From Mars to space tourism, it’s been an extraordinary year of interstellar travel.

China ramped up its missions with a new record – more than 40 launches, including a space station. And since its touchdown in May, China’s Mars rover is providing new insights into the red planet. But China is not alone as new missions from the United States and other countries also took flight. John Zarrella has a report.

To discuss the year in space:

• John Zarrella is a space journalist. 
• Ray Wang is the founder, CEO and principal analyst at Constellation Research.
• Keith Cowing is the editor of Space Ref dot com.
• Xu Yansong is the Director-General of the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization in Beijing.

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Congratulations to Zhang Rongqiao, the Mars Explorer and leader of China's Tianwen-1 mission, chosen as one of Nature's 10 for 2021 https://t.co/l2KrxfCwAQ

— Tianwen-1 | Deep Space Exploration of China (@CNDeepSpace) December 15, 2021

China’s Shenzhou 13 mission conducted its first spacewalk on the Tiangong space station. Wang Yaping, China’s first female astronaut to complete a spacewalk, was among the crew members venturing out. pic.twitter.com/UY7qt1ysgw

— South China Morning Post (@SCMPNews) November 8, 2021