Sci-Fi Dreams Come True in 2014

India's successful efforts, some new steps in red planet research and the first probe landing on a comet are memorable milestones this year, realizing dreams that were only possible in science fiction.

India conquers Mars

Simulation of India's Mangalyann probe. Photo: BBC

On September 25, the Mangalyaan probe reached Mars orbit, marking India's first successful attempt to study the red planet.

Mangalyaan was launched from the Sriharikota Space Station in the Bay of Bengal on November 5, 2013. It is scheduled to orbit the Red Planet for at least six months, with the mission of capturing images and collecting scientific data. Thanks to that, scientists can study the weather system of Mars, search for methane in the atmosphere, as well as learn about the water that is believed to have once existed on the planet.

India's space program is considered a great achievement when it succeeded in its first test, and is even more remarkable when the investment cost is only one-tenth that of a similar program in the US.

According to AP, the success of the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM or Mangalyaan) program has put India in the list of leading countries to explore the red planet, including the US, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, India is a populous but not rich country.

On December 18, the South Asian country tested a new rocket and a capsule that can return to Earth. Many believe that the test is aimed at realizing their goal of sending three astronauts into space.

First landing on a comet

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Philae probe separated from its mothership and landed on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at around 4 p.m. on November 12 (GMT). Previously, the Rosetta spacecraft entered orbit around 67P in August after a 10-year journey of more than 6 billion kilometers from Earth.

Robot Phiale landed on the surface of the comet. Image released on November 13. Photo: AP

This is a historic event as the first robot to land on the surface of a comet. With this step, scientists hope to learn more about the components of comets and how they interact with the solar wind.

Aside from the scientific results, the challenge and ambition of the mission could prove to be a major step forward in the Solar System exploration program, opening up many opportunities for other future research.

After two days of landing, the Philae robot fell into a state of "hibernation" due to energy exhaustion. Despite the temporary shutdown, Philae managed to transmit 80% of its data and black and white images back to Earth.

According to experts, ESA and the robot's journey have proven that humans can realize dreams that were once thought to exist only in science fiction movies. The hope of "awakening" Philae is still a concern of researchers.

Hope to set foot on the red planet

Humans have talked about conquering Mars since the first moon landing. But during that journey, amid economic crisis, political instability and changing priorities, the red planet became a sci-fi fantasy. With the end of the space shuttle era and the cancellation of the Constellation program, space travel was thought to have no chance of revival.

Forty-five years after humans first set foot on the Moon, the US successfully launched the Orion spacecraft, a new step in the process of achieving the goal of conquering Mars. This mission is to test important and necessary systems for future spacecraft landing and return to Earth.

With this success, the world can once again hope for the goal of conquering Mars.

According to VnExpress