5 Space Tech Trends of 2022

It’s worthwhile to note that space technology has a more tangible impact on our lives — scratch-resistant glass, GPS, LEDs, memory foam, and heat-resistant metals are just a few examples of how space exploration has transformed our lives. The tech trends in 2022 are more in consideration of the climate and global warming.

Let’s see which space tech trends will be dominating in 2022.

Reusable Rockets

Reusable launch systems for orbital vehicles, are currently a holy grail for space travel. They are set to dramatically reduce the cost of leaving Earth’s atmosphere, opening the door to exciting space initiatives that, while theoretically possible, are currently too exorbitant to be practical. It will also reduce the cost of typical space missions like satellite launches and resupplying the International Space Station.

In early 2022, SpaceX’s SN20 aims to execute the first operational orbital trip with a reusable rocket, subject to FAA authorization. The SN20 is the most powerful rocket ever built, and SpaceX hopes to use it to send humans to Mars in the future.

Blue Origin will then attempt to launch its reusable two-stage New Glenn rocket into deep space — the rocket is meant to be reused up to 25 times and will eventually transport personnel and cargo.

Space Exploration

For the previous few decades, going to the moon has been at the bottom of the space exploration priority list.

One of the main reasons for the revived interest is the belief that it will serve as an excellent test for various technologies that could later assist in the journey to Mars.

These missions will be focused on sending “small cargoes” to space, which will mostly consist of autonomous instruments that will search, remove, and process components from the lunar surface.

Russia, Japan, and India, in addition to the U.S., are intending to launch their Commercial Lunar Payload Services mission, which is a collaboration between NASA and Astrobotic Technology to deliver robotic landers on the moon surface in 2022.

Satellites for Daily Life

Satellite launches account for the vast majority of commercial space activity, and this trend will continue beyond 2022. The ever-decreasing cost of getting satellites outside the Earth’s orbit , as well as the rising number of applications for the data they can give, are two major drivers of greater activity in this industry. Many areas of daily life rely on GPS and satellite imaging, and new applications — such as battling pandemics — are constantly being developed.

Satellites are becoming smaller and lighter, allowing even tiny businesses to benefit from technology advancements. In fact, recent surveys have indicated that the cost of deploying a satellite for a corporation is becoming equal to the cost of launching an app. Galaxy Space, a Chinese company, has created and launched 1,000 tiny satellites into space for customers in the aviation, maritime, and car manufacturing industries.

Another indicator that satellites are becoming more affordable and accessible is the world’s first commercial 3D-printed satellites, which will be sent into orbit in 2022 by the Australian company Fleet Space Technologies.

These satellites are primarily intended to provide telecommunications and connectivity for Internet of Things (IoT) equipment, which are rapidly gaining popularity in households and companies throughout the world.

Self-Destructing Robots

One concerning side effect of space exploration is that we may wind up wreaking havoc in terms of space debris on the rest of the cosmos. Up to 8,000 tonnes of debris from earlier space missions and now-defunct satellites are predicted to be floating in the Solar system.

These could endanger future space missions by causing disastrous accidents. They also threaten to disrupt many of the space services we rely on, such as weather forecasts and GPS.

With that in mind, it’s comforting to know that the conglomerates are already thinking about cleaning up as we venture beyond Earth’s atmosphere. The End Of Life Services by Astroscale-Demonstration (ELSA-d) mission, which launched this year, intends to clean up debris left in orbit by upcoming space projects.

It accomplishes this by employing magnets to capture floating trash and propel it towards Earth, where it will burn up in the upper atmosphere. RemoveDebris, another trash disposal spacecraft, will employ nets to catch floating junk.

There are plans to launch a “self-destructing robot” with the sole goal of destroying a 100-kilogram piece of debris leftover from any previous missions.

Space Tech Considering Earthy Environment

Space technology has been identified as one of the cornerstones to reaching the United Nations’2017 Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Reflective materials, which were first created to preserve heat in spacecraft and are now frequently used to insulate structures on Earth, are an excellent example.

This implies that governments worldwide are actively investing in space development to address the difficulties posed by global warming. As businesses become more conscious of the need for carbon reduction and reducing global warming, it is emphasizing the commercial activity as well.