[ad_1] Have you ever wanted to study the Moon’s surface in exacting detail? Now’s your chance. The USGS (with help from NASA and the Lunar Planetary Institute) has released the first complete geologic map of the Moon, providing a truly comprehensive look at our nearest cosmic neighbor. The 1:5,000,000 scale map is color-coded to help […]
Category: lunar reconnaissance orbiter
Rocket Lab will launch a NASA cubesat to the Moon
[ad_1] The tiny satellite (it weighs just 55lbs) will first conduct a navigation demo with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, but it’s ultimately meant to be a “pathfinder” that will help the Artemis program’s Gateway spacecraft safely approach the Moon. This deal isn’t surprising given the current NASA administration’s privatization efforts. At the same time, it […]
NASA gives four projects $3 million to develop potential space missions
[ad_1] The first of the potential missions is called Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging Plus or DAVINCI+. It would analyze the atmosphere of Venus and attempt to determine if the planet had an ocean in the past. It would also help scientists better understand how the planet’s atmosphere formed. Another […]
NASA photos show the crash site of India’s Vikram lunar lander
[ad_1] In September India lost contact with its Vikram lander just a mile above the Moon’s surface, and now NASA has confirmed photos taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter show where it impacted. The actual discovery, however, has been credited to an amateur, Shanmuga Subramanian. As the New York Times reported, he is an Indian […]
Privately-owned Moon lander crashes in historic attempt
[ad_1] SpaceIL was one of the finalists competing for Google’s Lunar Xprize. That challenge ended without a winner, but SpaceIL joined others in persevering. Even with the crash, Israel is been part of a very exclusive club — it’s only the fourth country to put a vehicle on the Moon (in one state or another) […]