China to launch moon sample return mission, maybe next week
China's upcoming mission aims to land on the Moon, collect samples, and return to Earth, with potential future plans for a Mars sample return mission. [ more ]
Look! Epic Images Show 'Odysseus' Lander On Its Way To the Moon
The Intuitive Machines-1 (IM-1) mission is en route to the Moon to place a lander called Odysseus on its surface, aiming to become the first private lander on the Moon.
The CLPS program, which aims to make lunar trips more frequent and less expensive, encountered a setback when the Peregrine lander from Astrobotic suffered a propulsion anomaly and had to be self-destructed. [ more ]
Intuitive Machines: How this Houston startup is making space history
Intuitive Machines is set to launch its Nova-C IM-1 lander on a mission to the moon, becoming the first private soft-landing and American spacecraft since Apollo to touch down on the moon.
The Nova-C IM-1 lander will ferry 220 pounds of NASA demonstration technologies and commercial payloads involving various partners, including artist Jeff Koons and Columbia Sportswear. [ more ]
Astrobotic's Peregrine Lander Is Making a Fiery Re-Entry to Earth Right Now
The Peregrine lander from Astrobotic had a propulsion system failure and had to be destroyed before reaching the Moon's surface.
Astrobotic had a contract with NASA to transport scientific instruments to the Moon as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. [ more ]
Doomed US lander crushes hopes for first European tech on the Moon
The Peregrine lunar lander is set to crash back to Earth after a critical loss of propellant shortly after launch.
The lander was carrying the first piece of European technology to touch down on the moon and the human remains of British author Sir Arthur Charles Clarke. [ more ]
The second liftoff of SpaceX's Starship rocket ended in an explosion, signaling a setback for Elon Musk's plans for space exploration.
The explosion is likely to cause delays in NASA's timeline for returning Americans to the moon, as SpaceX's Starship plays a crucial role in the mission. [ more ]