The National Space Society invites you to the next Space Forum
Thursday, December 14, 2023, 9:00 pm to 10:15 pm EST
2023 Space Year in Review
With Special Guest Larry Boyle
Moderated by Jim Plaxco
In the 2023 Space Year in Review presentation, Chicago Society for Space Studies (CSSS) VP Larry Boyle provides an overview of the major space activities that occurred around the world during 2023. Some of the major space events of 2023 are:
- The James Webb Space Telescope continues to send back incredible images and unexpected discoveries about our universe
- Relativity Space launched the Terran 1, a two-stage small-lift launch vehicle using 3D printing processes and methane and oxygen propellant (March)
- The SpaceX Starship made its maiden test flight but the result was a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” (April)
- The private Japanese moon lander Hakuto-R, built by ispace, crashed in late April during its milestone landing attempt
- Continued launching by China of missions to the Tiangong space station
- The ESA launched the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (April)
- The last Ariane V was launched making way for the Ariane VI (July)
- The ESA launched the Euclid Space Telescope (July)
- The Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on the Moon making India the first nation to successfully land a spacecraft in the lunar south pole (Aug)
- Russia launched its first moon mission in 47 years, the Luna-25 spacecraft, unfortunately it spun out of control and crashed into the Moon (Aug)
- NASA’s Osiris-Rex Mission collected rock and dust from asteroid Bennu and brought it back to Earth (Sept)
- NASA launched the Psyche mission, a journey to explore a unique metal-rich asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter (Oct)
- The second Starship successfully lifted off and achieved a number of major milestones (Nov)
- SpaceX is approaching 100 launches in 2023 and the total worldwide is almost 200 launches, a remarkable year for rockets
Don’t miss this comprehensive review of an amazing year in space! Register for the space forum today.
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Larry Boyle was the President of the CSSS between 1989 and 2002. He is now a Vice-President. The CSSS started in 1977. Larry was a reference librarian at the Franklin Park Public Library. This allowed him to research the events in the world’s space programs very easily. He is now retired. Larry has been interested in the space program since childhood. He went to the Kennedy Space Center to watch the Apollo 17 launch to the Moon in 1972. He has been to a space shuttle launch as well. Larry received his Library Degree at Rosary College and a BS from Loyola University in Chicago. Larry’s hallmark presentation has been his “Space: The Year in Review” program which he has been giving since 1979.
Jim Plaxco is a digital artist and computing professional who has been a space activist since the mid-80’s when he became a member of the National Space Institute. He has served as the Director of Information Systems for the National Space Society. He is also the Webmaster, a Director, and President of the Chicago Society for Space Studies. Mr. Plaxco also created the CSSS Speakers Bureau. He additionally serves as a NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador, a National Space Society Space Ambassador, the National Space Society Space Ambassador’s Economics Subject Matter Expert.
Mr. Plaxco has previously served as both a director and a Vice President of the National Space Society and as both a Director and a Vice President of the Planetary Studies Foundation. He has been a judge in a variety of space art contests, including art contests sponsored by NASA. He also served as the manager of the Enterprise in Space Orbiter Design Contest and the National Space Society Space Settlement Art Contest.
Register today to reserve your seat and ask your questions. Use the link below.
Register no later than December 14 at 8 pm EST
