Archive for the ‘Space News’ Category
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June 20th, 2025
The ispace Resilience lunar lander impact created a dark smudge surrounded by a subtle bright halo.
Image credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University.
Japan’s failed ispace Resilience lunar lander crash site has been imaged by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
The intended June 5 landing zone was within the center of Mare Frigoris (Sea of Cold), a volcanic region interspersed with large-scale faults known as wrinkle ridges.
Image credit: ispace
According to Mark Robinson, a lunar scientist for Intuitive Machines, based in Phoenix, Arizona, Mare Frigoris formed over 3.5 billion years ago as massive basalt eruptions flooded low-lying terrain. Later, the wrinkle ridges formed as the crust buckled under the weight of the heavy basalt deposits.
Glum news. Image credit: ispace/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Lost on landing
Following the ispace HAKUTO-R landing sequence, the Mission Control Center was unable to establish communications with the lander, determining that it was unlikely that communication with the Moon probe would be restored.
Also lost on landing was the Tenacious micro rover. That mini-rover was developed in Luxembourg by ispace EUROPE S.A., the European subsidiary of ispace.
Dark smudge
Image credit: ispaceAccording to Mark Robinson of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera
According to Robinson of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera Science Operations Center in Phoenix, Arizona: “The dark smudge formed as the vehicle excavated and redistributed shallow regolith (soil); the faint bright halo resulted from low-angle regolith particles scouring the delicate surface.”
Robinson told Inside Outer Space, the crash spot is roughly 1.5 miles (2,400 meters) from the one decimal place pre-landing ispace web page of latitude and longitude. Note that one decimal place equals 19 miles (30 kilometers), he said.
The crashed mission was ispace’s second try at soft-landing on the Moon. The private firm’s first attempt in April 2023 also ended in failure.
For details on the ispace moon mishap, go to “Japan crashes into the Moon, but slower than last time” by Scott Manley. Check out his detailed anatomy of a failure at:
https://youtu.be/d1_wAD717u0?si=CEU6C8-J8sWwejub
Click on image for before and after imagery taken by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter’s LROC camera system.
Image credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University
Posted in 
Image credit: Zengqian Hou, et al.
China’s aim to haul back to Earth bits and pieces of Mars via its Tianwen-3 mission is underscored in a new research paper, an effort to collect and rocket back at least a pound (500 grams) of the extraterrestrial goodies around 2031.
The preliminary proposed payload for the lander has been completed, as have preliminary studies on a strategy for the selection of the landing site.
Also detailed is development of a forward and back-contamination strategy, including the establishment of a dedicated laboratory for the preservation and analysis of the returned Martian samples.
Schematic overview of China’s MSR mission. The lander configuration with
drilling and scooping payloads for biosignature analysis is shown on the left. The uncrewed drone, deployed for rock sampling at remote locations (operational
range is greater than 300 feet (over 100 meters), is shown on the right. All samples ascend to the orbiter.
The layered structure in the lower right highlights potential compositional
stratification within the Martian regolith (schematic representation, not to scale).
Image credit: Zengqian Hou, et al.
Landing sites
China’s landing zone stems from a review of 86 preliminary landing sites. The final, chosen site will favor the emergence and preservation of evidence of traces of life and detection of potential biosignatures in the returned samples.
“The mission aims to provide insights into nine scientific themes centered around the main focus of the search for extant and past life on Mars,” lead author Zengqian Hou of the Institute of Deep Space Sciences, Deep Space Exploration Laboratory, in Hefei, China.
Zengqian and colleagues presented their perspectives on China’s Mars Sample Return (MSR) in Nature Astronomy.
Where to collect, what to collect, how to collect, how to analyze
“Collecting samples from Mars could provide accurate data on the signs of life,” the research team explains.
The scientists detail the issues of where to collect, what to collect, how to collect, and how to analyze.
