Moon
China displays crewed moon landing mission elements
China is showcasing a number of elements for future human lunar landing missions at a major airshow and stating that super heavy-lift rocket will be ready by 2028.
Op-ed | Can we backhaul our way to space?
If the market grows large enough, a dedicated lunar-to-LEO tanker industry could evolve – which might never happen if the infrastructure for supplying space facilities with lunar water had to be paid for up front and from scratch, before any water was delivered.
China’s Chang’e-5 orbiter is heading back to the moon
The Chang’e-5 orbiter module which facilitated China’s complex lunar sample return last year is on its way to the moon following deep space tests.
NASA has no plans to exchange lunar samples with China
NASA currently has no plans to trade any of its Apollo-era lunar samples with those returned by China’s Chang’e-5 mission, although then agency’s chief scientist held out hope for such an exchange in the future.
ispace unveils new larger lunar lander
The Tokyo-based ispace unveiled the design of the lander at the 36th Space Symposium Aug. 23. The lander, being developed by the company’s U.S. office in Denver, will fly as soon as 2024 on the company’s third mission to the moon.
Foust Forward | A schedule better suited for Artemis
While moving up the date of a human lunar landing may have been well intentioned, providing the urgency needed to make decisions and more forward, budgets that have not kept pace with projections and inevitable future technical problems make it unlikely NASA can get everything in place to land humans on the moon in 2024.
Lunar cubesats head to the launch pad
The first cubesats designed to study the moon are scheduled to launch late this year, with more in development in the next few years.
Space Force eyes solar-powered vehicles for operations near the moon
A startup under contract to the U.S. Space Force is investigating the use of solar-powered vehicles for operations in deep space beyond Earth orbit.
China outlines space plans to 2025
HELSINKI — China’s space administration has outlined its priorities in space science, technology, applications and exploration for the coming years.
Lunar, interplan…
Report: Space Force has to prepare for operations beyond Earth’s orbit
An AFRL report suggests the U.S. Space Force has to prepare for a day when the moon and the volume of space around it could become the next military frontier.
ESA awards study contracts for lunar communications and navigation systems
The European Space Agency has issued contracts to two European industry groups to begin concept studies of lunar satellite systems that would provide communications and navigation services.
Op-ed | China, the moon, Mars, and beyond — an opportunity for human cooperation
China this week is conducting a robotic lunar sample return mission, something the United States has never done. The mission is proceeding while a Chinese lunar rover is wrapping up its second year of service on the moon — on its far side, something also never done by the United States.
Chang’e-5 successfully lands on moon to collect youngest lunar samples
China’s Chang’e-5 has successfully landed on the moon in a major step towards obtaining the youngest lunar samples so far collected and delivering them to Earth.
New report outlines international approach to lunar exploration
An updated version of a study developed by an international working group backs an approach to lunar exploration that largely follows NASA’s Artemis plans to return humans to the moon in 2024.
Moon patrols could be a future reality for Space Force
U.S. military space activities today are confined to Earth orbit. As NASA begins to establish a permanent presence at the moon and works with the private sector to develop a cislunar economy, the military foresees playing a role protecting those interests if they were challenged by a foreign power.
