Space Awards 2024: The Year’s Biggest Wins and Epic Fails!

If 2024 has taught us anything, it’s that the race for space is no longer just a race, it’s an all-out revolution. This year, we’ve seen rockets land like clockwork, billionaires eyeing Mars like prime real estate, and AI-driven probes venturing deeper into the cosmos than ever before. Governments, private enterprises, and even emerging space nations have made history, proving that space is not just the final frontier – it’s the future of humanity itself.

As we break down this year’s wins (and fails), we’ll analyze their impact, highlight industry trends, and discuss the surprises and controversies that made headlines. Buckle up, this isn’t just a celebration. It’s a deep dive into the forces shaping our interstellar future.

How Did We Pick the Winners?

OT’s staff, with external voting from industry and business leaders, has come to its decisions on 9 key categories — from groundbreaking scientific achievements to major setbacks and commercial game-changers. The countdown is over, the votes are in, and the moment has arrived! Drumroll, please. Dear ladies and gentlemen, and the award goes to…

The Biggest Progress of the Year: China’s Chang’e 6 Moon Mission!

This mission has not only rewritten the rules of lunar exploration but has also opened a new chapter in our understanding of the Moon’s enigmatic far side. For the first time in history, scientists have their hands on physical samples from this hidden lunar hemisphere, offering an unprecedented window into the solar system’s past.

The Chang’e-6 probe touched down in Inner Mongolia on 25 June 2024, carrying approximately 1,935.3 grams of lunar material. Initial analysis of the far side samples has already yielded intriguing results. Researchers have discovered that these specimens possess a looser and more porous structure compared to their near-side counterparts, hinting at fundamental differences in the Moon’s composition across its two faces.

Runners-up

The fierce competition for the biggest space progress in 2024 saw the European Space Agency’s PROBA-3 mission, launched by ISRO, secure a well-deserved second place. Taking third place is Starlink’s Direct to Cell technology, poised to redefine global communication by connecting standard mobile phones directly to satellites – no extra hardware, no cell towers – just seamless coverage, even in the most remote or disaster-stricken regions. 

Breakthrough Of The Year: SpaceX’s Starship Progress 

The race for space supremacy in 2024 was nothing short of a cosmic spectacle, with SpaceX pushing the boundaries of what’s possible beyond Earth’s atmosphere. SpaceX’s Starship program clinched the top spot in the “Breakthrough of the Year” category with a jaw-dropping display of technological prowess during Flight 5 on 13 October 2024.

Do you remember a moment when SpaceX’s massive robotic arms, aptly nicknamed “Chopsticks,” performed a mid-air catch of the Super Heavy booster? This audacious maneuver marked a pivotal moment in the quest for rapid rocket reusability.

X users commented: “I can’t even pick up noodles with chopsticks and SpaceX just caught a 232 ft rocket booster on its way back from space.”

Honorable Mentions

While SpaceX’s “Chopsticks” maneuver stole the spotlight, Intuitive Machines’ carved its own niche in space exploration history. The second place in the “Breakthrough of the Year” category at the 2024 Space Awards went to… IM-1 mission. On 22 February 2024, the Odysseus lander touched down near the Moon’s south pole, marking a triumphant return of the United States to lunar soil after a 52-year hiatus. Despite a nail-biting 30-degree tilt upon landing, Odysseus proved that commercial entities could indeed stick the lunar landing, ushering in a new era of private-public partnerships in space exploration.

Plot twist: the third-place spot remained unclaimed, with the votes splitting perfectly between SpaceX and Intuitive Machines, leaving them both vying for the top honor in this groundbreaking category.

Space Entrepreneur Of The Year: Elon Musk

Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that 2024 was another blockbuster year for Elon Musk. Six test flights that pushed the envelope of what’s possible and the jaw-dropping highlight with mentioned-above Flight 5’s “Chopsticks” catch of the Super Heavy booster.

But Musk’s influence isn’t confined to the launchpad. Again, love him or hate him, as President-elect Trump returns to the White House, the winner of our “Space Enterpreenur” category shadow looms large over future space policy and more, positioning himself as a key figure in shaping America’s space future, from military contracts to lunar ambitions. Let’s just hope his plans for Mars don’t involve any strangely angled salutes.

Runner-up

The race for dominance wasn’t a solo act. Jared Isaacman, billionaire astronaut and relentless space innovator, secured second place with his successful Polaris Dawn mission, featuring the first-ever civilian spacewalk.

RELATED: Jared Isaacman: Path To Polaris Dawn

Setback of the Year: Boeing – Starliner Fail

Now, it’s time to get to the most intriguing part. Boeing’s 2024 space odyssey turned into a cosmic nightmare, clinching the dubious honor of “Setback of the Year.” The aerospace giant’s Starliner spacecraft, once hailed as SpaceX’s rival, became an orbital prison for astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. What was meant to be an eight-day jaunt to the ISS morphed into a seven-month ordeal, with the crew now set to hitch a ride home on a SpaceX Dragon in February 2025.

As if stranding astronauts wasn’t enough, Boeing’s Intelsat 33e satellite collapsed. The $250 million bird shattered into a cloud of space junk just halfway through its intended 15-year lifespan, leaving customers across three continents in the dark. As the dust settles on these cosmic calamities, one can’t help but wonder: Is Boeing’s space division cursed, or is this just the universe’s way of saying “Houston, we have a problem”?