The plan is to launch two boosters in 2028 in support of MSR, and haul samples back from Mars in 2031. A drill mounted on the lander will penetrate to a depth of 6.5 feet (2 meters) to collect several grams of subsurface samples, while a robotic arm will gather more than 400 grams of surface material from the landing site.
According to artwork in the paper, also to be utilized is an arm-mounted helicopter. This drone is to be deployed for rock sampling at locations greater than 300 feet (over 100 meters) from the lander.
Image credit: Zengqian Hou, et al.
Lander payload
The preliminary proposed payload for the MSR lander includes a Mars Subsurface Penetrating Radar and a Raman and Fluorescence Analyzer for Mars.
The Mars Subsurface Penetrating Radar would gather data on the structure of the shallow subsurface in the study area, as well as help in the selection of drilling sites and monitor drilling operations.
The Raman and Fluorescence analyzer for Mars combines Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy with microscopic multispectral detection, enabling microscopic, on-the-spot measurements of materials on the Martian surface. It can resolve the composition of silicates, oxides, organic compounds and hydrated minerals, and thus help with sample selection.
Planetary protection
China’s MSR mission requires “stringent measures” to prevent potentially living life (presumably microorganisms) from being contaminated by Earth’s biosphere (Forward Planetary Protection) and, “more importantly, to protect Earth from an invasion of Martian life (Backward Planetary Protection),” write Zengqian and colleagues.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space
“Although we expect the samples returned from Mars to contain only evidence of the expected life that once existed on Mars billions of years ago, we will still set up a laboratory to quarantine the suspected Martian life and ensure the highest level of biosafety,” the research paper explains.
Dedicated laboratory
It is essential, the research team adds, to set up a dedicated laboratory for the preservation and analysis of the returned Martian samples. This laboratory must maintain high standards of cleanliness with the highest level of biocontainment and analytical capabilities, they explain.
At present, no such laboratory anywhere in the world exists that is specifically designed to handle and analyze samples from Mars, where life is suspected, Zengqian and colleagues observe.
“Once biohazard testing confirms that the returned Mars samples pose no risk to Earth’s biosphere, the Biosafety Protection Zone can be converted to a higher-grade cleanroom laboratory to reduce overall operating costs,” the MSR specialists write.
The Red Planet as seen by Europe’s Mars Express.
Image credit: ESA/D. O’Donnell – CC BY-SA IGO
Win-win cooperation
Zengqian and colleagues conclude in the paper that the exploration of Mars is a collective endeavor for all of humanity.
“The Tianwen-3 mission is committed to win–win cooperation, harmonious coexistence and shared prosperity through international cooperation. It actively seeks international partnerships through various channels and at various levels for joint scientific research, landing site selection and scientific payload development and testing.”
To gain access to the Nature Astronomy paper – “In search of signs of life on Mars with China’s sample return mission Tianwen-3” – go to: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02572-0
The current impact corridor for 2024 YR4 (yellow) projected on a map of the Moon’s near side from Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter (E. J. Speyerer et al.
Is it likely that in 2032 Earth’s Moon is going to be on the receiving end of an asteroid?
According to an international team of researchers, there’s a 4 percent chance of the space rock hitting the Moon. If so, the rebound of repercussions on the lunar landscape, cis-lunar space, as well as Earth-circling satellites appears worrisome.
The cosmic culprit is the nearly 200 feet (60 meters) in diameter asteroid 2024 YR4.
Odds are?
Earlier this month, NASA updated YR4’s lunar impact odds, noting that the James Webb Space Telescope focused in on the space rock before it escaped from view in its orbit around the Sun.
With the additional data, experts from NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California further refined the asteroid’s orbit.
“The Webb data improved our knowledge of where the asteroid will be on Dec. 22, 2032, by nearly 20%, the NASA posting explains. “As a result, the asteroid’s probability of impacting the Moon has slightly increased from 3.8% to 4.3%.”
