Explosions and exploration: Why 2023 was an exciting year in space

The year 2023 was a pivotal year in the realm of space exploration, marked by a series of landmark space missions. One of the most significant events was the launch of Elon Musk's Starship spacecraft, developed by his company SpaceX. The Starship, which is the most powerful rocket ever constructed, exploded twice shortly after launch. Despite these setbacks, SpaceX remains optimistic about the spacecraft's potential. The Starship is designed to carry up to 100 people or 150 tonnes into space, and SpaceX plans to use it for launching multiple satellites, landing astronauts on the Moon, and potentially transporting the first settlers to Mars.

The first launch of the Starship from Texas ended abruptly after four minutes when the rocket exploded, causing extensive damage. Undeterred, SpaceX made thousands of modifications to the spacecraft and attempted a second launch. This flight lasted about eight minutes and, despite another explosion, was declared a success by SpaceX.

However, SpaceX is not the only player in the field of space exploration. China is rapidly advancing its space capabilities, posing a significant challenge to the US. Meanwhile, India achieved a major milestone by successfully landing a mission at the lunar south pole, a feat that has never been accomplished before. This mission, Chandrayaan-3, discovered a temperature difference between the surface and a few centimeters down, suggesting the presence of underground ice. This finding could have significant implications for future lunar missions.