July 23rd, 2024
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China’s big Moon booster for supporting the country’s human exploration of the Moon is progressing. A new report spotlights a three-stage hydrogen-oxygen engine designed to power a new generation rocket capable of sending astronauts to the Moon. Testing at China’s first vertical high-altitude simulation stand for rocket engines has verified the reliability of the engine […]
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The celebrated “International Moon Day” on July 20 that marks the 20th century landing of Apollo 11 has also spotlighted China’s proposed lunar base ideas for the 21st century. Wu Weiren, chief designer of the country’s lunar exploration program, told China Global Television Network (CGTN), that the country welcomes international cooperation. “We are open and […]
That photo of China’s Chang’e-6 far side lunar lander/ascender came courtesy of a tiny, 11-pound (5 kilograms) mini robot rover. The device was powered by autonomous piloting and artificial intelligence (AI) camera technology. Once detached from the Chang’e-6 lander, the small rover moved to an optimal position and using onboard artificial intelligence and neural networks, […]
Now 55 years ago, Apollo 11’s “flag raising” of Old Glory on the ancient lunar surface took all of 10 minutes during Neil Armstrong’s and Buzz Aldrin’s two-and-a-half hour moonwalking adventure in July 1969. But that seminal event in “vexillological” history was not without a lot of debate, discussion and early worries that were run […]
It is a classic wait-a-minute Moon moment. The message from NASA last week: “NASA Ends VIPER Project, Continues Moon Exploration.” The space agency’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) project had undergone a comprehensive internal review. NASA found price tag sticker shock, delays to the launch date, and risk of future cost growth – reasons […]
To gain insight on how the Soviet Union built moon-bound gear, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) carried out a covert spy job on a Soviet exhibit in 1959. A CIA action team dismantled a “Lunik 2” exhibit to document what techniques and technologies were used by the Soviet Union. Stealthy spy operation […]
Call it the UN “stamps of approval” to commemorate July 20, 2024 as International Moon Day. The United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) is issuing six postage stamps and three souvenir sheets to commemorate this day, saluting America’s Apollo 11 landing on the Moon on July 20, 1969. “Following the birth of space exploration nearly 70 […]
NASA has requested SPACEX to carry out a month-long “Special Study for Emergency Response,” a contract valued at $266,678.00. The work request was signed on July 15 and the work is to be completed by August 15. This action was signed by a procurement officer at Kennedy Space Center. There has been speculation that the […]
While NASA has cancelled its VIPER lunar rover, the private group, Intuitive Machines, has finalized a landing site for its “sold-out” IM-2 lunar prospecting mission. Still on track for a launch later this year, the IM-2 mission is designed to prospect for water ice and other volatiles on the Moon’s south pole, an effort […]
UPDATE: NASA’s Moon News: VIPER CANCELLED Go to NASA announcement at: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-ends-viper-project-continues-moon-exploration/ “VIPER is 100% built and has completed part of its testing. It is ready to go and NASA is junking a very capable rover and ceding leadership in resource exploration. It is a dark day for lunar science and exploration and maybe the […]
