Russia and China aim to deploy a lunar nuclear reactor by 2035. Credit: gizmodo. In 2021, the Chinese and Russian space agencies forged a collaborative agreement to establish a research facility on the Moon. Recently, they unveiled plans to construct an automated nuclear reactor on the lunar surface, intended to energize the International Lunar Research...
Artist's concept fo Odysseus on the MoonIntuitive Machines The US has made a comeback to the Moon after more than 50 years. At 6:24 pm EST, the robotic Odysseus landed autonomously on the lunar surface, followed by a tense 13-minute wait as radio communications were established with mission control. The landing of the IM-1 mission today...
Starship is larger and twice as powerful as the Apollo-era Saturn VSpaceX SpaceX intends to frequently launch its large Starship booster from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. To achieve this, the company will renovate an existing Apollo-era launch site and build a new one, as detailed in a recent environmental impact assessment. The Starship booster has intermittently...
Artist's concept of a future orbital refueling spacecraftNorthrop Grumman The US Space Force has selected Northrop Grumman's Passive Refueling Module (PRM) as the preferred option to establish the standard for refueling satellites in orbit, thus prolonging their mission duration under the Space Systems Command (SSC). Satellites are expensive to construct and launch into space, prompting engineers...
The depicted crew is not slated to complete a lunar orbit until at least September 2025, and the earliest prospect for human lunar landing won't materialize until the subsequent year. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett NASA has officially confirmed a postponement in the schedule for human Moon landings and lunar orbit missions, with no expected landings until...
In this footage captured from NASA's video, the Vulcan rocket from United Launch Alliance, carrying Astrobotic Technology's lander, takes off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday, January 8, 2024. This marked the launch of the first U.S. lunar lander in over 50 years, initiating a competitive space race among private...
Credit: IENAI Space Rocket propulsion has evolved significantly from ancient rocket-powered weapons to cutting-edge technologies propelling our space exploration. ATHENA, a palm-sized thruster system developed by a team led by Daniel Perez Grande, CEO and Co-Founder of IENAI Spain, represents a revolutionary leap in advancing tiny spacecraft across the vastness of space. In contrast to colossal...
Credit: Pixabay Indispensable lithium-powered rechargeable batteries enable extended usage of devices for hours or even days, packing millions of times more computing capability in your pocket than the technology that facilitated the Apollo 11 moon landing in July 1969. These handy technological innovations, initially brought to the commercial market in 1991 by Japanese companies Sony and...
Artist's concept of the Franco-Italian Moon habitatThales Alenia France and Italy are joining forces to create a facility for upcoming moon bases. The Franco-Italian technology company Thales Alenia Space and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) have entered into a contract to design the Multi-Purpose Habitat (MPH) for NASA's Artemis project. In recent aerospace endeavors, considerable focus...
Credit: unplah By utilizing microwave instruments to examine the depths of the Moon's far side, scientists have identified a significant subsurface granite formation referred to as a "hotspot." This discovery implies that the Moon possesses greater similarities to Earth than what was previously assumed. Granite formations are typically found on Earth as a result of the...
