163,000 light-years away is the cosmic version of an underwater reef, a gigantic red nebula that integrates the star-forming region into the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. The image “Cosmic Reef” was chosen by the NASA in honor of 30 years since the launch of hubble space telescope It started operating in 1990 and has made more than 1.3 million observations throughout its history.
In one of the most important scientific events of 2021, Hubble gives way to the space telescope James Webb, which is expected to launch in the fall. This powerful scientific tool will revolutionize Hubble’s already groundbreaking work. Because the new telescope is 100 times more powerful, costing about $ 9 billion, scientists can improve their understanding of the Universe and see even the first galaxies that were born after the Big Bang.
Mars, the global goal
Another space science event expected early this year is the arrival of the probe Hope Mars to the atmosphere of Mars. This US space agency project launched successfully last July Arab Emirates Together they will help characterize the lower atmosphere of Mars in detail to better understand climate dynamics and the global weather map; it also puts new protagonists on the map in the space race to the red planet. On the other hand, the NASA Perseverance rover is scheduled to enter the crater lake from the surface of Mars. The astrobiologist robot looks for signs of ancient life and collects rock and soil samples. As part of this mission, the rover’s Ingenuity helicopter will also be deployed to conduct the first flight demonstration on another planet.
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NASA will also try to produce oxygen of its atmosphere, a fundamental step to enhance future human exploration of Mars.
The red planet will also be the target of the ambitious agenda of China, as expected, the rover of the Tianwen-1 mission, which searches for water and traces of life with 13 instruments, such as cameras, radars and particle analyzers. On the other hand, Artemis I, an unmanned mission to the moon from NASA (the first of the Artemis program), will be launched mid-year using the groundbreaking space launch system of the NASA. Orion ship. By the fall, this agency will also launch “Lucy,” the first mission to study five of the so-called Trojan asteroids, ancient material that formed the outer planets and now revolves around the sun at the distance of Jupiter.
Another pertinent event in 2021 centers around the maiden flight of the X-59 QueSST, NASA’s experimental supersonic airliner with data that could lead to the development of the world’s fastest long-haul travel industry. The X-57 Maxwell, the agency’s all-electric experimental aircraft, will also make its maiden flight.
NASA aviation specialists will also boost electric propulsion for large commercial transportation with a flight demonstration, developing a cost-effective alternative to traditional jet fuel.
The pandemic’s footprint
While the world urgently needs to forget about SARS-CoV-2, its footprint will be maintained for many years to come. For now, 2021 will be crucial to verify the effectiveness of several vaccines that are also expected to circulate worldwide.
For example, the results of phase III clinical trials with vaccines developed by US pharmaceutical companies will be crucial. Novavax and Johnson & Johnson. The advantages of these immunizations are that they are easier to distribute than those of Pfizer-BioNTechbecause they do not require extreme temperatures and up to 2 billion doses of vaccines per year can be produced in a single-injection version.
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On the other hand, the introduction of the new virus in humans is a mystery that has not yet been unraveled in detail, so a multidisciplinary team of experts from the WHO will resume research to gain more certainty about the zoonotic origin of it COVID-19, as new epidemic threats remain latent outside SARS-CoV-2. Some of the most common and deadly diseases are caused by bacteria or viruses of animal origin; its presence has become more apparent in recent decades. It is estimated that 70% of new and emerging pathogens come from animals. According to WHO figures, experts warn that an additional 1.7 million viruses live in mammals and birds, of which up to 850,000 can infect humans.
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the 10 deadliest diseases in the world and is responsible for between 60% and 80% of dementia due to a progressive loss of brain cells.
This year, the first drug to slow the progression of this disease could be approved in the US. Aducanumab is a drug designed with a monoclonal antibody ready to bind and regulate a brain protein called amyloid, which is believed to be the leading cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists think its deposits are toxic to brain cells, so using this drug would be a breakthrough in eliminating them. Opinions are still divided on the effects of this Biogen-Eisai drug, but the only Alzheimer’s drugs approved so far only treat cognitive symptoms, such as memory loss, but do not interfere with the progression of that disease.
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Finally, November 2021 will be one of the decisive events to make way for the fight against climate change. The 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on the Climate change is held in Glasgow, Scotland. The countries making up the summit will make another round of pledges on greenhouse gas reductions since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015. European Union The US and China have ambitious plans to become carbon neutral by 2050, but the response from the US is particularly expected. After Trump’s departure, President Biden could put similar goals on the agenda.
Parallel events include the “Farm to Fork” dialogue, which seeks to bring together representatives from farming communities around the world to facilitate a lecture space on food and climate change. The wave of the pandemic crisis will also require a new global food policy discussion that affects the entire food chain, from production to consumption, and has already affected more than 10 million people in the FAO, according to the FAO. Latin America.
NUMBERS TO CONSIDER
10 MILLION PEOPLE in Latin America they have been hit by the effects of the pandemic.
1.7 MILLION VIRUSES They live in mammals and birds, of which up to 850,000 could infect humans, according to WHO data.