Now, Rebecca Morrell looks back at her scientific endeavour reach new heights for the last 12 months in review 2020, the year in science. It was the year that would put science to the ultimate test, battling a pandemic that swept across the globe. As cities locked down, the air became cleaner, but not for long, and the impacts of Climate Change are still accelerating. Away from earth, we entered a new era for space flight with the First Private Mission to carry away from earth, we entered a new era for space flight with the First Private Mission to carry action notes into space. And there was a surprise discovery on venus, with scientists asking if they had found signs of life. And in 2020, an expedition to one of the most remote places on the planet to study a colossal melting glacier whose fate could affect us all. And as the year came to a close, the news of effective vaccines, as hopes rose that the pandemic could finally have an end in sight. Welcome to review 2020. The year in science. Im at the royal observatory in greenwich in london. Usually it is packed with visitors here, but like so many other places around the world, the arrival of the coronavirus transformed everything. The pandemic has been an extraordinary challenge for scientists, but not only have researchers been throwing everything they have got at fighting this virus, they also found time to make history in the skies above. The first steps towards a breakthrough for space flight. Nasas doug hurley and bob benkin getting ready for a remarkable journey, and this is the rocket, built by spacex the first private company to carry people into space. Bob, doug, have an amazing flight and enjoyed those views of our beautiful planet. Three, two, one, zero. Lift off. Go nasa, spacex, godspeed, go, bob and doug. This is a huge step for us. It is a huge step for the commercial ventures, and i think its important for the world to realise that we are going into space to stay. It looks like we saw a zero g indicator floating around. About ten minutes into the flight, and the pull of the earth has gone. Separation confirmed. Then, the final stage of the rocket gently detaches. Bob and doug are on their way to the International Space station. The United States has had a long history of space flight. We have lift off. From the Apollo Missions which took astronauts to the moon, to the Space Shuttle programme which ferried men and women to low earth orbit and back. But with two flights ending in disaster and high running costs, the fleet was retired and the shuttles touched down nearly a decade ago. Since then, nasa astronauts have had to buy seats on rockets instead. Now, outsourcing flights like this to spacex marks a big change for the us space agency. Nasa has said basically we will give you the money, and you give us a space flight, and then that releases nasser to use its resources to do other things, and that is where we can start really thinking big. After nearly 19 hours in the capsule, the astronauts close in on their destination. Stand by for a retraction and docking. They have made it. The future of private state space flight has truly arrived. From the royal 0bservatory, there is a stunning view of the london skyline, but at the start of this year, the National Lockdown was imposed. 0vernight, the city came to a standstill. In many countries around the world, normal life was put on hold to try and stop the spread of the coronavirus. This sudden stop had a dramatic effect. A drop in emissions. The world was transformed. Roads were empty, planes grounded and the demand for electricity fell. In india, choked streets suddenly became easier to breathe in and the most famous landmark in china became clear. The impact was dramatic. The fall in emissions, we were seeing i7 per day. Its enormous. We havent experienced Something Like this before as far as we can tell. But as early lockdown was lifted, emissions rose again and the temporary restrictions had done little to slow the impacts of Climate Change. In 2020, wildfires raged in california in the worst season on record. And greenland continued to melt. Hundreds of billions of tonnes of ice were lost. In siberia, the frozen ground, the permafrost thawed leaving holes and lakes. In a meeting planned in glasgow, scotland, 2020 was supposed to be the year of climate action, but as the virus spread, the conference was postponed. However, there has been one major shift. Donald trump took the United States out of the Global Climate agreement. The United States will withdraw from the paris climate accord. Butjoe biden is now americas president elect. The battle to save our planet by getting climate under control. And he believes Climate Change is an urgent threat and says the us will rejoin the paris pledged to cut greenhouse gases. This will make a big difference. Unless we all address Climate Change, we will all be vulnerable to Climate Change. So it is very refreshing to know that we are going back into a collaborative frame of mind that helps everyone. Across the globe, the pandemic has been the priority this year, but what about after covid 7 as the world recovers, Scientists Say we need to push for a greener future, because the window to act on Climate Change is closing fast. This year, in a refugee camp in the jordanian desert, an innovative recycling project made a big difference. Families there were able to grow their own healthy fresh food using old mattress