Japan’s Bet on the World’s Lunar Race
A handful of firms are trying to shape an unproven commercial market on the Moon.
Lunar
Stories about commercial, civil, and international missions on and around the Moon.
Preserving History On the Moon—and Beyond
Surrounded by the relics of space exploration, officials met at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center last week to discuss how to preserve the history of humankind’s farthest incursions into the cosmos 239,000 miles away.
Interstellar Lab Wants To Send Roses To The Moon
The biofarming startup recently announced Mission Little Prince, an ambitious plan to deliver a rose in bloom to the barren, gray lunar surface, and beam a picture back to Earth.
China Notches Fourth Successful Lunar Landing
China successfully soft landed an uncrewed spacecraft on the far side of the Moon over the weekend—the third lunar landing in what is shaping up to be a very busy year on Earth’s satellite.
SpaceX and Blue Origin Cargo Advance Work on Cargo Lunar Landers
NASA released new renderings and details of the SpaceX and Blue Origin lander intended to deliver cargo to the Moon as it progresses toward a preliminary design review.
UK Boosts Spending On International Moon, Mars Partnerships
The UK Space Agency will invest £7.4M ($9.3M) into joint projects with India, Japan, Canada, and the US that will pave the way for exploration of the Moon and Mars, the agency announced Wednesday.
IM-1 Lunar Lander is Set to Launch Wednesday Morning
SpaceX is slated to launch the Intuitive Machines Nova-C lunar lander aboard Falcon 9 early Valentine’s Day morning as it attempts to become the first commercial spacecraft to soft-land on the lunar surface and the first US vehicle to accomplish the feat since Apollo 17 in 1972.
The Mitchell Institute Calls for DoD Involvement in Cislunar Development
America’s much-anticipated return to the Moon carries a lot more weight than just NASA’s exploration aims—for the DoD, it’s an essential opportunity to ensure the US maintains superiority and freedom in the space domain.
Japan’s SLIM Spacecraft is Set to Attempt a Soft-Landing on the Moon
Japan’s SLIM spacecraft is gearing up for its soft-landing on the lunar surface Friday morning, a milestone that would make the country the fifth to achieve the feat.
UKSA and CSA Announce Aqualunar Challenge
Nations around the world are racing to find, land near, and utilize water ice on the lunar surface. That race just got a little more interesting.
Artemis III Could Face Further Delays, Watchdogs Say
One week after NASA announced new launch dates for two upcoming Artemis missions, officials were already saying that the agency may not be able to stick to the new schedule.
Astrobotic Looks for Next Steps After Lander Anomaly
Astrobotic’s bid to be the first private craft to soft land on the Moon is seemingly over after suffering an anomaly after launch.