NASA: Can Anybody Use A High-End Lunar Rover?
The agency canceled the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) last month to save $80M.
Moon
Stories about opportunities and missions on the Moon.
China Looks to Boost Global Launch Market
China expressed goals to boost its global launch market during a recent webinar about the race to the moon.
Astrobotic Exploring National Security Tech Crossover
Astrobotic is looking to expand into the national security sector and pitching DoD on how some of its Moon landing tech could be used by troops here on Earth.
Add Another Year to Your Artemis Calendar
The astronauts heading around the Moon on NASA’s Artemis II mission shouldn’t be packing their bags just yet.
US Will Send International Astronaut to the Moon
The US will send an international astronaut to the lunar surface by the end of the decade, VP Kamala Harris is expected to announce at the National Space Council meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
Russia’s Luna-25 Hard Lands on the Moon
The lunar surface has claimed another victim. Russia’s Luna-25 crash-landed on the Moon this weekend after the spacecraft fired its engines in an attempt to maneuver into its pre-landing orbit. The failed mission is a blow to the Russian space program, which hoped for a triumphant return to the lunar surface after a 47-year absence. […]
Moon History For Sale At Sotheby’s Space Auction
Space enthusiasts bought a slice of history Thursday, shelling out a combined ~$680,000 at Sotheby’s annual space exploration auction. The online auction sold more than 60 pieces of historical memorabilia, signed photos, and items that had flown to space. Big ticket: The top seller was an Apollo 13 flight plan signed and inscribed by capsule […]
NASA Funds 11 Next-Gen Space Projects
NASA awarded 11 companies a combined $150M to support a next-gen lunar base camp and broader space exploration tech, the agency announced yesterday. The grants, which were awarded under NASA’s Tipping Point program, fund an array of sci-fi-like projects including lunar nuclear fuel, in-situ resource utilization, LiDAR navigation, inflatable heat shielding, and lunar power transmission. […]
Three Lunar Landers Will Head to the Moon this Summer
54 years have passed since Armstrong took that iconic step on the Moon, marking an apex in the Apollo program and lunar exploration more broadly. Starting in 1977, however, a 36-year quiet period ensued, with zero lunar landing attempts until 2013, and only six since then. In a sign that the lunar lull is coming […]
Q&A with ispace US CEO Ronald Garan
The countdown has started on ispace’s NASA-backed date with the Moon in June 2025, and the US team has locked itself in a room this week to game out the details. The company began a four-day exercise on Monday akin to a military-style wargame that will help the company zero in on when the spacecraft […]
India is Set to Launch Chandrayaan-3 Lunar Lander and Rover on July 14
India rolled its LVM3 rocket to the pad Thursday and announced its Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander mission will take flight July 14. The launch sets the stage for lunar redemption. It will be the country’s second landing attempt after its Chandrayaan-2 vehicle crash-landed on the Moon’s surface nearly four years ago. The mission: Chandrayaan-3 consists of […]
Advanced Navigation Nabs $3.4M for Lunar Landing Tech
Advanced Navigation, a lunar navigation startup, won an AUD 5.2M ($3.4M) Australian Space Agency grant to accelerate development of its lunar lander LiDAV sensor tech, the company announced yesterday. The funding supports NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services. “By helping Australian organizations like Advanced Navigation to develop their space heritage, they can break into new markets […]