foam. It makes me feel like im in my home village. Around 80,000 people live in the camp, but growing anything there is hard, with limited space and poor soil. Everything gets reused, re purposed. Nothing gets thrown away. Scientists from the university of sheffield worked with people in the camp to find a solution then found that discarded mattresses could hold the key. There was a warehouse full and we didnt know what to do with them. There was no disposal mechanism. I had been to a landfill site and seen a tomato plant growing on an old sofa. Really . Yeah. Thats why i knew it would work. The mattress foam holds the plants instead of soil and it requires much less water because liquid stays where it is needed rather than draining away. This sustainable fix is already helping many in the camp. And finding a way to grow food in this most challenging environment could also offer lessons to the rest of the world. This wasnt the only demonstration of clever tech in 2020. Especially in response to the pandemic. These robots have been deployed at heathrow airport. Working overnight, they disinfect using uv light to kill off viruses. Scientists also turned their attention to sewage. By testing waste water, they could see if signs of coronavirus were present, creating an early alert for a new outbreaks. And in italy, a new way to stay socially distanced. Visitors to florence cathedral are asked to wear these sensors, and if they get too close to someone else, they buzz. For hundreds of years, astronomers have been coming here to gaze up at the heavens, discovering the wonders of the cosmos. Many of the must have asked themselves that big question. Is there any of life out there . This year, a New Discovery suggested the answer could be yes, and it was found in a most unlikely place. It is one of earths closest neighbours. But until now, venus has been seen as inhospitable. This year, though, possible signs of life were found. Astronomers detected a gas called phosphine, a chemical associated with biological activity. Researchers think it could have been produced by tiny living organisms venuss clouds. The researchers have tried to find another explanation for the gas, but they are struggling to identify a process that doesnt involve life. Everything we have tried, maybe it is puffed out by volcanoes were brought in by meteors or bits blown up from the surface and had some chemical reaction, none of those things work. I think we are excited because phosphine is really distinctive, something we know life can make, and we know other mechanisms cant readily make. Im venus. On venus. What makes this so surprising of the extreme conditions of the planet. Temperatures there can reach more than a50 celsius, and in the atmosphere, there are clouds of concentrated sulphuric acid. But even so, some think life could survive. As you go higher into the atmosphere, just as you do on earth climbing a mountain, it gets cooler and cooler. So there is an inhabitable zone. A range of altitudes where it is not too hot and not too acidic, that life we could understand on earth, so extremely hardy, survival super hero type cells could survive in that environment the venetian clouds. The findings have now been turned over to the wider scientific community, but until a better explanation is found, we cannot rule out that life could exist elsewhere in our solar system. And this wasnt the only time space offered up the perfect distraction from the pandemic. These are the closest ever pictures of the sun, taken by a spacecraft called solar 0rbita. They help to reveal the inner workings of our staff. Also in 2020, a daring landing on an asteroid more than 300 million kilometres away. The nasa robot collected samples of rock. The next step is to bring them back to earth. And a discovery on the moon. An abundant supply of water was found, boosting hopes it could one day sustain a lunar base. China also embarked on its latest mission to the moon. A robotic lander gathered up rocks. It then docked with an orbiting spacecraft to return these precious samples to earth. They are the first collected in more than a0 years. China left behind its flag. There is no doubting now that it is a major new power and space. In space. This was the year that would challenge science like never before. From the first reports of a new virus in china, prompting a race against time to understand this new deadly enemy, scientists sequenced dna, revealing the genetic make up of the virus, and developed tests that could show if someone was infected or not. And they discovered the environments where the virus was most likely to spread, our knowledge of covid was growing fast. We need to concentrate on limiting these large cluster super spreading events which we know are linked to indoor poorly ventilated environments and gatherings. Scientists focused on how our immune system responded, and whether you could catch covid i9 twice. And delved into our genes to see why some people with the virus had no symptoms, and others got severely sick. And in hospitals, as they started to admit the seriously ill, huge Clinical Trials got underway, revealing a steroid called dexamethasone that could help covid i9 patients in intensive care. Not only is this the first drug that has improved survival, but it is available worldwide, immediately, and is available. Affordable. Thats fantastic news for patients. But the rush was for a vaccine, and soon