All articles tagged with #lunar far side
NASA released a trove of over 12,000 Artemis II images, revealing far-side Moon terrain, a space-based solar eclipse, star trails, and Earth as a distant crescent, including cockpit views; shot with Nikon gear and modified iPhone 17s, the archive is meant to aid future lunar missions and broaden public engagement with deep-space exploration.
During a far-side lunar flyby, Artemis II captured a rare Earthset image of Earth slipping behind the Moon, a view echoing Apollo-era photography; the seven-hour segment yielded additional observations including a total solar eclipse and planetary light, with the mission ending in splashdown off California.
The Chang’e-6 ascent vehicle successfully docked with its service module in lunar orbit, marking a crucial step in bringing the first samples from the moon's far side back to Earth. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) completed the docking and transfer of lunar material early on June 6, 2024. The orbiter will remain in lunar orbit for two weeks before returning to Earth, with the reentry capsule expected to land in Inner Mongolia around June 25. This mission is part of China's broader lunar exploration program, which includes future missions to the moon's south pole.
China's Queqiao-2 satellite has completed tests in lunar orbit, enabling it to support the upcoming Chang'e-6 mission to the lunar far side. The mission, set to launch on May 3, aims to collect rock samples from the Apollo crater. Queqiao-2 will relay signals between ground stations and Chang'e-6 on the lunar far side, facilitating the mission's success. Additionally, the satellite is part of China's broader plans for lunar exploration, including future missions to the lunar south pole and the development of a lunar base in the 2030s.
NASA has awarded Firefly Aerospace a $112 million contract to land payloads on the moon's far side using its Blue Ghost lander and send another into orbit to provide communications. The payloads include the Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Experiment-Night (LuSEE-Night) and User Terminal (UT). The European Space Agency's Lunar Pathfinder communications and navigation satellite will be launched first to relay signals between Earth and the payloads on the surface. This is the second Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contract for Firefly, with the first mission launching in 2024.