“Honorable” Mentions

Meanwhile, Orbex snagged second place in the setback sweepstakes by hitting the pause button on its Sutherland Spaceport dreams, leaving Scotland’s space ambitions in limbo. This unexpected pivot, announced on 4 December 2024, sent shockwaves through the UK space sector and left the £20 million spaceport project mothballed.

Collaboration Of The Year: NASA & Prada / Firefly Aerospace & Lockheed Martin 

In a year of cosmic collaborations, two partnerships rocketed to the top, sharing equal amount of votes and the crown for Collaboration of the Year. First up, NASA and Prada‘s mind-bending fusion of high fashion and high-tech spacewear. The Italian luxury brand is bringing its design prowess to the final frontier, crafting the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) for NASA’s Artemis III mission. So, yes, NASA wears PRADA after all.

Meanwhile, Firefly Aerospace and Lockheed Martin also claimed a 33.3% of the votes, tying for first place at the Space Awards 2024. Their victory comes on the heels of a groundbreaking agreement – 25 Alpha rocket launches secured through 2029. This deal not only strengthens their partnership but also signals a major shift in the small-to-medium launch market, setting the stage for a new era of rapid, responsive space access.

Scientific Mission Of The Year: NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission to Jupiter’s Europa

NASA’s Europa Clipper mission has secured the first place as Scientific Mission of the Year, and for good reason. This $5 billion behemoth, sporting solar arrays longer than a basketball court, is now hurtling towards a mind-bending meeting with Jupiter’s moon Europa in 2030. With its arsenal of nine cutting-edge instruments, Europa Clipper is poised to crack the icy secrets of this world, potentially unveiling an alien ocean teeming with life. As Clipper gears up for its first gravity assist flyby of Mars on 1 March 2025, space enthusiasts are holding their breath for the cosmic detective work to come. 

Coming in a close second is Japan’s JAXA with their Martian Moon Exploration (MMX) mission, which plans to scoop up samples from Phobos, one of Mars’ moons. 

Game-Changing Scientific Discovery Of The Year: NASA Spacecraft Detects Subterranean Martian Water

In a groundbreaking revelation that has rocked the scientific community, NASA’s InSight lander uncovered the holy grail of Mars exploration: liquid water. This astonishing discovery earned a staggering 67% of all the votes for Game-Changing Scientific Discovery of the Year.

RELATED: Is There Water On Mars? Searching For The Source Of Life On The Red Planet

The discovery of liquid water, potentially brimming with the building blocks of life, opens up thrilling possibilities for the existence of life beneath the Martian soil. It positions Mars as an even more compelling target for future exploration, potentially altering the course of space science for decades to come. While other discoveries like the Moon’s 4.46 billion-year age and the Solar Orbiter’s unearthing of the solar wind’s origins made their mark, they couldn’t compete with the seismic implications of water on Mars.

Space Startup Of The Year: UK’s Space Solar

2024 saw a wave of promising space startups – Pixxel, Astranis, Skyroot Aerospace, and more. But one name stood out above the rest: the UK’s Space Solar. Voted the top space startup of 2024, the company is on a bold mission to launch its first orbital power plant within the next decade. To do so, Space Solar inked a deal with Reykjavik Energy to supply 30 MW of space-based solar power by 2030, marking a major step toward turning beamed solar energy from science fiction into reality.

Honorable Mentions

Hot on its heels, Varda Space Industries snagged second place with its mind-bending “gravity switch” for drug manufacturing in microgravity, successfully producing a metastable form of ritonavir that’s near-impossible to create on Earth.

The Most Anticipated Event Of 2025: Space-Comm Expo 2025

And now, the grand finale of our Space Awards 2024! It’s time to peek into the future and announce the most anticipated event of the 2025. According to our voters, Space-Comm Expo 2025 stands as the undisputed leader in the events category, stealing the spotlight with the brightest minds in satellite communications, space infrastructure, and beyond. With its focus on cutting-edge technologies that will shape the future of space connectivity, it’s no surprise that it’s generated so much buzz.

Runners-up

The race for second place in our Space Awards 2024 was nothing short of a cosmic showdown. In a razor-thin tie, three powerhouse events – The Global Space Exploration Conference 2025, Web Summit 2025, and the Global AI Show in Dubai 2025 – each offer a distinct vision for the future of space.

The Global Space Exploration Conference promises game-changing conversations on missions to the Moon and Mars, while Web Summit 2025 continues to be the perfect blend of space exploration and digital innovation. The Global AI Show in Dubai? It’s a hotbed for breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, shaping the future of space tech in ways we’re just beginning to understand. The competition is tight, but the industry consensus is clear: 2025 is going to be a landmark year in space – and these events are where the future will unfold.

And That’s a Wrap!

It was a year of mind-blowing triumphs and face-palm-worthy setbacks. If 2024 was a test flight for the future of space, then 2025 is shaping up to be the full-throttle ignition sequence. We’ve seen mind-blowing breakthroughs, billionaire space barons flexing their ambitions, and nations scrambling to stake their claim in the great cosmic gold rush. But for every triumphant touchdown, there’s been an equally spectacular crash – both figurative and literal.

So, What’s Next?

2025 looks like a year where AI takes command of mission control, private space stations move from sci-fi to reality, and interplanetary ambitions collide with political power plays. China is doubling down on its lunar stronghold. The U.S. is on a collision course with Mars. Europe is rewriting its space strategy. And in the middle of it all, commercial players are tearing up the rulebook on how space exploration is done.

But there is one thing we know for sure: humanity is done looking up at the stars. We’re reaching out to grab them. Who’s gonna succeed at it this year? The answers are coming at Space Awards 2025, and our list is already taking shape. Stay tuned.