Tag

Lunar Lander

All articles tagged with #lunar lander

House bill tightens NASA oversight of Artemis lander and spacesuits
policy-and-politics23 days ago

House bill tightens NASA oversight of Artemis lander and spacesuits

The House Science Committee’s NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026 would require NASA to provide detailed progress, funding, milestones, and challenges reports on Blue Origin and SpaceX’s lunar lander work and on spacesuit development, with reports due within 60–90 days of enactment. It also mandates maintaining in-house spacesuit expertise at Johnson Space Center, outlines ISS transition plans to commercial stations, and requests a Mars Sample Return strategy, all while keeping Artemis architecture largely intact and aiming for a 2028 Artemis 3 landing.

Artemis II: A crewed lunar flyby to test systems—with no landing
space1 month ago

Artemis II: A crewed lunar flyby to test systems—with no landing

Artemis II will carry four astronauts on a lunar flyby, not a lander mission. The goal is to test life-support, thermal control, navigation, propulsion and other onboard systems aboard the Orion capsule and SLS rocket on a translunar, free-return trajectory, with lunar landing deferred to Artemis III (using SpaceX’s Starship HLS). The mission emphasizes crew safety and vehicle health first, may push the crew farther from Earth than any humans have gone, and mirrors Apollo-era testing before attempting a surface landing.

Blue Origin Eyes Leapfrog Over SpaceX for Artemis 3 Lunar Lander
space-exploration3 months ago

Blue Origin Eyes Leapfrog Over SpaceX for Artemis 3 Lunar Lander

Blue Origin is advancing its lunar lander program and could potentially beat SpaceX to deliver a lunar landing system for NASA's Artemis 3 mission, especially as SpaceX faces delays with its Starship HLS. Blue Origin's MK1 demonstration mission is expected soon, and its more proven, smaller landers could offer a faster, more reliable alternative for lunar surface missions, possibly accelerating Artemis 3's timeline.

Astrobotic Delays Griffin-1 Lander Launch to 2026
space-exploration4 months ago

Astrobotic Delays Griffin-1 Lander Launch to 2026

Astrobotic has delayed its Griffin-1 lunar lander mission to mid-2026, with the launch now scheduled for no earlier than July 2026, due to ongoing assembly and testing processes. The mission will carry the FLIP rover and other payloads, replacing the originally planned 2025 launch. The delay follows NASA's decision to cancel the VIPER rover's original mission, which will now be flown by Blue Origin in 2027.

NASA Panel Flags Potential Years-Long Delay for Starship Lunar Lander
space5 months ago

NASA Panel Flags Potential Years-Long Delay for Starship Lunar Lander

NASA safety advisers warn that SpaceX's Starship lunar lander may face years-long delays, potentially impacting the Artemis 3 moon landing planned for 2027, due to challenges in demonstrating cryogenic propellant transfer and ongoing development issues. Despite SpaceX's achievements in launch operations, broader program uncertainties and schedule risks for Artemis 3 and beyond are raising concerns about mission timelines.

Laser Rangefinder Issues Cited in Ispace Lunar Lander Crashes
space8 months ago

Laser Rangefinder Issues Cited in Ispace Lunar Lander Crashes

Japanese company ispace's second lunar lander, Resilience, crashed due to a hardware problem with its laser rangefinder, which failed to provide timely altitude data during descent, leading to a high-velocity impact near the planned landing site. The company plans to improve sensor testing and consider alternative technologies for future missions scheduled for 2027.