The Planetary Society's Best of 2021 Awards

2021 has been a remarkable year for space science exploration. What were the highlights for you? Make your picks and help us celebrate the best images, moments, and missions from the past year.

Voting has ended for the Best of 2021 Awards and the results have been revealed!

Best solar system image:

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Most exciting moment in planetary science:

Hayabusa2 returning samples of Ryugu to Earth:
In late 2020 (after our Best of 2020 campaign had concluded) JAXA’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft dropped off samples of asteroid Ryugu as it passed by Earth. Scientists will study the samples to learn how Ryugu formed and how it fits into the timeline of events that shaped our early solar system. The spacecraft continued on and will visit two other asteroids over the next decade.

Hope arriving at Mars:
On Feb. 9, the United Arab Emirates’ Hope spacecraft arrived at Mars and entered into orbit around the Red Planet. The mission will study the Martian atmosphere and how Mars’ climate changes over time. This is the Arab world’s first mission to another planet.

Tianwen-1 and Zhurong arriving at Mars
On Feb. 10, China’s first Mars mission, Tianwen-1, entered into orbit around Mars. On May 14, it deployed the Zhurong rover to the Martian surface. This made China the first nation to ever successfully send an orbiter and rover to Mars on the first try. Among other science objectives, the mission will search for pockets of water beneath the Martian surface, which may contain life.

Perseverance landing on Mars
On Feb. 18, NASA’s Perseverance rover landed in Jezero crater, the site of an ancient lake and river delta. The spacecraft entered the atmosphere, slowed down using a giant parachute, and then lowered the rover on cables from a thruster-powered skycrane to touch down gently the surface of Mars.

Ingenuity taking flight
On April 19, NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter, which arrived at Mars along with the Perseverance rover, lept three meters (10 feet) in the air and remained suspended for 30 seconds before landing back on the Red Planet. This made Ingenuity the first aircraft to complete a powered, controlled flight on another planet.

Announcement of three Venus missions:
This year NASA announced two new missions heading to Venus. DAVINCI will analyze Venus’ atmosphere to understand how it formed and evolved, and will determine whether the planet ever had an ocean. VERITAS will map Venus’ surface to determine the planet’s geologic history and understand why it developed so differently than Earth. The European Space Agency also announced EnVision, a mission to study Venus from its inner core to its upper atmosphere to understand how and why Venus and Earth evolved so differently.

Best Perseverance landing photo:

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Favorite active planetary science mission this year:

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover and Ingenuity Mars helicopter

The United Arab Emirates’ Hope Mars orbiter

China’s Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter and Zhurong rover

NASA’s Juno Jupiter orbiter

JAXA’s Hayabusa2 asteroid sample return mission

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover

ESA’s BepiColombo mission to Mercury

NASA’s InSight Mars lander

NASA’s Lucy mission to the Jupiter Trojan asteroids

NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Best human spaceflight image:

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Most exciting upcoming mission:

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope

NASA’s Dragonfly Titan helicopter

NASA’s Europa Clipper mission

NASA’s VERITAS Venus mission

NASA’s DAVINCI Venus mission

ESA’s EnVision Venus mission

NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission

NASA’s NEA Scout near-Earth object mission

South Korea’s KPLO lunar mission

NASA’s ACS3 solar sailing mission

NASA’s Solar Cruiser solar sailing mission

NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission

NASA’s Artemis Program to the Moon

ESA’s JUICE mission to Jupiter and its moons

ESA’s ExoMars 2022 mission

Japan’s MMX Martian moons mission

Best space meme this year:

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The best thing that The Planetary Society accomplished with the support of our members this year:

Hosting the two-day Planetfest ’21 virtual festival to celebrate the fleet of spacecraft arriving at Mars

Organizing an entirely virtual Day of Action to connect advocates across the United States with their representatives in Congress

The LightSail 2 spacecraft entering its extended mission phase after two years of solar sailing

The premiere of the Sailing the Light documentary, telling the story of the crowdfunded LightSail 2 mission

The opening of the Smithsonian Institution’s FUTURES exhibit, featuring LightSail 2

The first sounds from Mars recorded by a microphone on the Perseverance rover, fulfilling decades of advocacy efforts by Planetary Society members

The launch of the new Science and Technology Empowered by the Public (STEP) grant program

Voting has ended for the Best of 2021 Awards and the results have been revealed!