These 2023 science and exploration missions seemed like fiction

With Space X’s Mars rocket explosions and a spacecraft returning to Earth with pieces of an asteroid — 2023 had some wild moments.

This year held some truly out-there moments in the world of science and space travel. With SpaceX’s Mars rocket erupting into a ball of flames over the ocean (twice) and a spacecraft swinging by Earth to drop off pieces of an asteroid that could contain solar system secrets — some events felt ripped from the pages of a science fiction novel. These moments came as humanity embarks on a new push to explore the cosmos, both with scientific instruments on the ground and spacecraft among the stars. The renewed effort not only comes from NASA and the US government but also from countries such as India and China. And there’s massive investment from private-sector businesses across the globe as well, a unique feature of the 21st century space race. Here’s a look back at some of the biggest pinch-me moments in outer space from 2023. SpaceX’s Starship, the rocket and spacecraft system that CEO Elon Musk envisions will carry the first humans to Mars, made two historic flight attempts this year.