To Innovation…and Beyond! Trends in Space Exploration for 2022
As technology advances, the interest in space exploration continues to grow. Morgan Stanley Research estimates that the space economy could reach $1 trillion by 2040. With the surge in new investment opportunities, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce believes the space economy is poised to host even more economic possibilities, from new markets for businesses to job opportunities for researchers and scientists.
This rapid and expansive growth is due, in large part, to increased partnerships between private sector investors and government agencies. From the organizations we know and love, like NASA, to private startups like Relativity, the space race has entered a new age dominated by space tourism, bio-research, and even 3D printing. In this article, take a look at some of the most innovative opportunities in space exploration coming this year.
Space-Tourism: Private Investors Are Fueling Space Missions
From curious celebrities to billionaire private funders, the interest in space travel has made becoming an “astronaut” more attainable than ever before. In 2021 alone, private investors contributed over $10 billion to space exploration, a number that’s projected to skyrocket in the coming years.
As investors become increasingly interested in space exploration, privately funded space missions will dominate the industry. Below are some of the most significant missions preparing for liftoff in 2022.
SpaceX Starship Orbit
Aimed for early March 2022, the Starship orbital launch will take its inaugural flight for a brief orbit before making a splash into the Pacific Ocean. If testing goes well, SpaceX plans to use the Starship for operational missions in 2023 and eventually crewed missions to Mars.
Axiom Space: Microgravity Experiments
Houston-based company Axiom Space will embark on a private mission to the International Space Station in late February. The Axiom Mission 1 consists of four astronauts and will feature two days of travel and eight days aboard the ISS, where they will conduct 25 microgravity experiments.
Intuitive Machines Moon Landing
Intuitive Machines’ robotic Nova-C lunar lander is scheduled for flight in early 2022. The spacecraft intends to land on the moon to deliver payloads to the surface to send data back to Earth.
NASA’s Space Launch System
With an intended launch of April 2022, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) will begin testing the Orion spacecraft to make sure the spacecraft and rocket components properly communicate with systems on the ground.
For more in-depth details regarding these missions and many others, continue reading at Space.com.
Space innovators are entering 2022 with a desire for more. And as private investors and government entities want to customize new and innovative space vessels, they’ll need a partner who can quickly and efficiently create the components to bring their ideas to life.
Bio-Research: Making Space Life More Accessible
With more people making their voyage through space, the need for cutting-edge research becomes even more important and aerospace scientists are interested in making life in space more accessible through bio-research. So what is bio-research?
According to NASA, bio-research and Space Biology research is aimed at building “a better understanding of how spaceflight affects living systems in spacecraft such as the International Space Station (ISS), or in ground-based experiments that mimic aspects of spaceflight, and to prepare for future human exploration missions far from Earth.”
Researchers are currently testing how nutrients in stored foods and supplements degrade over time on the International Space Station. For example, a biology experiment called BioNutrients is testing a way to use microorganisms to produce nutrients – off Earth and on demand – that will be critical for human health in space.
According to NASA, these applications are important because scientists can use the information learned from the space environment to apply to Earth and, in doing so, learn more about the restrictions of nutrients and compounds in remote areas and situations on Earth that are critical to sustaining life. As a result, researchers must be able to rely on the equipment performing in the most extreme environments. Without critical connectors in place throughout the space station, scientists wouldn’t be able to produce the cutting-edge research that is powering the space economy.
Space Vehicles: Increasing Innovation In Production
In addition to the life-changing research scientists are developing to make life in space more accessible, engineers are also developing spacecraft that can better adjust to the extreme environments of space.
From robotics to 3D-printed rockets, engineers utilize unique technology to power the spacecraft that carry innovative researchers. For example, Intuitive Machines and Astrobotic are two companies who plan to send small lunar landers to the moon throughout 2022 that will use robotics to navigate the terrain of the moon’s surface. For example, Astrobotic, in particular, will use a four-legged lander named “Peregrine” to deliver essential research payloads.
Additionally, companies like Relativity are using 3D-printed rockets for satellite production. According to CNN, Relativity plans to 3D print nearly every component of its orbital rockets. This means that they could build a rocket in less than one month, a time frame that is extremely attractive to private investors.
For these organizations to see their innovative designs in practice, they need to build and leverage partnerships that can take their ideas to the next level in a time-efficient manner.
Experience That’s Out Of This World
Hermetic Seal is well known for space-grade quality, having supported lunar and Mars missions alike for many decades. In fact, our products were part of the original Mars Rover, the Artemis Moon Constellation Project, upgrades to the International Space Station, and NASA’s New Horizons initiative. In addition, we’ve designed and manufactured connectors for all major rockets, as well as electronic and optical packages for satellites. We’ve even designed components for spacesuits.
We have over 30 years of experience developing and designing products that solve the most technically challenging requirements for Space Applications. But the company has been around a lot longer. Since 1945, Hermetic Seal has been the go-to premier designer and manufacturer of high-reliability custom hermetically sealed electrical interconnection devices. Its products are used in sensing and actuating systems by the aerospace and defense, oil and gas, and medical device industries worldwide.