Most memorable spaceflight and astronomy events of 2022

James Webb Space Telescope

Launched Christmas morning 2021, we had to wait until July 2022 for the first images to be released, but it was well worth the wait.

NASA released the first images and data from five targets. Spectacular views of exoplanets, nebulae, the birth of stars and even Saturn's moon Titan followed in the months to come. The telescope, named for North Carolina native and NASA Administrator during the early 1960s James Webb, continues to deliver discoveries that are changing the way scientists look at the universe.

Artemis 1

The inaugural flight of NASA's Space Launch System and first lunar mission for the Orion capsule launched on November 16 and splashed down off the Baja coast 25 days later. NASA will spend much of 2023 analyzing the mountains of data gathered by the mission ahead of a the Artemis II mission that will include astronauts in 2024.

DART

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission impacted asteroid Dimorphos in a test of planetary protection techniques to see how much its orbit around parent asteroid Didymos could be impacted.  The results were more than triple the amount that scientists had hoped for and produced  spectacular live views of the spacecraft smashing head first into the rocky surface.

Ingenuity helicopter sets height and distance records on Mars

Though a technology demonstration designed only for five modest flights, the Mars helicopter Ingenuity flew a record settling 2,310 feet at 12 mph during its 25th flight in April.  The little helicopter that could surprised controllers again reaching an altitude of 36 feet on December 3.  NASA/JPL is shooting for at least five more flights in 2023.

Ukraine war

Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent shock waves through the space industry.

Starlink competitor OneWeb, lost 36 of its internet service providing satellites, not in a launch mishap, but when Roscosmos removed the Soyuz rocket topped with the satellites from the launch pad shortly after its invasion of Ukraine. Roscosmos demanded proof that the satellites would not be used for military purposes With all six planned launches canceled, OneWeb is looking to other providers including SpaceX.

The European Space Agency postponed the planned September 2022 launch of the ExoMars mission in an unanimously voted to end all cooperation with  Roscosmos saying in a statement “While recognizing the impact on scientific exploration of space, ESA is fully aligned with the sanctions imposed on Russia by its Member States.” The mission is expected to launch no earlier than 2028 as the ESA searches not only for a replacement for the Russian Proton rocket, but also the Russian supplied landing platform and heating units designed to keep the rover operational in frigid Martian temperatures.

Russia announced ending delivery of rocket engines to U.S. companies and a stop to all maintenance and other support of existing engines, increasing the stakes for already-in-development replacements from American companies like Blue Origin.

U.S.-Russian cooperation with the international Space Station have been severely strained, though new Roscosmos head Yori Borisov, has a much a different tone in recent months than his blustery predecessor Dmitry Rogozin. Coolant leaks coming from the Soyuz MS-22 in December, meant not just as transportation for cosmonauts, but a life raft of sorts in an emergency, has resurfaced questions about the partnership.

Mission ends

The Indian Space Research Organization announced the end of the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM),the country's first interplanetary mission, citing depleted fuel and loss of battery power. The washing machine sized spacecraft entered Mars orbit in September 2014 for a six month primary mission.

NASA announced that the end of mission for the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission on December 21, 2022. The 790 pound lander had provided weather and seismic observations from the Elysium Planitia near Mars' equator since 2018.

The lander's batteries depleted as its solar panels could no longer generate enough power as dust in the atmosphere increased.

Recording setting launch year

Friday's launch of an Israeli commercial Earth Resources Observation Satellite from Vandenberg Space Force Base along the California coast brought the total number of successful orbital launches to 178, a 26% increase over 2021.  A third of the launches worldwide were Falcon 9 rockets, nearly doubling 2021's pace.

Sara Sabry of Egypt and Mário Ferreira of Portugal became the first citizens of their countries reach space aboard the Blue Origin NS-22 mission in August. Moldova, Armenia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe also launched their first satellites in 2022.

Things were planned to but didn't happen

2022 was supposed to be the year SpaceX's Starship reached orbit. The nearly 400 foot tall spacecraft was stacked and unstacked but remained grounded throughout 2022 as the company worked to address a list of issues found by the FAA in certifying the spacecraft and the south Texas launch site.

The maiden flight of United Launch Alliances, Vulcan Centaur, a replacement for the retired Atlas V series and Delta IV Heavy was postponed until 2023 by delivery delays of the methane fueled BE-4 engine provided by Blue Origin.