2013: The Year in Space (52 images)

The Orion space capsule along with NASA Astronauts Lee Morin, Alvin Drew, Kjell Lindgren, Serena Aunon, Kate Rubins, and Mike Massimino pass the Presidential viewing stand and President Barack Obama during the inaugural parade honoring Obama on January 21, 2013, in Washington, DC. President Obama was sworn-in for a second term as the 44th President of the United States. UPI/Bill Ingalls/NASA

China's lunar landing is run on the front page of leading Chinese newspapers being sold at a news stand in Beijing on December 15, 2013. China joined elite company yesterday with the controlled landing of its "Jade Rabbit" rover on the moon. China follows the U.S. and Soviet Union as the third country with a controlled - or "soft" - landing on the moon's surface. UPI/Stephen Shaver

A rare solar eclipse shows the Sun being partially obscured by the Moon passing in front, in the sky of the Gaza Strip, November 03, 2013, Eclipse of the sun The event is known as a "hybrid" eclipse because the extent to which the Sun will be blocked out will vary around the world. The eclipse will plunge Europe, Middle East and US into darkness. UPI/Ismael Mohamad

A rare blue moon rises over a temple in Beijing on August 21, 2013. UPI/Stephen Shaver