Tag

Lunar Mission

All articles tagged with #lunar mission

space6 hours ago•3 min saved

Artemis II seals historic lunar return with Pacific splashdown

Artemis II completes humanity’s first lunar round trip in over 50 years, ending with a Pacific splashdown of the Orion capsule 'Integrity' after an automated, high-speed descent; the crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—witnessed lunar far-side views, a solar eclipse, and Earth from space, paving the way for the next crewed Moon landing and a permanent lunar base later this decade, with recovery by the US Navy off California.

via Al Jazeera|

#artemis-ii #lunar-mission #nasa

space15 days ago•12 min saved

Artemis II crew signals a new era of diverse lunar exploration

NASA unveils the Artemis II crew — Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover (pilot), Christina Koch (mission specialist) and Jeremy Hansen (CSA mission specialist) — making history with the first woman, first person of color, and first Canadian to head a lunar mission. The roughly 10‑day, 600,000‑mile flight will circumnavigate the Moon aboard Orion/SLS, testing deep‑space capabilities, amid radiation exposure and possible communications blackouts, as NASA gears toward Artemis III and broader journeys to Mars.

via CNN|

#artemis-ii #astronauts #deep-space

science15 days ago•7 min saved

Artemis II: policy, cost, and risk shape NASA’s lunar flyby plan

Artemis II plans a 10-day crewed loop around the Moon in April 2026 aboard SLS/Orion; space policy expert Scott Pace outlines the decades-long path to this mission, highlights key risk checks (boosters, translunar injection, life support, heat shield), discusses cost and flight-rate challenges, and explains Artemis as an international, commercial effort aimed at establishing a sustainable lunar presence that could eventually be led by the private sector if economics support it.

via The Conversation|

#artemis-ii #lunar-mission #orion-capsule

space26 days ago•5 min saved

Artemis 2: NASA Won’t Pin a Fixed Risk Number on Crew Lunar Flight

Artemis 2, set for April 2026, will fly four astronauts in a 10‑day lunar orbit, but NASA is not providing a precise risk probability, saying data are too limited for a definitive number; officials frame the risk as uncertain—neither as high as a worst‑case guess nor as low as a simple statistic—while citing MMOD hazards and learning from past programs to guide mitigation.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#artemis-2 #lunar-mission #mmod

space-exploration29 days ago•56 min saved

Artemis 2 risk numbers remain elusive as NASA hedges on exact odds

NASA says it cannot provide a precise probabilistic risk figure for Artemis 2 due to limited data from the program’s early phase. Officials cite historical estimates and the NASA Office of Inspector General’s figures—roughly a 1-in-30 overall risk for a crewed lunar mission and about 1-in-40 for lunar operations—but caution that small data samples make such numbers uncertain. Artemis 2, slated for April with four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon, represents a high-uncertainty risk scenario as NASA advances the moon program.

via Space|

#artemis-2 #lunar-mission #nasa

space-exploration29 days ago•56 min saved

NASA fixes Artemis 2 and targets April crewed lunar flight

NASA says Artemis 2’s Space Launch System rocket has been repaired after a quick-disconnect seal issue on the upper stage. Ground teams completed a design fix, rolled the rocket back to the VAB, and are preparing for a March 19 rollout to Launch Complex 39B with a hopeful launch window around April 1 for a 10-day crewed loop around the Moon aboard Orion, carrying Wiseman, Glover, Koch and Hansen. The flight readiness review confirmed the fix and safety measures; Artemis 3’s plan has shifted to a docking-focused approach with private landers, delaying a lunar landing to Artemis 4/5. If April 1 slips, additional opportunities exist in early April and late April into May.

via Space|

#artemis-2 #lunar-mission #nasa

space1 month ago•7 min saved

Apollo 10's Moon Return Still Sets the Fastest Human Reentry Speed

In May 1969, Apollo 10 crew Stafford, Young and Cernan achieved the fastest human speed on reentry—36,397 ft/s (about 39,937 km/h)—during their lunar-return trajectory. The record endures because no crewed mission has left Earth orbit since Apollo 17, and subsequent flights have not surpassed that reentry velocity. Artemis plans aim to return humans to the Moon with comparable speeds, but thus far only the uncrewed Artemis I reentry reached about 39,400 km/h, keeping Apollo 10’s speed record intact as a landmark of lunar-flight physics.

