Space Exploration to go to New Depths in 2022 With These 3 Launches

Posted: January 27, 2022 2:53 pm

All Eyes Trained on NASA, SpaceX, and ULA for the Next Year of Space Exploration

2021 was a banner year for rocket launches. According to the news organization Ars Techania, there were 133 successful rocket launches over the last year. This breaks the past record of 125 launches back in 1976.

Looking ahead to 2022, there are some notable launches that space enthusiasts will want to put on their calendar. Here are three of the most significant launches that you will want to follow over the coming year.

Artemis I – Spring 2022

All eyes will be on the latest rocket designed by NASA, known as the Space Launch System (SLS). The much-anticipated modern rocket will signal the start of NASA’s Artemis program. This program has the lofty goal of launching humans to the surface of the moon, a feat that has not been done since 1972. The program also has a goal of sending the first person of color and first female to walk on the surface of the moon.

The first Artemis I mission will not have a crew on board. With an expected launch sometime in March or April, the rocket will lift off at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The SLS rocket looks most like the Saturn V version that was designed during the Apollo program years. While the capsule is larger than the corresponding Apollo version, it functions in a similar manner as it returns to Earth with a water splashdown. RS-25 engines power the SLS with some extra help via two solid rocket boosters.

The first launch will spend approximately three weeks orbiting the moon. Should this mission be deemed a success, NASA is planning an Artemis II mission in either 2023 or 2024. This mission will include a crew with a plan to land the astronauts on the lunar surface.

Vulcan – Mid-2022

United Launch Alliance (ULA) is going to retire its famous Atlas V rocket this decade after nearly 20 years boasting a success rate of 100%. In its place, ULA will reveal the Vulcan rocket ship. ULA is already getting ready for the inaugural launch of Vulcan, performing a series of tank tests on a launch pad in Florida to close out the year.

Vulcan will be joined by ULA’s Delta IV and Delta IV Heavy, working with the U.S. Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office.

ULA has already announced that the first stage of the Vulcan is not designed to be fully recoverable. However, the company is hoping to recover the most costly engines after each flight.

While a specific date has not been revealed for the inaugural Vulcan flight, ULA has indicated to expect it sometime in the middle or latter part of the year. As of now, ULA is still waiting for the Vulcan’s new BE-4 engines. These engines have been contracted out to Blue Origin for production. Should the production and delivery be delayed, the Vulcan may need to wait until early 2023 to head into space.

Starship – Early 2022

While most people look to Florida as the site of the biggest rocket launches, SpaceX has been building a private launch facility in Boca Chica, Texas. Founded in 2002 by Tesla leader Elon Musk, SpaceX is looking to launch its Starship spacecraft as soon as possible.

This massive rocket stretches almost 400 feet in the sky and measures 30 feet wide. The Starship spacecraft is distinguished by its fully resusable transportation system that can move both crew and cargo into orbit.

Last year, SpaceX was awarded a coveted contract by NASA, designating Starship as the lunar lander for the organization’s Artemis program. NASA plans to send astronauts to the moon in the Orion capsule that is a part of the SLS. From there, they will transfer to the SpaceX landing system that is capable of landing on the surface of the moon. The astronauts will then transfer back to the Orion capsule to travel back to Earth.

The sheer size and power of the Starship makes space enthusiasts hopeful that the spacecraft will be able to send significant payloads into orbit while expanding its reach into parts of the solar system that have yet to be uncovered.

It is clear that 2022 is going to be another year of headlines for the space industry. You are not going to want to miss it.

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