The global space industry had a remarkable year. From astronauts stuck in space to catching a rocket mid-air, scientists across the globe took on new challenges to further explore the final frontier.
SpaceX, headed by billionaire Elon Musk, was often at the forefront of innovation. In an unprecedented event, SpaceX used giant robotic arms to catch a Starship rocket booster after it lifted off and then returned to its launch pad.
SpaceX wasn't the only agency with historic firsts. China retrieved the first samples from the dark side of the moon. In addition, a NASA spacecraft hurtling through space "touched" the sun on Christmas Eve.
Past technological strides have created a promising outlook for the future of space exploration. Here is a look at some of the biggest space stories from 2024:
The search for conditions conducive to life elsewhere in the solar system continued with the launch of the Europa Clipper.
The NASA spacecraft began its 1.8 billion-mile trek across the solar system on Oct. 14. Scientists will closely monitor Europa, one of Jupiter's many moons, to determine if it has the "ingredients for life."
The icy moon is a prime candidate. Scientists believe the moon has a salt water ocean beneath its frozen surface. The ocean could have the correct chemistry and enough organic material to support life. In addition, radiation from Jupiter is constantly blasting Europa. While life on the surface would not be able to survive, it could create energy for possible lifeforms in the ocean below.
The spacecraft will arrive at Jupiter in April 2030. As it orbits Jupiter, it will complete 49 flybys of Europa.
On April 8, millions collectively experienced a total solar eclipse. Donning eclipse glasses, people across North America flooded to the "path of totality" to watch the moon block out the face of the sun.
Totality lasted for more than four minutes. As the moon fully covered the sun, onlookers could see portions of the star's atmosphere that are usually hidden.
The next total solar eclipse that can be viewed from the United States will be in August 2044.
On Oct. 13, SpaceX executed a maneuver never done before: catching a rocket in midair.
The Starship launch vehicle is made up of two parts: the Starship spacecraft and its booster rocket, known as the Super Heavy. The Super Heavy is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built.
Starship launched from the SpaceX Starbase site in South Texas. The 397-foot-tall vehicle set off into the air before the spacecraft and rocket separated. The booster under its own power and using its own propulsion system then traveled back to the launch pad, where the tower's arms clamped around the returning rocket, effectively catching it.
The successful launch and return of the rocket marks a groundbreaking achievement for space exploration. Many scientists believe new ideas and technologies will continue to shape the industry.
Musk was among President-elect Donald Trump's first appointments after his decisive victory in November.
The billionaire aligned himself with Trump in the last leg of the election. He became the top U.S. individual political donor after funneling nearly $277 million of his personal funds into Trump's presidential campaign and those of other Republicans.
With that loyalty came a new job for Musk. Paired with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk will be heading the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The two will work as advisors and are expected to "dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies," according to a statement Trump posted on social media.
In the position, Musk could influence NASA initiatives - including its costly launching system and future trips to the moon and Mars.
The space industry experienced unprecedented success in 2024. However, one significant - and continuing - blunder should be highlighted.
Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore blasted into orbit aboard the Boeing Starliner on June 5. It was the first piloted test flight for the spacecraft. But what was meant to be an eight-day trip to the International Space Station turned into a prolonged stay.
"Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and most routine," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said.
The spacecraft experienced helium leaks in the propulsion system, an integral part of returning to Earth safely. The Starliner, with no one aboard, made the return trip in September. Williams and Wilmore are set to return on a SpaceX vehicle.
In December, NASA announced another delay in their homecoming. The pair is scheduled to return as late as April 2025.
China celebrated a first for the global space industry in 2024 after successfully retrieving samples from the far side of the moon.
The Chang'e-6 lunar lander touched down in the South Pole-Aitken Basin. The location is believed to be one of the largest and oldest craters in the solar system. Samples from the region could give scientists more insight into how the moon was formed.
Chang'e-6 gathered about 2 kilograms of rocks and soil before making the trek back to Earth. It landed on June 25 with the lunar material in tow, marking a historic milestone.
China's contributions to space science in recent years have established the country as a competitor with the United States.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe broke another record on its Christmas Eve flyby of the sun.
Launched on Aug. 12, 2018, the probe is the fastest human-made object in existence. It used flybys of Venus to adjust its orbit increasingly closer to the solar surface. It completed its seventh and final Venus gravity-assist in November.
On Christmas Eve, the spacecraft made its closest trip through the sun's upper atmosphere. Traveling 430,000 miles per hour, Parker flew within 3.8 million miles of the surface of the sun, breaking its own record for the closest a human-made object has been to the star.
The probe was close enough to be engulfed in solar plasma, according to a release from Johns Hopkins University, or pass through a powerful solar eruption from the star's surface.