The Best Space Flight Photos of the Year
From the launch pad to a distant asteroid, these are the images that defined the year in space.
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By all measures, 2014 was an incredible year for space travel and exploration. As the commercial space industry took significant leaps into the future, NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Russian Space Agency all had landmark years.
NASA conducted a nearly perfect test flight of the new Orion space capsule, which is designed to one day carry humans to asteroids and even Mars.
In November, the ESA landed its Rosetta space probe on the surface of a comet 311 million miles from Earth. India's space agency successfully deployed a satellite in orbit around Mars—a first for the country. And in a move that reflects the growing privatization of space flight, NASA hired SpaceX and Boeing to develop ships that will transport astronauts to and from the ISS. On top of all that, humans conducted more than 80 orbital space launches.
Here are some of the year's most impressive photos that capture the exhilaration, triumph, and agony of our collective voyages into the vacuum of space.
NASA’s Orion spacecraft mounted atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, about to be rolled out. (Credit: NASA)
NASA's Orion spacecraft prepares for launch. (Credit: NASA)
The test flight for NASA's Orion spacecraft was a resounding success. (Credit: NASA)
NASA's Orion capsule awaits recovery after a successful 4.5-hour test flight. (Credit: NASA)
The ESA's Rosetta spacecraft captured this image of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko as it approached for landing. (Credit: ESA)
China's Chang’e 5-T1 lunar exploration mission captured this stunning image of the far side of the moon with the Earth in the background. (Credit: CNSA)
Thunderheads seen over Borneo, Indonesia. (Credit: NASA)
The Kavir Desert in Central Iran from the ISS. (Credit: NASA)
The Great Lakes and Central U.S. as seen from the ISS. (Credit: NASA)
NanoRacks CubeSats (nanosatellites) are delpoyed from the ISS. (Credit: NASA)
NanoRacks CubeSats (nanosatellites) begin their orbit. (Credit: NASA)
Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata snaps photos onboard the ISS. That's almost certainly a Nikon. (Credit: NASA)
The crew of ISS Expedition 40 poses for a zero-gravity portrait aboard the ISS. (Credit: NASA)
A shot of Reviewed.com's hometown: Boston, MA, from the ISS. You can almost see our offices in Cambridge. (Credit: NASA)
A Soyuz capsule departs from the ISS. (Credit: NASA)
ISS Expedition 40 launches in Kazakhstan. (Credit: NASA)
An Orthodox priest offers blessings before launch of ISS Expedition 42. (Credit: NASA)
Russian Mission Control before Expedition 39 docks with the ISS. (Credit: NASA)
A Soyuz rocket is locked in place for rollout of ISS Expedition 42. (Credit: NASA)
The Soyuz spacecraft is rolled out for ISS Expedition 41.
A Soyuz rocket is rolled out for the launch of ISS Expedition 40. (Credit: NASA)
The Russian Soyuz TMA-15M rocket rolls out to the launch pad in Kazakhstan. (Credit: NASA)
Flight engineer Alexander Skvortsov (ISS Expedition 40) gives a thumbs up after landing back on Earth. (Credit: NASA)
The crew of ISS Expedition 39 touches down in a Soyuz capsule. (Credit: NASA)
Ground personnel race to a Soyuz landing site. (Credit: NASA)
Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev (ISS Expedition 40) looks out the window of a Soyuz capsule minutes after landing. (Credit: NASA)
The crew of ISS Expedition 41 is greeted with a traditional Kazakh ceremony. (Credit: NASA)
India's GSLV Mk. III rocket preps for launch in mid-December. (Credit: ISRO)
Launch of the SpaceX's CRS-4. (Credit: SpaceX)
A long-exposure photo of the SpaceX CRS-4 cargo resupply launch. (Credit: SpaceX)
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches with six ORBCOMM satellites in tow. (Credit: SpaceX)
The high-tech interior of SpaceX's Dragon V2 capsule was unveiled in May. (Credit: SpaceX)
Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket is rolled out at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. (Credit: NASA)
Spectators watch as the Orbital Sciences Antares rocket launches into orbit. (Credit: NASA)
An Orbital Sciences Antares rocket suffers a catastrophic explosion after liftoff on a subsequent mission. (Credit: NASA)
Sunlight reflects off the Atlantic Ocean. (Credit: NASA)
The European Space Agency's ATV-5 resupply vessel approaches the International Space Station. (Credit: ESA)