eBook "One Year in Space 2020-2021"

The year 2020 marked a turning point in global spaceflight, highlighted by the first crewed mission of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft launched aboard Falcon 9, restoring human launch capability to the United States. SpaceX also maintained a high launch cadence, primarily deploying Starlink satellites while advancing reusable launch technology. At the same time, China conducted a wide range of missions using the Long March rocket family, including the Tianwen-1 Mars mission and the completion of its BeiDou global navigation system. United Launch Alliance supported critical government and scientific missions with Atlas V and Delta IV rockets, while Europe’s Ariane 5 continued serving commercial and institutional customers. Smaller launch providers such as Rocket Lab expanded dedicated small-satellite services.

The year 2021 marked a period of expansion and transformation in global space launch activity. SpaceX led in launch cadence with its reusable Falcon 9 rocket, deploying Starlink satellites, supporting NASA crew and cargo missions to the International Space Station, and enabling private astronaut flights. China advanced construction of its Tiangong space station with Long March launches of core modules, cargo vehicles, and crewed missions, demonstrating an independent long-duration human spaceflight capability. United Launch Alliance launched NASA’s Lucy asteroid mission aboard Atlas V, while Europe’s Ariane 5 and Russia’s Soyuz continued supporting commercial and governmental payloads. Smaller launch companies, including Rocket Lab, expanded dedicated small-satellite services.

This eBook, “One Year in Space 2020-2021”, brings together the mission patches from human spaceflights, satellite deployments, cargo missions, test flights, and deep space launches that took place over the course of the year. These patches, created by space agencies, companies, and mission crews, form a vivid timeline of events, capturing both the symbolism and the spirit of each mission.

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