2021 Was a Big Year for Space

Friday, December 24, 2021 at 08:34 AM ET

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Inspiration4, the world’s first orbital spaceflight fully crewed by civilians, successfully lifted off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on September 15. [Courtesy: Inspiration4]

Key Takeaways:

2021 marked a significant surge in civilian and commercial spaceflight, featuring the first all-civilian orbital mission (Inspiration4) and the active participation of billionaires in space tourism.
Concerns over space debris intensified due to the growing number of satellites in orbit and a condemned anti-satellite test by Russia that created hazardous orbital fragments.
NASA launched its pioneering DART mission, initiating its first major planetary defense effort to test asteroid redirection technology.

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From rocket tests to planetary defense, 2021 has been an eventful year for the space industry. Join the FLYING staff as we look back at our top five space stories of the year.

Successful Liftoff for First All-Civilian Space Mission

This year saw the world’s first of many all-civilian space flights, led by SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission. The three-day mission took its passengers all the way into orbit, surpassing the heights of similar launches by Blue Origin.