Lunar
Stories about commercial, civil, and international missions on and around the Moon.
ispace and ElevationSpace Plan to Bring Back Moon Rocks for Japan
Japan is among the planet’s top players in the game to get back to the Moon, and some of its most enthusiastic lunar exploration companies just announced a mission to do something Japan has never done before: lunar sample return. ispace, inc. announced yesterday that it has teamed up with Japanese in-orbit transportation startup ElevationSpace…
Artemis II Astronauts Name Their Ride
“Integrity” was Canadian mission specialist Jeremy Hansen’s idea to represent “peace and hope for all humankind.”
International Competition is Driving the Moon Race
In the 21st century space race, the contest to reach the Moon feels less like the Cold War and more like Wacky Races.
Zeno Power Signs Deal for Material To Scale Nuclear Space Power
The company will make a “multi-million-dollar” payment to Orano, a manager of the nuclear fuel cycle, to acquire a large amount of Americium-241 each year from Orano’s recycling site in France.
Firefly Earns Extra $10M For Blue Ghost Data
All told, the mission collected nearly 120 gigabytes of data during both its 45-day trek to the Moon and its two weeks on the lunar surface.
Moon Telescope Sparks Lunar-Distance Relationship
There’s plans afoot to put a new telescope near the Moon’s south pole—and a Canadian company was selected this week to design and build its instrument suite.
ispace Inches Closer to Another Lunar Attempt
ispace is itching for another attempt at a lunar joyride.
ispace, Digantara Join Forces on Cislunar SSA
“Through this joint mission, we are laying the foundation for a sustainable lunar ecosystem, where safe operations, resource utilization, and long-term infrastructure go hand in hand.”
NASA Taps Chief for Lunar Fission Power
Steven Sinacore will lead a fast-moving effort to put atomic power on the Moon.
Zeno Power Hires NASA’s Former Chief Technologist
Charania, who also recently signed on as an advisor for Balerion Space Ventures, brings 25+ years of experience at many of the biggest names in the space industry.
NASA Wants To Hit the Accelerator On Lunar Atomics
The Trump administration’s first big change to the Artemis program is a plan to deliver a 100kw nuclear fission reactor to the lunar surface by 2030, with the job done almost entirely by the private sector.
The Push For a Sustainable Lunar Economy
“There needs to be more transparency on how the world is thinking about lunar sustainability,” said Charity Weeden, a former NASA policy chief whose views do not represent the agency. “It’s critical not to mess up, because you don’t necessarily get a second chance.”
