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Another year of space exploration

Remote cameras setup to capture the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard are seen at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Crew-3 mission, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo: NASA
(NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Remote cameras setup to capture the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard are seen at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Crew-3 mission, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo: NASA

It was a very busy year for space exploration. In 2021 we saw the arrival of three missions to Mars, multiple human launches -- from suborbital space flights to commercial NASA missions -- two missions to asteroids and a massive space telescope took flight. And there’s no signs of slowing down in 2022. From moon missions to a busy launch schedule, there’s a lot to look forward to when it comes to space exploration.

To talk about the excited science of 2021 and the year ahead, we’ll speak with our panel of physicists from the University of Central Florida -- Josh Colwell, Addie Dove and Jim Cooney -- about the flagship missions of last year like NASA’s Perseverance Rover and the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. We’ll also look ahead at the cool and interesting things happening in 2022.

Then, we’ll check in with a panel of space journalists: Fox Weather’s Emilee Speck and Florida Today’s Emre Kelley recount a very busy year from the Florida Space Coast and the push to have another record year of launches from Florida.

Brendan Byrne is Central Florida Public Media's Assistant News Director, managing the day-to-day operations of the newsroom, editing daily news stories, and managing the organization's internship program. Byrne also hosts Central Florida Public Media's weekly radio show and podcast "Are We There Yet?" which explores human space exploration, and the weekly news roundup podcast "The Wrap."