Image credit: NASA
In a spurt of reassurance the NASA post adds that “in the small chance that the asteroid were to impact, it would not alter the Moon’s orbit.”
Consequences for Earth
But the consequences from such an impact have been highlighted in work led by Paul Wiegert of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
This study was supported in part by the NASA Meteoroid Environment Office.
“If 2024 YR4 strikes the Moon in 2032, it will (statistically speaking) be the largest impact in approximately 5000 years,” the research team reports.
Such a hit to the Moon would release 6.5 megatons of TNT equivalent energy and produce a roughly one kilometer crater.
Wiegert and colleagues estimate that up to 108 kilograms of lunar material could be “liberated” in such an impact by exceeding lunar escape speed. “Depending on the actual impact location on the Moon as much as 10% of this material may accrete to the Earth on timescales of a few days,” they report.
Captured by astronaut Don Pettit aboard the International Space Station (ISS), this long-exposure photograph showcases Earth’s city lights, the upper atmosphere’s airglow, and streaked stars. The bright flashes at the center are reflections of sunlight from SpaceX’s Starlink satellites in low-Earth orbit.
Image credit: NASA
Eye-catching
The incoming ejecta could cripple satellites in near-Earth space late in 2032.
It becomes possible that “hundreds to thousands of impacts from mm-sized debris ejected by a lunar impact from 2024 YR4 will be experienced across the entire satellite fleet,” the researchers observe. “Such impacts may damage satellites, but are small enough to generally not end active missions or cause breakups,” they add.
The resulting meteor shower at Earth “could be eye-catching,” the research paper suggests.
NASA’s Artemis program wants to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon.
Image credit: NASA
Moreover, the ejection of material from the Moon could be a serious hazard to lunar-circuiting spacecraft, such as the projected Lunar Gateway. The impact would “likely pose even greater dangers to any lunar surface operations given that most ejecta mass will accumulate across a wide swath of the Moon, Wiegert and colleagues note.
Planetary defense
The travel time from the hit on the Moon to Earth is typically several days “but does depend on the precise location of the impact if it even occurs, which probably cannot be determined until the asteroid returns to visibility in 2028.”
Wiegert and colleagues conclude: “Our analysis highlights that issues of planetary defense extend beyond just the effects of impacts on Earth’s surface. Impacts on the Moon may generate particles which can interfere with low Earth orbiting satellites.”
To read the paper – “The Potential Danger to Satellites due to Ejecta from a 2032 Lunar Impact by Asteroid 2024 YR4” – at:
Image credit: Firefly Aerospace
From the folks that brought you the successful Blue Ghost Moon lander, Firefly Aerospace just announced a new lunar imaging service named Ocula.
The intent is to be the first commercial lunar imaging service on the market as early as 2026.
Firefly’s Ocula service will be activated onboard Elytra Dark that is first serving as a transfer vehicle for Blue Ghost Mission 2, set to launch in 2026.
Elytra will then provide a long-haul communications relay and radio frequency calibration services for Blue Ghost and its payloads after the lander touches down on the far side of the Moon.
Following completion of the Blue Ghost mission, Elytra is to remain operational in lunar orbit for more than five years, capturing continuous imagery and autonomously transmitting the data back to Earth.
Image credit: Firefly Aerospace
High-resolution telescopes
The telescope system onboard Elytra is capable of capturing up to 0.2-meter resolution of the lunar surface at an altitude of 50 kilometers, further advancing the capabilities of current U.S. orbiters.
Ocula is enabled by high-resolution telescopes from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) that provide ultraviolet and visible spectrum imaging.
According to Firefly Aerospace, they will operate a constellation of Elytra vehicles in lunar orbit to further enhance the Ocula imaging service and enable faster revisit times.
