Moon
Pioneering Chang’e-4 lunar far side landing mission to launch in December
China will launch its Chang’e-4 lander and rover mission in December in what will be the first ever attempt at a soft landing on the far side of the moon, authorities said Aug. 15
Electric propulsion to send smallsats from LEO to GEO orbit, moon
In an effort to cut launch costs, companies are looking to technology to transport small satellites from low Earth orbit to geostationary orbit and to the moon.
Apollo Celebration Gala
An awe-inspiring education-fundraising gala event held under the Apollo Saturn V Rocket at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to kick-off a 12-month celebration of 50 years since the Apollo 11 moon landing. On July 21st, join astronauts from acr…
Chang’e-4 relay satellite enters halo orbit around Earth-Moon L2, microsatellite in lunar orbit
The relay satellite which will facilitate China’s Chang’e-4 lunar far side landing mission late in 2018 has entered its intended halo orbit around Earth-Moon Lagrange point 2.
Bezos outlines vision of Blue Origin’s lunar future
Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Blue Origin, says he supports a human return to the moon in cooperation with other nations, as other company officials suggest planning is underway for an announcement about such efforts later this year.
Bridenstine emphasizes support for moon and Mars exploration
A day after telling one audience that the U.S. was returning to the moon, new NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine reassured another that Mars remained a goal for the agency as well.
NASA argues Resource Prospector no longer fit into agency’s lunar exploration plans
NASA says it decided to cancel a lunar rover mission last month despite a renewed focus on lunar exploration because that one-time effort did not fit into a plan that emphasizes a much higher cadence of missions, initially flown commercially.
NASA considering flight test of space nuclear reactor technology
After a successful campaign of ground tests, NASA is considering performing a flight test of a small nuclear reactor, possibly on a lunar lander mission in the mid-2020s.
NASA emphasizes commercial lunar lander plans with Resource Prospector cancellation
A lunar rover mission that struggled to win support at NASA, even after a change in space exploration policy, will no longer be pursued as the agency turns its attention to commercial lunar lander services.
Op-ed | Back to ‘back to the moon’
If one replaces the 2024 retirement of ISS with the 2010 retirement of space shuttle, you pretty much have the “back to the moon” space policy of the George W. Bush administration.
Op-ed | Dear National Space Council: Please keep doing what you’re doing
For the first time, NASA is planning to leverage commercial spacecraft for exploration missions, extending the proven public-private partnership model beyond Earth’s orbit.
Scientists and entrepreneurs lobby for NASA lunar program
As congressional appropriators prepare to review NASA’s latest budget request, a group from academia and industry are seeking support for a lunar exploration initiative included in the proposal.
Lunar X Prize competition to restart, without prize
Days after the decade-old Google Lunar X Prize competition expired without a winner, the X Prize Foundation announced it would “relaunch” the competition, albeit without a prize purse for now.
Op-Ed | Supporting America’s plan to lead on the moon
As we prepare to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Apollo lunar landings, we’re on the cusp of an exciting return to our nearest planetary neighbor with the administration’s 2019 proposed budget for NASA.
New exploration roadmap to be topic of space agencies meeting
A new version of a space exploration roadmap that firmly puts the moon on the path to Mars will be one topic of discussion at a meeting of dozens of space agencies this weekend in Tokyo.
