Space is getting crowded. The last 12 months have seen everything from a high profile space tourist, a powerful new space telescope, and everyone's favorite cuddly-looking microbes launched into space. Here are this year's tops.
__10. IBEX Spacecraft to Study Solar System's Edge __
NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) lifted off in October on a mission to study the farthest fringes of the solar system. Its two bucket-sized sensors are designed to capture particles bouncing back toward Earth from the distant boundary between the hot wind from the sun and the cold wall of interstellar space. (Image: NASA/GSFC Conceptual Image Lab)
9. Navy Missile to Shoot Down Broken Spy Satellite
In a giant kaboom, the U.S. Navy destroyed a broken American spy satellite by launching a heat seeking missile to collide with it on orbit. The bus-sized spy sat, USA-193, proved to be a dud shortly after it was launched, and was deemed by the military too great a risk to be left alone, since if it did eventually fall back to Earth it could spew out toxic hydrazine fuel. (Image: U.S. Navy)
8. Space Tourist Richard Garriott
For just $30 million you too can visit outer space. Texan computer game developer Richard Garriott paid that lofty fee to Russia's Federal Space Agency for a chance to blast off aboard a Soyuz rocket in October. The son of former NASA astronaut Owen Garriott, the younger Garriott became the first American second-generation space traveler when he took a 10-day vacation to the International Space Station. (Image courtesy NCsoft)
7. Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle
The biggest European spacecraft ever built, the double-decker bus-sized Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle, launched in March to deliver supplies to the International Space Station. The unmanned cargo ship was the first new spacecraft in nine years to join the ranks of station-bound ships. After it completed its job, however, the spacecraft burned up in the atmosphere as planned during a fiery death dive back to Earth. (Image: NASA)
6. The Space Station's Biggest Room
May saw the launch of the largest addition yet to the International Space Station, the Japanese Kibo laboratory. Meaning "Hope" in Japanese, the 36.7 foot (11.2 meter)-long Kibo will be used for science experiments, including some testing the effects of the space environment in an exposed outdoor porch area. The so-called "Lexus of space labs" was delivered by the shuttle Discovery and installed by an international crew. (Image: NASA)
5. Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope
Aiming to help answer some of the most befuddling mysteries of the universe, such as the nature of dark matter, black holes and lighthouse-like spinning pulsars, the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope will probe the universe in high-energy gamma ray light. Formerly known as the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST), the NASA observatory was rechristened after Italian scientist Enrico Fermi following its successful launch in June. (Image: NASA/GSFC)
__4. SpaceX Falcon 1 Rocket __
Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX)'s Falcon 1 became the first privately-developed rocket ever to launch into space after its successful September liftoff. In the wake of three failed launch attempts, the $100 million booster finally made it to orbit, proving that someone other than government-funded agencies can play the space game. The liquid-fueled rocket was designed to haul payloads of up to about 1,256 pounds (570 kilograms) to low-Earth orbit. (Image: Thom Rogers/SpaceX)
3. India's Chandrayaan-1
India made its first space mission beyond Earth orbit in October when it launched the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft on a planned two-year mission to the moon. The lunar orbiter included a small Moon Impact Probe that landed in November and planted the Indian flag on the lunar surface. (Image: ISRO)
2. China's Shenzhou-7 Mission
Chinese astronauts completed their nation's first ever spacewalk in September during the Shenzhou 7 mission. The flight, China's third manned space mission, established the country's growing prowess as major space player. China is the third nation, after Russia and the United States, to successfully carry out a spacewalk. (Image: CCTV/Xinhua)
1. Tardigrades!
Tardigrades, or "water bears," are microscopic eight-legged critters known to survive extreme temperatures, tons of radiation, and nearly a decade without water on Earth. In September scientists declared they had proven their mettle in one more extreme environment: outer space. The adorable invertebrates technically launched at the end of last year, but only reached fame recently when they were found to have survived in perfect health upon their return to Earth. We thought they deserved to make this year's list cause they're so damn cute.* *
*Image at top: Brett's Blog *
Image at left: Goldstein Lab
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