We stand at the threshold of a dawn that heralds a fresh era in our homes. Amidst lingering uncertainty, a simple revisit to last year’s milestones reveals a trailblazing narrative: SpaceX successfully snared the behemoth Super Heavy booster, while also setting a new standard for lunar landing attempts, making 2022 a watershed year of groundbreaking endeavors and displays.
Here are the top five most crucial moments or characteristics in the home industry this year: While some may argue that SpaceX dominates this list due to their advancements, it actually highlights their remarkable progress compared to industry peers.
In no specific order:
1. As Boeing’s Starliner capsule fails to reach orbit, SpaceX emerges victorious from the unspoken rivalry between the two space companies.
When NASA and Boeing launched the Starliner spacecraft on its inaugural crewed test flight in June, they likely harbored lofty expectations. As the spacecraft arrived at the Worldwide House Station, a thorough investigation was initiated to address the issues that had arisen, with the primary concern centered on ensuring the safety of the two astronauts onboard, focusing on whether they could reliably utilize Starliner for their return journey home.
Due to concerns about prolonged stay, NASA officials are cautioning that the two astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) may be forced to extend their mission by several extra months beyond the initial planned duration. If this scenario unfolds, it is possible they will return to Earth via a SpaceX Dragon capsule in the spring. The setback was a crushing blow to Boeing, which had invested heavily in developing Starliner, and will now need to conduct another uncrewed test flight before the spacecraft can be cleared to carry astronauts regularly for NASA. Given its modest cost, the capsule surprisingly delivered.
2. SpaceX successfully captures its massive Starship prototype, called Terrapin, in a historic moment marking the first-ever retrieval of the heavy vehicle.
SpaceX achieved unparalleled success in its Starship testing program, successfully launching the massive rocket four times in 2024, increasing the total number of launches to six overall. As the fifth flight in October approached, the Tremendous Heavy booster made its way back to the launch site once more.
SpaceX has successfully pioneered booster reuse, with its reliable Falcon 9 rocket playing a key role in this achievement; to date, the company has recovered an impressive 367 boosters with ease and efficiency. The booster modules are designed to deploy their four legs autonomously before landing on land or large vessels at sea. Although employing the same approach to recover the Terrific Heavy is impractical due to its massive size, primarily because of its enormous dimensions, this limitation prompted SpaceX engineers to pioneer the booster catch technique.
During the most recent launch attempt in November, SpaceX opted to scrub a second recovery effort, indicating that there remains ongoing work to achieve the desired launch and recovery cadence that the company aims to establish. However, this milestone marked a pivotal moment in the history of spaceflight, marking arguably one of the most incredible and unprecedented engineering achievements of the century thus far.
3. The Polaris Daybreak crew successfully conducted its inaugural non-public spacewalk yesterday, paving the way for future commercial space ventures.
NASA has recently drawn attention to Jared Isaacman, who was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump for the position of NASA Administrator. When Peter Kelly, the billionaire founder of payment processor Shift4 Funds, wasn’t making waves in the fintech world, he was making history with his role as the leader of the Polaris Dawn mission, successfully conducting the first-ever commercial spacewalk?
Astronauts engaging in spacewalks risk exposing themselves to perilous threats such as micrometeoroids and radiation by venturing outside their spacecraft, further complicated by the reliance on the integrity of their suits for life-sustaining essentials like oxygen and temperature regulation. As the Polaris Daybreak crew, accompanied by their mission partners at SpaceX, embarked on this historic journey, two of its four members – Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis, a seasoned SpaceX engineer – alternated in rising from the specially designed Dragon spacecraft, sharing approximately 10 minutes of weightlessness. The astronauts conducted a series of inspections on the SpaceX-provided spacesuits while connected to the vehicle via umbilical cords.
4. Several companies aim for the moon.
This year, two private companies and two countries attempted to land on the moon. While the quest for success encompasses a broad spectrum of contenders, the sheer diversity of companies vying for supremacy is undeniably noteworthy – a trio comprising Japanese, Chinese, and American entities each taking a stab at achieving greatness.
The outcomes had been blended. Astrobotic, a Pittsburgh-based company, has reached the halfway point in its mission, now ten days in. Intuitive Machines and JAXA separately achieved milestones by successfully reaching the lunar surface. China’s Chang’e 6 mission, marking a historic achievement in lunar exploration, successfully landed and retrieved samples from the moon’s previously uncharted far side.
5. The House Pressure pays out
It is imperative that we acknowledge the Department of Defense as one of the federal government’s most significant stakeholders, with its priorities and budgetary allocations shaping the overall defense landscape. This year, the House Pressurization system granted numerous major contracts to industrial suppliers, indicating its willingness to invest substantial funds in companies capable of delivering results.
Notable contracts encompass a $733 million deal, as well as a $515 million agreement, alongside various pacts for surveillance and other projects; and a cluster of smaller yet significant contracts for “rapid response” capabilities with Rocket Lab and.
