Spaceflight in 2023: Highs, Lows, Records, and Stunning Images

The year 2023 in spaceflight was filled with highs and lows. SpaceX's Starship had two explosive flights, but made progress with its megarocket. Other rockets, including Japan's H3 and Relativity Space's Terran 1, also experienced failures. Boeing's Starliner faced technical problems and remained grounded. A breakthrough in space-based solar power was achieved by researchers from the California Institute of Technology. Virgin Orbit declared bankruptcy after a failed launch, while Virgin Galactic laid off staff. However, important milestones were reached in projects such as Amazon's Project Kuiper, science missions like JUICE and Psyche, and the U.S. Space Force's Victus Nox mission. Private companies in Europe and China also made advancements. The Moon saw both successes and failures, with India successfully landing on the lunar surface and Russia and NASA experiencing crashes. NASA made progress with the Artemis program, unveiling a prototype Moon suit and signing a contract with Blue Origin for a crewed lunar lander.