SPACE.com -- The Best of SPACE.com 1999 to 2002


	The Best of SPACE.com 1999 to 2002 posted: 30 June 2005 06:07 am

Space Age advances typically come incrementally

Redesigned. Redefined. Relaunched. Welcome to the new SPACE.com.

Space Age advances typically come in increments. However, some events are transfomative, causing us to reevaluate what we understand with a dramatic flourish. In the three years since SPACE.com was launched, we have seen and experienced some powerful changes in the world and in how we understand the Universe.

We have discovered mighty planets orbiting distant suns, our celestial cousins. While above us, nations that were once adversaries now work hand-in-hand aboard the same spacecraft orbiting our fragile globe. For the first time, researchers are certain that Mars has water, at least the frozen variety. Space tourism is no longer just a dream.

SPACE.com was launched on July 20, 1999, the 30th Anniversary of Apollo 11.

As we celebrate our third anniversary, SPACE.com also celebrates the 33rd anniversary of Apollo 11, the historic spaceflight that put man on the Moon. The first step, really, on a long journey into the night. Inspired by the past, but with all eyes looking toward the future, we at SPACE.com commit ourselves anew to excellence in reporting and the promise of Something Amazing Every Day.

For a moment, however, we pause to re-explore events that have defined our mission so far.

Solar Systems Like Ours
With the discovery in June 2002 of the first planets in Jupiter-like orbits around another star -- one by a U.S. team and another by Swiss researchers -- astronomers can now say our solar system is probably not unique. Overall, the tally of these so-called exoplanets hovers around 100. Now astronomers are gearing up for a full-fledged, space-based hunt for Earth-like planets.

Hubble's New Eyes
Marking a new era in space photography, astronomy's greatest picture maker got a new camera in early 2002, one that has already delivered on its promise of spectacular views of the universe. During the same servicing mission, STS-109, shuttle astronauts repaired Hubble's infrared camera, resulting in dramatic new photos of the otherwise invisible universe.

Space Tourism Takes Off
Spaceflight took on a whole new meaning on April 28, 2001 when Dennis Tito became the first space tourist, proving that money is all you need to go into orbit. Later, millionaire Mark Shuttleworth took flight. Now celebs Lance Bass and Cindy Crawford have pondered achieving higher orbits. But will the rest of us get to go?

Goodbye Mir
In March 2001, the Russian space station plunged to Earth, bringing one era to a close just after another, more globally inclusive one began.

Hello Space Station
The first crew took up residence aboard the International Space Station in November 2000. While its future is uncertain, the station has already accomplished the remarkable by bringing previously warring nations together in space. Today, the fifth resident crew goes about its business more than 200 miles up while their means of return, an aging shuttle fleet, has been grounded.

A Water Odyssey to Mars

In June of 2000, SPACE.com first reported on compelling new evidence for water gushing to the surface of Mars in the not-to-distant past. Our appetites were whetted. Then, shortly after arriving at the Red Planet in the fall of 2001, NASA's Odyssey spacecraft found strong evidence for vast quantities of water ice just under the Martian surface. This most compelling evidence to date has researchers pondering how to extract it, both in the search for life and as a means for supporting human life during future missions.

When the Heavens Rained Down
No backyard stargazing event in recent memory brought more delight to more people than the 2001 Leonid meteor shower. Relive the sky show in words, pictures and video.

Daring Flyby
Deep Space 1's shoestring-budget fly-by of comet Borrelly in September 2001 yielded images astronomers will be perusing for years to come.

Daring Landing
The NEAR-Shoemaker craft surprised us all by landing on asteroid Eros -- with no legs -- after taking the best close-up pictures of a space rock ever.

NASA's Goldin Era
In October 2001, Dan Goldin left NASA as chief after remaking the agency from one that lumbered through a few expensive missions to one that now manages far more projects, most with lower costs and more narrow goals.

End of Solar Max
SPACE.com's launch coincided with the onset of a peak in the 11-year cycle of solar activity. With the worst of it behind us, things are looking brighter, literally.

Liftoff for New Rocket
The Atlas 3, a sporty new American rocket powered by a Russian engine, raced away from Cape Canaveral in May 2000, opening up a new era for the global space launch industry and emerging markets for satellite TV and internet services.

China on the Move
Since SPACE.com's launch, China has launched three pilotess Shenzhou spaceships into orbit in practice shakeouts of hardware expected to carry Chinese "taikonauts" into the great beyond.

Unveiling Jupiter and its Moons
The Galileo spacecraft proved such a successful workhorse that its mission was extended more than once. It brought close-up views of Jovian weather, sealed the case for an ocean beneath Europa, and provided tantalizing hints that Ganymede might also harbor water. It also provided a wealth of data and pictures of the volcanic "pizza" moon, Io.

Recognizing the Asteroid Threat
After going through a couple of false alarms in the late 1990s, the field of asteroid detection has grown up over the past three years. Along the way, the public has grown somewhat disinterested in the threat, which still exists. After a close call in June, scientists renewed their plea for increased funding and search efforts. Meanwhile, officials worry they can't keep up with the growing pace of discovery. And some scientists worry an asteroid impact could be misinterpreted as a nuclear attack.

September 11
No one was unaffected by the terrorist strikes. The somber mood was felt in space. The devastation was seen from space. And like all of America, the space industry slowed down. The ensuing war on terrorism was conducted partly from orbit. Ultimately, a trio of asteroids were named to honor victims.