THE CORONAVIRUS CONTINUES TO IMPACT SCIENCE

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to shape science in 2021, as measures quickly put in place in 2020 to maintain safe social interactions remained. Major academic meetings stayed virtual, as did most NASA proceedings, including mission proposal presentations. Many astronomy clubs continued to offer online events and talks, often allowing them to reach larger audiences and bring in faraway speakers with no need for travel. Citizen science platforms such as Zooniverse, SciStarter, and the Unistellar Network continued to see high levels of participation as teachers, students, and other enthusiasts searched for or shared ways to engage with astronomy remotely.

Scientific research marched onward: Observatories that closed in 2020 had largely reopened, generally with reduced staff and queue observing. But while the pandemic clearly spurred innovation and new ways to connect, it also took its toll on some of the best-laid plans. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, slated to see engineering first light in 2021, pushed this milestone back a year. It is now expecting its camera to see engineering first light in October 2022 and start science operations no earlier than a year later.

Several space missions remained delayed, including the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Chandrayaan-3 Moon mission, now expected to launch in 2022. The continuing need for liquid oxygen to support COVID-19 patients disrupted supply chains and caused NASA to push back the Sept. 16 launch of its Landsat 9 satellite by a week. According to a briefing, the launch required liquid nitrogen — but necessary deliveries of liquid oxygen to hospitals meant no trucks were available to carry liquid nitrogen to the launch site. And a NASA report stated the pandemic had caused several mission launch dates to slip between one and 10 months, estimating that delays and other challenges related to the pandemic could ultimately cost the agency some $3 billion USD. — A.K.