more than 200 were in development around the world. With research and trials taking place at unprecedented speed, what would usually take years was taking months. Then, the news, that a vaccine developed by pfizer and biontech was more than 90 effective. Ive never felt professionally such a moment ofjoy, and we werejustjumping up and down in the chairs, forjoy for humanity and medical advances to put an end to this pandemic. Soon others began to report impressive results too. It was a watershed moment in the fight against covid i9. This, though, is just this, though, isjust the this, though, is just the start. This, though, isjust the start. The virus is still ranging in many countries, and getting vaccines to eve ryo ne a cross countries, and getting vaccines to everyone across the globe will be one of the biggest clip logistical challenges of our age. But thanks to the remarkable efforts of scientists this year, there is hope that an end may be in sight. Now, to one of the most remote parts of the planet, antarctica. Scientists call this the domesday glacier. It is roughly the size of britain, but the ices banners showing fast. Billions of tonnes of melted water pouring into the sea every year. Melted water pouring into the sea every yea r. To melted water pouring into the sea every year. To assess the damage, the biggest Science Survey in antarctic history got under way. The glacier holds a colossal amount of water, and if it collapses, cities around the world could be swamped by the rising seas. The ice here is very accessible to change, and so if we are thinking about what sea level is going to look like in ten years, this glacier is the place to be, and this glacier is the place to be, and this is the location to be asking these questions out. We are standing right on it. Scientists drill down into the glacier. Instruments are carefully lowered, heading 600 metres down until they get to the point where the ice meets the ocean. It is the first time that scientists have reached her, and it means they can measure how fast the glaciers melting. Antarctica is the big unknown. Antarctica has so little understanding about the future contribution that the ice sheet is going to make to sea level, that it is actually sometimes left out. Going to make to sea level, that it is actually sometimes left outm is actually sometimes left outm is sometimes left out of estimates going into the future. It is a feat to operate in these hostile conditions, but understanding what is happening here is vitalfor eve ryo ne is happening here is vitalfor everyone around the world. With the uncertainty of the pandemic, green spaces uncertainty of the pandemic, green s pa ces have uncertainty of the pandemic, green spaces have become a refuge. For a few moments each day, we can stop and watch the wildlife, see the seasons change. But with this renewed focus on our environments, the threat their virus the threats the Natural World are facing ive become ever more apparent. With serious consequences for us all. From the oceans to the land, from insects to exotic plants, life on earth is declining at an astonishing rate. And time is running out to repair this damage according to a un report published this year. And the pandemic two is linked to this destruction. Coronavirus is thought to have first emerged in bats, and eventually jump to humans to have first emerged in bats, and eventuallyjump to humans perhaps via another species in between. We are fairly confident that the driving forces that have led to the spread of the virus came through a combination of expansion into habitats, illegal wildlife trade, the removal of wildlife, and we are going to see those threats increase. We have had a very clear warning that impacts on wildlife overseas, directly affect us at home. Experts say we urgently need to turn the tide. But there are signs of hope for the Natural World. In antarctica, there was good news for emperor penguins. A raft of new breeding sites have been discovered on the ice, providing a boost to their numbers. And in australia, and his incredible discovery at the Great Barrier reef. Coral stretching more than 500 metres high, that is taller than the empire state building. And the largest animals on the planet also made a surprise comeback. Blue whales almost vanished from our oceans, wiped out by hinting in the early 20th century, but this year there were signs of recovery. Hunting. In half a century of surveys, only a handful have ever been seen. The tea m handful have ever been seen. The team says that the new count of 60 wells is astonishing. It is absolutely astonishing, because they are critically endangered. So just seeing this many in south georgia waters suggest that it is becoming an important feeding area for them again. And this is what they are eating. Krill. The waters are teeming with these tiny creatures. And it is this abundance of food that has driven the recovery. Scientists think there may be as many as 10,000 blue whales now. This giant of the deep is edging back from the brink. Even though it has been a challenging year, the planets are at least were in perfect alignment. The orbit of mars brought it on alignment. The orbit of mars brought itona alignment. The orbit of mars brought it on a very close approach to earth, making it the perfect time for a mission to the red planet, or rather three missions. In 2020, a trio of spacecrafts set their sights on mars. Blasting off, the first of this years motion missions, and the moment the United Arab Emirates made history. 