2024-01-01 15:11:47
After a year 2023 rich in discoveries, 2024 also looks promising in the field of science. The next twelve months will be particularly intense in space with the planned return of astronauts to the Moon, a first since the Apollo program, more than 50 years ago.
Published on: 01/01/2024 – 16:11
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Artemis II is NASA’s priority this year, the second mission in the return to the Moon program: 4 astronauts, including the first African-American and the first woman, will go around at the end of 2024. C This has been unprecedented since the end of the Apollo program in 1972.
Another highly anticipated mission from the American space agency: the takeoff of Europa Clipper. This is also a moon which is targeted, but from Jupiter this time. It’s called Europa, and it’s an icy world that contains an ocean of liquid water beneath its surface. It is of great interest to scientists, arriving at its destination in 2030.
Another takeoff, in Guyana this time: after years of delay, Ariane 6 must make its inaugural flight at the beginning of summer, an extremely important mission since its predecessor Ariane 5 retired.
We should also have something new from SpaceX, Elon Musk’s company which is continuing the development of Starship Super Heavy, the most powerful machine ever built. The first two attempts ended in explosion.
The SpaceX rocket is making its second test flight this Saturday, November 18 from Boca-Chica, Texas. © REUTERS/Joe Skipper
We will therefore have to resolve all the problems this year. NASA will need it for the continuation of the Artemis program and in particular Artemis III which will mark the return of man to the surface of the moon, in 2025 at the earliest.
Scientific advances of 2023
In September 2023, NASA’s Osiris Rex probe brought back to Earth samples taken from an asteroid: 250 g, the analysis of which will allow us to better understand the origin of the solar system.
Return of samples from NASA’s Osiris-Rex mission, Sunday September 1, 2023. AP
The origins of man and his presence on the American continent also made headlines this year with fossilized footprints, found on the shores of a lake in New Mexico, 23,000 years old. is much older than the previous oldest trace. Man would therefore have arrived in America much earlier than expected.
Two scientific firsts were also achieved: first nuclear fusion reaction in the laboratory which produced more energy than it required. We are still far from having a system capable of generating electricity on an industrial scale, but it is a necessary milestone to hope to have this means of production that is safer and cleaner than current power plants.
Finally, the first drug designed using a genome editing system was released this year. Few patients have yet received this treatment for severe forms of sickle cell disease. Here too, this is only the beginning of a field that looks promising.
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