Tag

Lunar Landing

All articles tagged with #lunar landing

Artemis 2 Astronaut Advocates Equatorial Moon Landings First
science1 month ago

Artemis 2 Astronaut Advocates Equatorial Moon Landings First

Artemis 2 pilot Victor Glover argues for starting crewed lunar landings in equatorial, daylight regions rather than rushing to the south pole, citing easier access, shorter surface stays and lower risk in emergencies. He advocates a stepwise approach to build experience, while NASA officials have signaled flexibility on landing sites and continue refining lander capabilities and orbital options, with the south pole remaining a long‑term target but not fixed for early missions.

NASA speeds Artemis 3 toward a sustained Moon presence with overlapping missions
space4 months ago

NASA speeds Artemis 3 toward a sustained Moon presence with overlapping missions

NASA is accelerating Artemis 3 while Artemis 2 returns home, adopting overlapping mission phases and small, incremental changes rather than major redesigns to shorten timelines. By leveraging real‑time data, multiple Human Landing System providers, and an increased launch cadence, the agency aims for a mid‑2027 Artemis 3 lunar landing to dock Orion with Starship and/or Blue Moon HLS and test the AxEMU spacesuit, all as part of a broader move toward a sustainable, reusable lunar presence.

China eyes lunar 'geological museum' at Rimae Bode for its first crewed Moon landing
science5 months ago

China eyes lunar 'geological museum' at Rimae Bode for its first crewed Moon landing

A Nature Astronomy study identifies the Moon's near-side Rimae Bode region as a premier landing site for China's first crewed lunar mission, offering safe terrain and a geologically rich area with lava plains, rilles, and ejecta that could reveal the Moon's deep interior; four feasible landing sites were found within the area, astronauts will undergo extensive geological training, and planning will continue alongside new remote-sensing satellites and Mengzhou spacecraft on the Long March 10A to support a 2030 goal.

NASA Overhauls Artemis Roadmap to Expedite Lunar Return After Artemis II Delays
science5 months ago

NASA Overhauls Artemis Roadmap to Expedite Lunar Return After Artemis II Delays

With Artemis II delayed, NASA is restructuring the lunar program by reverting to simpler, proven hardware: replacing the Exploration Upper Stage with the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage and canceling the Exploration Upper Stage program. The plan accelerates mission cadence to about one flight every 10 months, retooling Artemis III as a near‑Earth, 30‑day rehearsal to validate docking, life‑support, and lander interfaces before the lunar landings planned for Artemis IV and V in 2028, clarifying the path back to the Moon.

space-exploration10 months ago

Astrobotic and SpaceX Delay Griffin Moon Mission to 2026

Astrobotic has delayed its Griffin-1 Moon lander mission to July 2026, aiming to support NASA's lunar exploration efforts with a new payload, the FLEX rover, after multiple previous delays due to technical and developmental challenges. The mission, launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center, is part of NASA's CLPS program to advance lunar science and exploration.

Recent Lunar Events and Spacecraft Discoveries Highlight Moon's Dynamic Environment
space1 year ago

Recent Lunar Events and Spacecraft Discoveries Highlight Moon's Dynamic Environment

iSpace's lunar lander failed to communicate after a landing attempt on the Moon, marking its second failure, but the company plans future missions. Meanwhile, ESA's FLYEYE telescope has begun operations to detect potentially hazardous asteroids, and new research suggests the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies might not collide as previously thought, due to gravitational influences and uncertainties in their trajectories.

Japanese private lunar lander prepares for high-stakes moon landing
space1 year ago

Japanese private lunar lander prepares for high-stakes moon landing

Japanese company ispace is preparing for its second lunar landing attempt with the Resilience lander, aiming to land in Mare Frigoris on June 5. The mission includes deploying a small rover and a symbolic model house called Moonhouse, along with various payloads. This follows a previous crash in 2023, with future missions planned for 2027 and beyond, as ispace aims to develop the cislunar economy despite financial challenges.

China's Chang'e-6 Prepares for Historic Moon Landing
sciencespace2 years ago

China's Chang'e-6 Prepares for Historic Moon Landing

China's Chang’e-6 mission is set to attempt a historic landing on the far side of the moon this weekend to collect samples from the Apollo crater. The mission, which launched on May 3, aims to gather up to 2,000 grams of lunar material for scientific analysis, with the samples expected to return to Earth around June 25. The mission is supported by international collaborations and is part of China's broader lunar exploration goals, including future missions and the establishment of a permanent lunar base.