microgravity by any US astronaut.

Rubio openly admitted that the journey was challenging, mentioning that he may have turned down the mission if he had known he would be in space for such a long time. However, he stated that he only allowed himself one day to grieve the time lost on Earth before redirecting his focus to the mission.

Rubio, now part of US space travel history, found himself at the center of a playful "scandal." In the spring, he successfully harvested one of the first tomatoes ever grown in orbit. However, after misplacing it on board the station, he faced suspicion about whether he had consumed the valuable produce. It wasn't until December, months after his departure, that his colleagues exonerated him by revealing they had located the missing tomato.

Space tourism kicks into high gear

On June 29, 2023, spectators watch as a passenger rocket plane, operated by Virgin Galactic, takes off for the company's first commercial flight at the Spaceport America facility in New Mexico. (Photo: Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters)

With the rapid advancements in technology, space travel has become accessible to those who have the means to afford it. The era of space tourism began in 2023 with the Axiom-2 mission, which included decorated former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson and three paying customers. Among the crew were two astronauts from Saudi Arabia, whose travel was funded by their government, and American entrepreneur John Shoffner, who had made his fortune in the international telecom industry.

The private sector's second mission to the orbiting laboratory has been completed, with similar trips expected in the upcoming years at an estimated cost of about $55 million per seat. Meanwhile, Virgin Galactic, the space tourism venture founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, has begun offering regular trips to the edge of space for wealthy thrill-seekers, finally delivering on its promises after two decades.

Virgin Galactic conducted six suborbital space flights in 2023, transporting company personnel, test pilots, and paying customers aboard their rocket-powered space plane. Each seat on these flights cost around $450,000, with early ticket buyers securing lower prices.

In contrast, Blue Origin, led by Jeff Bezos, successfully returned its suborbital rocket to flight following an uncrewed rocket failure during a science mission in 2022.

NASA picked astronauts who will fly by the moon

During an event in Houston on April 3, 2023, astronauts Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch were announced as the crew for the Artemis II mission, scheduled for a lunar flyby in 2024. In the image, they are seen from left to right: Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch. (Image credit: Mark Felix/AFP/Getty Images)

In April, the four astronauts chosen to lead the first crewed moon mission in fifty years were announced. The historic Artemis II lunar flyby is scheduled to launch in November 2024. The team includes NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, as well as the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen.

During an announcement ceremony at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston on April 3, Glover emphasized that the four names announced were just the beginning. "It is the next step in the journey that will get humanity to Mars," he said. The Artemis II lunar flyby is anticipated to be the initial crewed mission in a series of planned missions by NASA, leading to the creation of a permanent outpost on the moon where astronauts can live and work. Ultimately, NASA aims to use these efforts as stepping stones for crewed missions to Mars.

NASA releases its first UFO report

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson addressed the media at a briefing in Washington on September 14, 2023, to share the results of a team of experts' research on unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs.

The US space agency recently formed a team of experts to investigate unidentified anomalous phenomena, commonly known as UFOs or UAPs. This group has released their initial findings in a report in September, aiming to scientifically study these mysterious occurrences.

The report highlighted that numerous reputable witnesses, including military pilots, have observed unidentified objects in U.S. airspace. While most of these incidents have been clarified, a few remain unidentifiable as any known human-made or natural phenomena. The group concluded that there is no substantial evidence to support the idea that these unexplained occurrences are linked to intelligent alien life.

The report recommended NASA utilize satellites, various instruments, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to gather more data on the phenomena. In a proactive response, NASA appointed its inaugural director of UAP research, marking the agency's first tangible effort to investigate UFOs.

These developments came as the US Defense Department races to get a handle on the phenomena, with the Pentagon receiving dozens of UFO reports each week.

OSIRIS-RExs special delivery

Astromaterials processors Mari Montoya (left) and Curtis Calva use tools to collect asteroid particles from the base of the OSIRIS-REx science canister.

NASA

In September, an out-of-this-world delivery landed in the Utah desert, and the contents of the capsule have presented astronomers with a cosmic puzzle they will be piecing together for years.

After successfully gathering a sample from the nearby asteroid Bennu in 2020, NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission safely released the capsule holding the valuable rocks and dust as it passed by Earth on September 24. Soon after, scientists discovered that the capsule contained an abundance of material that surpassed their expectations.

An initial examination indicated that the rocks and dust hold water and a significant amount of carbon, indicating that asteroids could have transported the essential components for life to Earth.

The asteroid sample holds the first of many insights, with "a whole treasure chest of extraterrestrial material" waiting to be analyzed, according to OSIRIS-REx principal investigator Dante Lauretta. At the same time, the OSIRIS-APEX mission is en route to meet the asteroid Apophis during its close approach to Earth in 2029.

Space rock surprise

The diagram displays the path of the Lucy spacecraft (red) as it passed by the asteroid Dinkinesh and its satellite (gray). At 12:55 p.m. ET on November 1, 2023, the spacecraft was located at "A" with a corresponding image inset. A few minutes later at 1 p.m. ET, the spacecraft's position was marked at "B." Image credit: NASA/Goddard/SwRI

The tiny Dinkinesh asteroid was initially intended to test the systems of NASA's Lucy spacecraft as it made its way to Jupiter in the late 2020s to survey the swarms of Trojan asteroids. However, this unassuming space rock proved to be full of surprises that have captivated astronomers.

During the flyby on November 1, Lucy captured images of Dinkinesh, located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. What the spacecraft's images revealed was unexpected: Dinkinesh is orbited by a smaller asteroid that is a contact binary, consisting of two small space rocks that are in contact with each other.

Tom Statler, NASA's Lucy program scientist, expressed his awe at nature's ability to surprise us with new puzzles. He emphasized the importance of great science in prompting us to ask questions that we never knew we needed to ask. Dinkinesh, which means "marvelous" in the Amharic language of Ethiopia, is certainly living up to its name.