Happy New Year!
As we ring in 2023, for many, it may be ‘Good Riddance!’ to 2022. The markets experienced negative returns for calendar year 2022, (to note, Dow -8.7%, S&P -19.4%, Russell 2000 -21.5%, Nasdaq -33.1%), which can feel like a financial weight.
At the start of the New Year, I’d like to focus on some of the most amazing scientific developments of ’22. A recent Leadership Matrix post, talked about a research milestone in fusion power (To Harness the Power of the Sun). The promise of fusion is unlimited, clean, cheap, carbon-free power, like that of a star. A major step towards that potential was achieved in 2022.
Continuing with a theme of stars, the first images released from the James Webb Space Telescope appeared last year– and they are stunning! The Stargazing post went into detail about how Webb is the largest and most powerful telescope ever developed by NASA. Webb is 100 times more powerful than the Hubble telescope, which launched in 1990, and is deployed 1,000,000 miles above the Earth; Hubble orbits 350 miles above Earth. The Webb telescope builds upon the research conducted through Hubble to expand the scientific knowledge of the universe. Being able to peer into the farthest depths of the universe ever, astronomers have witnessed for the first-time images revealing the birth of a star.
In this Webb image, two galaxies in the process of merging are twisting each other out of shape. Bright tendrils of star-forming regions connect their two glowing cores. These star-forming regions are particularly bright in infrared light, the wavelengths that Webb specializes in.
The power of the Webb telescope is only in the early stages of being explored and already yielding technology to be used at home.
Now let’s shoot for the moon! Last year also witnessed the inaugural launch of the Artemis I mission, an effort to build next-generation rockets, spacecraft, landers, and ground system operations to bring people back to the moon and eventually to Mars. All fifty states have contributed to this program to create the most powerful rocket in the world- see how your state has participated!
Click here to see Artemis I Space Launch System image in detail
The Artemis program captures the imagination of young and old and is especially inspiring for the next generation. Artemis is also an economic boon, supporting more than 60,000 jobs with $14 billion in economic output and $1.5 billion in tax revenue across the nation. That’s a real impact to the economy!
I’ve included some great items below! Click below for a link straight from NASA to track the Webb telescope while in space flight. I’ve also included a launch schedule for upcoming NASA missions. In the meantime, keep shooting for the moon and reaching for the stars! Let me know what you think about these milestones for 2022- click here to email me!
~ Brian Kasal- The Leadership Matrix
Click here (from NASA)- Where is Webb?
Click here- Upcoming NASA Missions
P.S.- Did you see my last Leadership Matrix post? Do We Want Algorithms to Make Moral Choices? Determining Where the Line Should be Drawn