51 years ago on the 20th of july, man first walked on the moon. And today on the 20th ofjuly, for us and today on the 20th ofjuly, for us here, it marks a milestone and a change and transformation. That i hope will stimulate and push forward an entire generation to think differently. The spacecraft is called hope. Until now, the uae has only launched satellites into earths orbit. This is a huge leap. And it has been launched into the planet prospect s atmosphere to tell us about the climate. Dust storms, cloud, lightning even. So, understanding the weather on mars will help us understand more about the weather on earth. Next, it was chinas ten. It is their First Mission to mars too. They are sending a six wheeled rover and able to land it just sending a six wheeled rover and able to land itjust north of the red planets equator. And then came nasser, who in anotherfirst planets equator. And then came nasser, who in another first are testing and minimise helicopter to see if it can fly in the extremely thin martian air. It is another pair of eyes from a totally different vantage point. Just being able to get to places that we simply cant get to places that we simply cant get to. Very steep crevasse is creators, places like that that rovers cant rave into. We are going to fly. And this is nassers most advanced rover to date. It should help us to discover if there was ever hacked life on mars. It will be collecting samples of rocks which will be stored and brought back to earth. Hopefully, in about ten or15 yea rs we earth. Hopefully, in about ten or15 years we will get those rocks back from mars and more missions will be sent to bring them back and we will be able to study those rocks from mars and laboratories on earth. All three of these Ground Breaking missions are now imposing on their destination and will transform our understanding of mars when they arrive. It brings to a close a year that has brought science to the worlds attention, and it is clear it will stay centrestage in the months to come. Hello there. It was a drab start on monday, wasnt it . With the spell of wet weather gradually pushing its way steadily north and east. It will move out of Northern Ireland this afternoon and then move its way into scotland where it will linger for much of the day. Behind it we have a real cluster of showers sandwiched into the south, but the real contrast with the story today is the mild air that is pushing up across the south in comparison to the colder air that is now starting to nudge in to the far north of scotland. So the remainder of the afternoon sees that wet weather across the Scottish Borders into western scotland, behind it stays overcast, drab and dreary with a scattering of sharp showers accompanied by some pretty brisk winds in the south. But look at the temperatures 13 to 15 degrees quite widely across england and wales, by contrast, in scotland and Northern Ireland, a maximum of seven or eight degrees. That cold air is starting to push in. Northerly winds will drag in colder air still through the night and a few showers will turn wintry to Higher Ground as we keep those clearer skies in scotland and Northern Ireland. But we keep quite a lot of cloud across england and wales, so here are relatively mild night with double figures perhaps into the south east corner. Temperatures in the north hovering close to freezing. But we will start the day off with some sparkling sunshine here, a few scattered showers are set to continue through the day. But scotland, Northern Ireland, along with Northern England should stay dry and relatively sunny. If we draw a line from mid wales down into the midlands further south of that, it stays rather cloudy, dreary, mild with some drab bits and pieces of rain pushing into the south west. We will see a more significant area of low pressure on wednesday pushing into the south west and that unfortunately could once again bring the potential for some localised flooding, so we will need to keep an eye on that and weather warnings have been issued by the met office across South West England in particular it stays mild here, but drier, brighter but cooler in the far north of scotland. Now that area of low pressure should move away first thing on thursday morning and then we will see this High Pressure tending to build for Christmas Eve. So Christmas Eve into christmas day, we change gear in terms of the feel of the weather and the type of weather. Things will quieten down and cool down considerably for much of the country. So i am not sure we will see a White Christmas in terms of snow, but certainly we could have a hard frost going into christmas day. Take care. This is bbc news im ben brown. The headlines the Prime Minister will lead a televised briefing from downing street later this afternoon, as more countries join the International Travel ban on britain, because of the new variant of coronavirus. More than a0 nations have now banned flights from the uk. As the crisis deepens, borisjohnson chairs a meeting of the governments cobra emergency committee. Theres chaos in kent, as francejoins the ban, stopping lorries and passengers from the uk, though there are hopes the french authorities may soon reconsider. And if any lorry is turning up wanting to get across the channel, they are being turned away. Its the same with passenger vehicles,