A second Elytra Dark is scheduled to be deployed to lunar orbit in 2028 as part of Blue Ghost Mission 3 and additional Elytra vehicles will be deployed by 2030
For detailed information, go to:
As well as:
https://fireflyspace.com/ocula
Also, go to: LLNL’s high-resolution telescope system to usher in a new era of lunar exploration at:
Book Review: Space to Grow – Unlocking the Final Economic Frontier by Matthew Weinzierl and Brendan Rosseau, Published by Harvard Business Publishing; Pages: 320 pages; Hardcover $32.00.
“We believe that the space renaissance is just getting started,” explain Weinzierl and Rosseau. “Day by day, in ways big and small, the space revolution marches forward.”
As a foundation, this three-part book – “Establish the Market”; “Refine the Market”; and “Temper the Market” – serves up a dozen chapters that are based on the book’s premise: “The space economy is just that–an economy–governed by the same laws of supply and demand that apply here on Earth.”
This valuable read uses case studies spotlighting the real-world complexity, uncertainty, and excitement of the evolving space sector. Those case studies include decision-making at NASA, Blue Origin, SpaceX, Astroscale, and a variety of space-engaged firms and organizations.
As the authors explain, the book is intended to help you appreciate “not only what is changing in the business and economics of space activities but also why it’s changing and why it matters.”
The book delivers on that intent in many ways, encouraging you to develop your own informed, sophisticated perspective on space and how its development can transform your career, your organization, and the collective future of all of us.
But the volume does more than focus in on the “cashing in” on space endeavors. There are segments, such as the tragedy of the orbital commons, planetary resources and property rights in space, as well as national security and what’s termed as “the military-celestial complex.”
As a unique guidebook, this book is a readable, factual, and behind-the-scenes look at space leaders and the tools of economics at work – to showcase the transformation and future possibilities of the business and economics of space.
For more information on this book, go to:
https://store.hbr.org/product/space-to-grow-unlocking-the-final-economic-frontier/10721
Note: By going to that site, you can also call up a “click to preview” – a helpful way to dive into and appreciate the full volume.
China’s momentum in establishing a human Moon landing program was advanced on June 17.
An escape flight test on its new-generation crewed spacecraft Mengzhou has been carried out at zero altitude.
The test was carried out at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest.
Escape tower trial
According to China Central Television (CCTV) the spacecraft’s escape engine ignited, then propelled the capsule-tower assembly upward.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
About 20 seconds later, the return capsule separated from the escape tower at the predetermined altitude.
Two minutes later, the capsule landed safely in the designated area using an airbag cushioning system.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Major milestone
CCTV notes that the flight test marked a major milestone in the development of China’s crewed lunar mission.
“It was the country’s first zero-altitude escape test for a manned spacecraft in 27 years, following a similar test for the Shenzhou spacecraft in 1998.”
Image credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/China Central Television (CCTV)/SciNews.ro/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
For a video view of the test, go to:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Duw1WLLuo/
Image credit: Etheria Space
There is an uplifting announcement regarding the future of space elevators – a groundbreaking concept that could reshape the future of space exploration.
The dream is to put in place a highway to the stars, a continuous bridge connecting Earth to space, one that offers a more reliable, cost-effective, and eco-friendly alternative to traditional rockets.
A first-ever global space elevator challenge is being kicked off at the National Space Society’s International Space Development Conference in Orlando, Florida June 19-22 at the Rosen Centre Hotel.
Strategic competitions
Designed for university level students and space enthusiasts, a World Space Elevator Competition (WSPEC) will feature multiple strategic competitions designed to advance critical technologies needed to construct an elevator to space – the first ever to take place on a global level.
Image credit: Scientific Workgroup for Rocketry and Spaceflight (WARR) Space Elevator Challenge of Germany.
What’s being staged are live demonstrations of winning robotic climbers from past regional competitions, including the world’s fastest robotic climber that set a record climbing a 1,200 meter ribbon-shaped tether at more than 100 kilometers per hour.
WSPEC is a partnership of Etheria Space, who is driving the initiative, the Japan Space Elevator Association and the Scientific Workgroup for Rocketry and Spaceflight (WARR) Space Elevator Challenge of Germany. The U.S.-based International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) is driving the research behind a space elevator.
