 NASA / ESA / Hubble | |
| Click for slideshow: Review the top space images from 2009, including this Hubble view of a nebula. |
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:
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