A Triumphant Year of Space Exploration.

January 4, 2021 – In 2020, we saw a record of 31 successful launches from the Space Coast of Florida —an epicenter of space exploration.

May 30, 2020–The SpaceX Demo-2 mission was the first launch with astronauts since 2011 and part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Image Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

In May, we witnessed the historic return to human spaceflight, with astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley aboard SpaceX Crew Dragon and a Falcon 9 rocket, ending a nine-year period without crewed missions from US soil.

The Space Coast saw 31 successful launches in 2020, and the last time the industry worked at this pace was in 1966, when there were 29.

The missions were varied, with SpaceX deploying Starlink satellites, military satellites and resupplying the International Space Station. The highlight for the year was the successful relaunch of astronauts from American soil.
 
 

May 30: Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley launch to ISS

After years of buying seats on Russian rockets, America got back to crewed business with astronauts manning a Crew Dragon capsule aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.  As crowds chanted “USA” the two men blasted off to the International Space Station, beginning a new era in space flight.
 

July 30: Perseverance rover launches to Mars

Robotic exploration has been significant on Mars and this mission continued with the launch of the rover “Perseverance”. Heading out on a ULA Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the rover will land on Mars in February where it will look for signs of ancient life.
 

Aug. 2: Behnken and Hurley splashdown into Gulf

The crewed SpaceX mission came to a successful conclusion when Behnken and Hurley splashed down after 63 days in space. The residents of Pensacola, Florida and the rest of the world watched the first astronaut water landing in 45 years.
 

Nov. 14: Four more astronauts launch from Florida

Keeping up the impressive pace, SpaceX and NASA launched four more astronauts into space on Nov. 14 on the first “operational” flight of the commercial Dragon spacecraft.
 

Looking Ahead

SpaceX plans to launch at least seven times to the ISS, with some missions being cargo resupply and others involving astronauts.

Florida is in the running for the new headquarters of The Space Force, one of six states on the shortlist.

Testing of the Starliner spacecraft by Boeing is slated for this year, with an uncrewed test flight scheduled for March.

Also, Boeing, the other company NASA contracted with in 2014 to build commercial crew vehicles, is looking to 2021 to complete testing of its Starliner spacecraft, with plans to launch astronauts by next year.

 

Source: Orlando Sentinel