Image credit: Etheria Space
Critical technologies
WSPEC is an international non-profit organization that aims to advance the critical technologies needed to construct a space elevator through a series of strategic competitions designed to foster innovation and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
At its heart, it’s about building the future, one audacious idea at a time.
The space elevator competition will spotlight innovations in:
- Advanced Materials: Teams will push the limits of material science, developing super-strong, ultra-light materials for the elevator tether.
- Robotics and Automation: showcase advancements in robotics systems designed to construct, maintain, and operate a space elevator.
- Power Beaming: Tame energy transmission needs with technologies that aim to wirelessly power “climbers” over vast distances.
- Artificial Intelligence: Teams will develop AI-powered systems for guidance, navigation, and control of space elevator operations.
Wanted: innovation
By fostering teamwork and innovation, the competition aims to inspire the next generation to make the ambitious dream of space elevators a reality.
Image credit: Etheria Space
The climber competition will be the first challenge of the space elevator games, pitting teams against each other.
Here’s what’s at stake:
Speed: How fast can their climber ascend the tether?
Efficiency: How little energy can they use to get to the top?
Payload Capacity: How much weight can their climber carry?
Innovation: Can they incorporate groundbreaking new technologies or designs?
Image credit: International Space Elevator Consortium
Science fiction turned to fact?
In his 22nd century-set 1970’s novel, The Fountains of Paradise, science fact/fiction writer, Arthur Clarke imagined an elevator connecting Earth with an orbiting satellite, eliminating the need for costly and environmentally destructive rockets.
The concept of the “space elevator” first appeared in 1895 when Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, inspired by the newly constructed Eifel Tower in Paris, thought of a tower that reached all the way into space.
In 1957 Yuri Artsutanov drew up a more feasible plan for building such a space tower. He proposed using a geostationary satellite as a base from which to build it. He suggested lowering a cable toward Earth while a counterweight was extended from Earth, keeping the cable’s center of gravity at the geosynchronous point.
Artsutanov published his ideas in the Sunday supplement Komsomolskaya Pravda (a national newspaper) in 1960.
Image credit: Gollancz/Orion Publishing Group
Clarke prediction
Bringing the concept to a popular readership, Clarke in his novel had engineers construct a space elevator on top of a mountain peak in the mythical island of Taprobane. The builders use advanced materials such as the carbon nanofibers.
“I’m often asked when I think the space elevator will be built,” Clarke once said during an interview. “My answer is about 10 years, when everyone stops laughing.”
For more information, go to:
https://isdc.nss.org/isdc_tracks/space-elevators-25/
Image credit: ESPI
The European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) has created the “Launch Dashboard.”
This new interactive tool enables the user to track global space activity.
The easy-to-use dashboard allows for more frequent updates, customizable views, and deeper exploration of launch trends, satellite operators, mission purposes, and more.
“As space becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, economies, and strategic interests of European societies, the pace and complexity of space activities is accelerating,” explains Lars Petzold, an ESPI research fellow.
“With more actors entering orbit and more launches taking place than ever before, access to timely, transparent, and curated data is essential,” Petzold adds.
To access this important tool, go to:
Showing its age – the International Space Station.
Image credit: NASA
Yes, in space, everyone can hear a hiss.
“A new pressure signature” has been identified in the Russia-supplied Zvezda service module attached to the International Space Station.
That issue, with NASA working with Russia’s Roscosmos, has led to postponing the launch of the private Axiom Mission 4 to the ISS.
The problem cropped up after a recent post-repair effort with the Zvezda module, NASA stated.
Leak rate
“Cosmonauts aboard the space station recently performed inspections of the pressurized module’s interior surfaces, sealed some additional areas of interest, and measured the current leak rate. Following this effort, the segment now is holding pressure,” NASA added in a Thursday communiqué.
