The year in space

The highest highlight of 2009 was clearly the revival of the Hubble Space Telescope, a mission that blended moments of beauty and brute force 350 miles above the earth.

Or was it?

Maybe the top story was the reassessment of NASA's plans for human spaceflight. After all, tens of billions of dollars could be at stake. Or maybe it was the series of victories in NASA-backed competitions that had gone unwon for years.

For scientific significance, it's hard to beat this year's confirmation that the moon holds significant reserves of water. And if you're looking for Hollywood flash plus a touch of drama, you just might choose the unveiling of the SpaceShipTwo rocket plane.

Every year since 1997, we've reviewed the top space stories of the previous 12 months and looked ahead to the trends to watch in the 12 months to come. It's up to you to choose which story from 2009 and trend for 2010 should lead the list. Here's this year's lineup:

Hubble gets final upgrade: After years of debate and planning, NASA launches the final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. The shuttle Atlantis' crew members do virtually everything they set out to do, although sometimes a little brute force was required. A collision event on Jupiter puts the new, improved Hubble to an early test. Weeks later, a post-servicing picture album proves that Hubble is back and better than ever.

Space vision reassessed: Even before new leaders take the helm at NASA, the Obama administration calls for a review of plans to send humans back to Earth by 2020. Some say NASA should stay the course, but an independent panel says that's not possible under current budget limitations. There's increasing talk about a "flexible path" approach that can be adapted for targets in space other than the moon. Meanwhile, a prototype for NASA's controversial Ares I moon rocket gets its first test in October.

NASA prizes finally won: After years of trying, Masten Space Systems and Armadillo Aerospace succeed in carrying out rocket demonstrations that earn them $1.65 million of NASA's money. Other NASA challenges produce winners as well: $900,000 for LaserMotive in the Beamed Power Challenge, $750,000 for three teams in the Regolith Excavation Challenge, and $350,000 for two teams in the Astronaut Glove Challenge.

Moon probe detects water: NASA sends a probe called Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, crashing into the moon. Weeks later, scientists report that an analysis of the impact debris confirms the existence of "significant" reserves of water ice. This was judged one of the top science stories of the decade, so it's gotta be on this year's list.

SpaceShipTwo unveiled: Virgin Galactic's plan to send passengers to the edge of space finally gets off the drawing board when the SpaceShipTwo rocket plane rolls down the runway at California's Mojave Air and Space Port. Freezing weather didn't put a damper on the ceremony, but just a couple of hours later, billionaire Richard Branson had to end his post-rollout party early due to high-wind warnings. The day-after scene looked like something from "Gone With the Wind."

Source: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/12/21/2157981.aspx