All articles tagged with #lunar exploration
NASA's Artemis 2 mission, set for launch in 2026, will send four astronauts on a 10-day lunar flyby to test systems for future lunar landings, marking a significant step toward establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon, with European contributions playing a key role.
Private companies and space agencies are rapidly advancing toward lunar mining, particularly for helium-3, with plans to start operations by 2029, but the lack of a comprehensive international legal framework raises concerns about disputes, environmental impact, and resource sharing.
SpaceX has unveiled a simplified lunar lander design to accelerate Artemis missions, focusing on safety and efficiency by reducing complexity, launch requirements, and cargo capacity, aiming to return humans to the Moon sooner.
Scientists have revised their understanding of the Moon's largest crater, the South Pole-Aitken basin, suggesting it was formed by a glancing blow rather than a head-on impact. This new insight could influence upcoming NASA Artemis missions targeting the lunar south pole, as the region may contain valuable clues about the Moon's interior and evolution. The findings also shed light on the asymmetry between the Moon's near and far sides, particularly regarding mineral distribution and crust formation.
Scientists have revised their understanding of the Moon's largest crater, the South Pole-Aitken basin, suggesting it was formed by a glancing blow rather than a head-on impact. This new insight could influence upcoming NASA Artemis missions, which aim to explore the lunar south pole, and deepen our understanding of the Moon's interior and geological history.
Chinese researchers have developed autonomous robotic dogs to explore lunar lava tubes, which could serve as future moon bases, using advanced navigation, obstacle avoidance, and 3D mapping technologies, tested in Earth environments similar to lunar terrain, marking a significant step in space exploration and robotics.
The Moon is being explored as a potential source of helium-3, a rare isotope crucial for quantum computing and clean fusion energy, with the US and China leading the race, raising significant technological and geopolitical implications.
Recent discoveries of 41 new landslides on the moon, primarily caused by moonquakes, challenge the belief that the moon is geologically inactive, with significant implications for future lunar exploration and safety planning.
NASA's Artemis 2 astronauts Victor Glover and Christina Koch are practicing lunar observation procedures inside a mockup Orion capsule at NASA's Johnson Space Center, as part of their training for the upcoming 2026 lunar mission that will include a crewed flyby of the moon.
NASA's VIPER rover, designed to explore lunar water ice, will be delivered to the moon's south pole by Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander in 2027, marking a significant step in lunar resource exploration and supporting NASA's Artemis program.
NASA has awarded Blue Origin a contract to deliver the VIPER rover to the Moon's South Pole by late 2027, aiming to search for water ice and other volatiles to support future lunar and Mars exploration, leveraging private sector capabilities to reduce costs and risks.
NASA's Artemis II mission will serve as both a test flight and a scientific research platform, with astronauts acting as subjects to study the effects of deep space on human health, immune response, and performance, while also exploring the Moon and testing new technologies like organ-on-a-chip and radiation sensors to inform future lunar and Mars missions.
The article discusses the scientific focus of the Apollo missions, particularly geology, highlighting how NASA trained astronauts like Neil Armstrong and Harrison Schmitt to conduct field geology on the Moon, transforming lunar exploration into a scientific endeavor that significantly advanced our understanding of the Moon's geology.
China's Lanyue lander successfully completed a comprehensive landing and takeoff test, marking a significant milestone in China's planned manned lunar exploration program, with a lunar landing expected before 2030.
NASA's interim administrator, Sean Duffy, announced plans to send a nuclear reactor to the moon by 2030 as part of a new space race with China, aiming to establish a US claim on the most advantageous lunar region for its resources and solar power challenges, without launching a live reactor.