Exploration of the Moon

Image: SafranThis striking scanning electron microscope image offers an intimate view of a test glass surface, part of a project to enhance the lifespan of atomic clocks in navigation satellites. The plasma-etched features, each less than 10 micrometres across, are crucial for the operation of these highly accurate clocks. They function by inducing switches between an atom’s energy states using light, laser, or maser energy (a device that produces and amplifies electromagnetic waves), leading to the emission of a stable…

China is planning to send its next lander to the lunar surface, this time targeting an impact crater with a sun-lit rim that could hold precious resources for long-duration stays on the Moon.China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonThe upcoming Chang’e 7 mission, scheduled for launch in 2026, is targeting a landing site on the Shackleton crater in the Moon’s south pole, according to a recent paper published in National Science Review. The lander, along with a rover and a small flying probe (likely a hopping probe), aim…

Do not scratch your eyes: the Moon is slowly shrinking, causing quakes on its surface that complicate NASA’s plans for landing Artemis 3, the first Artemis mission that will make a crewed landing on the Moon, and more ambitious missions geared towards maintaining a prolonged human lunar presence. China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonYes, there are plenty of tremors on other bodies in our solar system. On the Moon, they’re moonquakes. On Mars, they’re marsquakes, over 1,300 of which were detected by NASA’s InSight…

The saga of Japan’s lunar lander continues to unfold, with the first images of SLIM on the surface of the Moon revealing the unfortunate position the spacecraft has ended up in.China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonNearly a week after the SLIM lander touched down on the Moon, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) released an image of its spacecraft taken by a tiny rover called Sora-Q, which arrived on the Moon with SLIM. The image shows SLIM in a bind, with its thrusters pointed upward and, worst of all, its…

When NASA attempted to return to the Moon for the first time in 50 years on January 8, more was at risk than just $108 million worth of development and equipment. The agency earned the ire of the Native American Navajo people, who made a bid to stop the launch because of an unusual inclusion in the payload.China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonThe Peregrine lander (which completed its controlled re-entry into the atmosphere late last week) was carrying human ashes, including those of famed science fiction author…

Japan’s space agency, JAXA, achieved a historic soft landing with SLIM on Friday morning, but the lander ran into instant trouble by not being able to collect solar energy and generate electricity. Hopeful for some westerly sunshine, JAXA is cautiously optimistic that SLIM could spring back to life in a couple of weeks.First Full-Color Images From Webb Space TelescopeShortly after its landing on Friday, January 19, JAXA reported issues with SLIM’s solar cells, which were not generating sufficient electricity. On Monday,…

Astrobotic bid farewell to its Peregrine lunar lander on Thursday as the spacecraft plunged through Earth’s atmosphere, thereby preventing the failed mission from colliding into other spacecraft. China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonThe Pittsburgh-based company lost contact with Peregrine at around 3:50 p.m. ET, with the spacecraft potentially performing a control reentry over the South Pacific at 4:04 p.m. ET. Astrobotic is still waiting on confirmation from government agencies that its lunar lander completely…

Japan chooses to go to the Moon, and it’s doing so with a strong emphasis on accuracy. With SLIM, the nation’s space agency is aiming for an autonomous, high-precision landing within an impressive 328 feet (100 meters) of its intended target inside Shioli Crater.Moon Knight Gives Us HopeSLIM is expected to perform its soft landing on Friday, January 19 at 10:20 a.m. ET (Saturday at 12:20 a.m. Japan time). Space agency JAXA is livestreaming the event, with the broadcast starting at 9 a.m. ET. You can catch the action at…

The saga of Peregrine is coming to a tragic end, with the lunar lander scheduled for reentry through Earth’s atmosphere after failing to touch down on the Moon.China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonAfter 10 days of journeying through space, Astrobotic has positioned its lunar lander on a trajectory towards Earth to perform a controlled re-entry over a remote area of the South Pacific on Thursday, January 18 around 4:00 p.m. ET, the company wrote in an update.Peregrine launched on January 8 on board United Launch…

We’re still reeling from last week’s Astrobotic failure, in which a catastrophic propellant leak rendered the Peregrine lunar lander incapable of completing its Moon landing mission. It’s not the outcome we were hoping for, but the global space community doesn’t have to wait long for another opportunity at lunar exploration success: Japan’s SLIM is slated to attempt an innovative lunar landing this Friday morning.China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonScheduled to land on January 19 at 10:20 a.m. EST (Saturday,…