[ti:2024 Another Big Year for Space Exploration]
[al:Science & Technology]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2025-01-06]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:00.00]As we enter the new year, we take a look back at some of the biggest space stories of 2024.
[00:11.11]Nearly one year ago, a private spacecraft completed the first U.S. moon landing in more than 50 years.
[00:21.47]The American space agency NASA announced the space lander, called Odysseus, had touched down on the lunar surface February 22.
[00:37.14]Odysseus was developed by the Texas-based company Intuitive Machines.
[00:44.77]The spacecraft carried out several science experiments before powering down permanently on the moon in late March.
[00:57.20]NASA said Odysseus had successfully captured data to help the agency "better understand the moon's environment and improve landing precision and safety."
[01:13.66]Japan's space agency JAXA announced in January 2024 that its SLIM spacecraft had successfully landed on the moon. 
[01:28.14]But the lander touched down the wrong way up, causing some communication and power problems.
[01:37.64]Japanese space officials reported that they stayed in communication with SLIM through late April.
[01:47.51]They said the spacecraft was able to collect valuable data about the touchdown and surrounding area.
[01:58.59]One purpose of the mission was to demonstrate new precision landing technology.
[02:06.44]JAXA said the experiment was successful because SLIM was able to land within 10 meters of its planned target.
[02:18.73]In May, China launched its Chang'e 6 spacecraft to the moon's far side. 
[02:27.75]In late June, Chinese space officials announced the spacecraft had returned to Earth with rock and soil samples collected on the lunar surface.
[02:41.96]The successful return made China the first country to ever collect and bring back lunar samples from the far side of the moon. 
[02:54.95]The area is known as the far side because it always faces away from Earth.
[03:03.54]In October, the European Space Agency (ESA) said it had successfully launched a spacecraft, called Hera, to explore an asteroid struck in an earlier NASA test mission. 
[03:20.96]Hera's trip to the asteroid is expected to take about two years.
[03:27.78]Hera is headed to the asteroid Dimorphos.
[03:33.18]NASA crashed its DART spacecraft into the space rock in 2022, about 11 million kilometers from Earth.
[03:45.55]NASA said its mission successfully showed it was possible to change the orbit of asteroids that might threaten Earth in the future.
[03:58.81]Hera aims to closely examine Dimorphos to get more details on how the strike by DART affected the asteroid. 
[04:09.99]The data that NASA collected is to be used together with information gathered by ESA to develop future planetary defense plans.
[04:23.84]NASA announced the successful launch of its Europa Clipper spacecraft in October. 
[04:33.04]The explorer is designed to search for possible signs of life on Jupiter's moon Europa.
[04:41.48]Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and has numerous moons. 
[04:49.54]But icy Europa has been identified by scientists as a good candidate for having the right conditions to support life.
[05:01.75]Several studies have suggested the moon likely contains a large ocean beneath its icy surface.
[05:12.28]NASA said the Europa Clipper would fly past Mars, then back toward Earth, "using the gravity of each planet to increase its momentum." 
[05:26.14]These kinds of "gravity assists" are expected to provide the needed push to get the spacecraft to Jupiter by 2030.
[05:39.57]In early June, Boeing successfully carried out a test mission for NASA by transporting two American astronauts - Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams - to the International Space Station (ISS).
[05:59.31]The two were expected to stay in space for only a week.
[06:04.98]But ongoing technical issues with the Starliner spacecraft prevented a return trip.
[06:14.04]NASA announced plans in August to have Starliner return to Earth without the astronauts. 
[06:23.36]The current plan is for Wilmore and Williams to return on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft sometime in late March or April.
[06:37.31]SpaceX has now completed six launch tests of its huge Starship rocket system. 
[06:46.56]Four of those tests were carried out in 2024. 
[06:51.60]The last test took place in November.
[06:56.54]The Starship rocket and spacecraft system is designed to be a completely reusable vehicle to transport astronauts and supplies. 
[07:09.41]It has successfully demonstrated that ability in its most recent experimental flights.
[07:18.38]During one of the tests in October, Starship's Super Heavy booster rocket was "caught" and secured by a huge structure that includes metal arms.
[07:33.05]A short time later, Starship's second stage safely splashed down in the Indian Ocean.
[07:42.38]I'm Bryan Lynn.