The postponement of Axiom Mission 4 give NASA and Roscosmos added time to evaluate the situation and determine whether any additional troubleshooting is necessary.
Crew of Axiom Mission-4 private astronaut mission. From left are, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India, Commander Peggy Whitson from the U.S., and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uzanański-Wiśniewksi from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.
Image credit: Axiom
Long-time concern
Problems with the Russian-supplied station segment have been a long-time concern.
Back in 2021, onboard cosmonauts were tasked to fix a 2-inch (4.5-centimeter) air leak in the Zvezda intermediate chamber. Patulas, glue-mastic, Hermetall and Anaterm sealants, sandpaper, foam rubber, fluoroplastic films, alcohol wipes, metal pads, and electrical tape were utilized. Also, toss in goggles, respirators, rubber gloves, a drill and a vacuum cleaner.
A new launch date for the fourth private astronaut mission will be provided once available.
“NASA defers to Roscosmos to answer specific questions about the Zvezda module,” NASA stated.
Roscosmos reaction
In a posting on the Telegram channel, Roscosmos notes that the leak in the Russian segment of the ISS has been eliminated. “Roscosmos continues daily monitoring and maintenance of all systems in the Russian segment of the International Space Station.”
Roscosmos explains that the next stage of sealing the transition chamber of the Zvezda service module has been completed. “According to experts from the Mission Control Center, there is no leak in the Russian segment of the ISS.”
Image credit: Roscosmos
The history of air leakage from the intermediate chamber of the Zvezda service module of the ISS, points out Roscosmos has been going on for more than five years. “It was first reported in September 2019. Several attempts have been made to seal the leak in recent years, but all attempts have led to only partial results.”
After sealing in June 2025, concludes Roscosmos, “tests show that the air leak in the transition chamber has stopped completely, for the first time since it was discovered.”
For a current review of the situation, go to this story by Marcia Smith at the SpacePoilicyOnline.com website:
NASA Confirming Success of ISS Leak Repairs Before Finalizing Ax-4 Launch Date
Image credit: The Aerospace Corporation
This document provides a deep dive and excellent reference regarding the U.S. federal civil space budget between Fiscal Year 2023 and proposed spending in Fiscal Year 2025.
The term civil space is generally understood among the public and policymakers to refer to non-national security agencies with direct missions to space.
Increased national importance
As pointed out in this document, the growing number of civil space departments and agencies “is one way of measuring space’s increased national importance.”
Indeed, the ubiquitous use of space is also a result of capabilities becoming more accessible, “allowing department agendas to incorporate space as a tool rather than endeavor a space-centric, long-term, strategic mission,” the document adds.
“As a result, the emerging civil space enterprise resembles a complex food chain, with embedded interdependencies between agencies.”
Image credit: The Aerospace Corporation
Foundational dataset
A Comprehensive Guide to the U.S. Federal Civil Space Budget provides a foundational dataset for civil space budget analyses, developed by Lindsay DeMarchi, a policy analyst in the Center for Space Policy and Strategy at The Aerospace Corporation.
Projects that support, enable, or leverage space activities for civil purposes are found among more than 100 individual line items spread across 17 federal departments and agencies and funded by 4 different appropriations bills.
Priority areas
The second half of the report introduces a novel representation of the civil space budget by organizing the data into national priority areas:
♦ American Leadership and Manufacturing
♦ Workforce Development
♦ Fundamental Science
♦ Efficiency, Improvements, and Growth
♦ Homeland Security
♦ Infrastructure, Energy, and Resiliency
♦ Remote Sensing Applications
Credit: White House
The intent of this referential dataset is to begin a broader discussion of the direct and indirect relationships civil space budget line items have to broader national priorities.
To review the document — A Comprehensive Guide to the U.S. Federal Civil Space Budget – go to:
https://csps.aerospace.org/sites/default/files/2025-06/DeMarchi_FedSpaceBudget_20250609_4.pdf