via Indian Defence Review|

#apollo-10 #lunar-mission #nasa

space-exploration5 months ago•3 min saved

SpaceX's Starship Advances Amid Challenges and Lunar Ambitions

SpaceX has successfully launched two Starship prototypes without accidents, but significant technical challenges remain before the spacecraft can safely land astronauts on the Moon. NASA's ambitious plans involve complex refueling and rendezvous operations, with concerns about the current unproven capabilities of Starship for lunar landing and surface operations. Despite progress, the timeline for returning humans to the Moon has been pushed back, with 2027 now unlikely and a 2030 goal seeming distant.

via theregister.com|

#lunar-mission #moon-landing #nasa

space8 months ago•3 min saved

NASA awards Firefly Aerospace nearly $177M for lunar south pole mission

NASA awarded Firefly Aerospace a $177 million contract for a 2029 lunar mission to deploy multiple rovers and scientific instruments to explore the moon's south pole, aiming to study resources and environmental hazards to support future lunar and Mars exploration.

via Space|

#firefly-aerospace #lunar-mission #moon-south-pole

space8 months ago•1 min saved

NASA Prepares Artemis IV Moon Rocket for Lunar Mission

NASA tested a crucial payload adapter at the Marshall Space Flight Center as part of preparations for the Artemis IV lunar mission, which aims to establish the Gateway space station to facilitate future lunar and Mars exploration. The adapter connects spacecraft to the launch vehicle and is undergoing quality checks before final assembly, supporting NASA's plans to launch astronauts via the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket.

via Space|

#artemis-iv #gateway #lunar-mission

space-exploration1 year ago•4 min saved

China's Chang'e-6 Returns with Historic Far-Side Moon Samples

China's Chang'e 6 mission has successfully transferred the first-ever samples collected from the far side of the moon between its ascender and orbital module in lunar orbit. This marks a significant milestone as the samples are now set to return to Earth. The mission, which landed in the Apollo Basin crater on the moon's far side, continues China's pioneering efforts in lunar exploration. The sample return canister is expected to land on Earth on June 25.

via Space.com|

#change-6 #cnsa #lunar-mission

space-exploration1 year ago•3 min saved

Japanese Billionaire Maezawa Cancels SpaceX Moon Mission

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has canceled his planned "dearMoon" mission with SpaceX's Starship due to ongoing delays and uncertainty about the launch schedule. Maezawa, who signed the contract in 2018 with an expected launch by the end of 2023, cited the inability to plan his future and the prolonged wait for crew members as reasons for the decision. The mission aimed to fly Maezawa and eight artists around the moon, but Starship has yet to achieve orbit or carry people. Crew members expressed disappointment and frustration over the cancellation.

via SpaceNews|

#dearmoon #lunar-mission #space-exploration

space-exploration1 year ago•5 min saved

China's Chang'e-6 Achieves Historic Landing on Moon's Far Side for Sample Collection

China's Chang’e-6 mission successfully landed on the far side of the moon, targeting the South Pole-Aitken Basin, to collect unique lunar samples. This marks China's fourth successful lunar landing and aims to bring back up to 2,000 grams of lunar material for scientific analysis. The mission involves complex stages, including sample collection, ascent, and return to Earth, with the samples expected to provide valuable insights into lunar and early solar system history.

via SpaceNews|

#change-6 #china-national-space-administration #far-side-of-the-moon

space-exploration1 year ago•3 min saved

"Japan's SLIM Moon Lander Lost to Cold Lunar Night"

Japan's SLIM moon lander has stopped responding to signals, likely due to the harsh conditions of the lunar night. Despite this, JAXA remains hopeful and plans to attempt contact again next month when the sun returns to the landing site. The mission, which aimed to demonstrate precise lunar landing techniques, has already provided valuable data, including evidence of the mineral olivine on the moon's surface.

via Space.com|

#jaxa #lunar-mission #lunar-surface

space-exploration1 year ago•3 min saved

"NASA Faces Budget Scrutiny Amid Artemis Program Adjustments"

At a Senate hearing, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson defended the Artemis program's costs and schedule, despite suggestions for an independent review. Nelson emphasized contractor accountability and the use of commercial partnerships. Concerns were raised about the readiness of SpaceX's Starship for the Artemis 3 mission, with NASA considering alternative plans if necessary.

via SpaceNews|

#artemis-program #bill-nelson #lunar-mission