Space Exploration
- February 1 – Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates over Texas upon reentry killing all seven astronauts on board.
- June 2 – The first European Mars mission Mars Express launched.
- September 27 – The first European lunar mission Smart 1 launched.
- October 15 – The People's Republic of China launches Shenzhou 5, their first manned space mission.
- December 25 – Mars Express enters orbit around Mars. Its lander, Beagle 2 was to land on the surface but is lost (presumed crashed).
Read more about this topic: 2003 In Science
Famous quotes containing the words space and/or exploration:
“A set of ideas, a point of view, a frame of reference is in space only an intersection, the state of affairs at some given moment in the consciousness of one man or many men, but in time it has evolving form, virtually organic extension. In time ideas can be thought of as sprouting, growing, maturing, bringing forth seed and dying like plants.”
—John Dos Passos (1896–1970)
“The future author is one who discovers that language, the exploration and manipulation of the resources of language, will serve him in winning through to his way.”
—Thornton Wilder (1897–1975)