FX.co ★ Five positive outlooks for 2023

First private space mission

Several high-profile space projects announced for this year, including the first private space mission. The crew will consist of a film director, an actor, a choreographer, a photographer, a vlogger, a K-Pop star, and a DJ. They will go on a free 6-day space trip around the Moon on board of the Starship spacecraft developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX. This unique space tour is organized and sponsored by Japanese businessman Yusaku Maezawa who went into space in 2021.

Search for life in Jupiter

This spring, the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission will launch on the Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou. It will focus on the study of Jupiter and its three largest icy moons: Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa. The flight to the orbit of the largest planet in the solar system will take around 7-8 years. The mission will examine the surfaces and reservoirs of Jupiter's moons to see whether they could harbor conditions suitable for life.

Launch of air taxi in United States

Perhaps futurologists have been right and we will soon see how flying vehicles become part of our daily lives. Lift, a US-based firm, is planning to launch an air taxi service already this year. For this purpose, the company developed the Hexa electric multicopter. Equipped with several rotors and a cabin, the vehicle is easy to operate and has a high safety level. New York, the biggest metropolis in the US, is meant to become the launching pad for this ambitious project.

Breakthrough in metaverse concept

Many experts predict that the development of the metaverse concept will receive a boost in 2023 amid the expansion of the VR and AR gadget market. Apple’s presentation of an augmented reality headset, announced for the current year, is perhaps the most anticipated event in this field. There have been rumors that the American tech giant may introduce the product already in the spring. The device is expected to be equipped with a Mac-level embedded M2 chip, more than 10 cameras, and a VR display with a record-high resolution.

Development of wave power

The transition to carbon neutrality is one of the main trends in the global economy these days. In order to succeed in this field, it is important to develop alternative energy, and not just solar and wind power. Aqua Harmonics, an American start-up, believes that the future belongs to wave power. The company is currently developing a wave energy collector, aiming to make this technology mainstream. Its trials are scheduled for 2023. If they are successful, that could be a turning point for the energy sector.