[ad_1] If NASA is going to have a long-term presence on the Moon, it’s going to need an alternative to typical solar power — lunar nights can last for over two weeks in some cases. And the agency is turning to outsiders for help. It’s partnering with HeroX on a “Watts on the Moon” crowdsourcing […]
Category: Moon
NASA will pay private companies to collect Moon dirt samples
[ad_1] As part of its plan to send the first woman and next man to the Moon by 2024, NASA is looking to acquire some dirt. Today, the agency confirmed that it will pay private companies to “collect a small amount of Moon ‘dirt’ or rocks from the lunar surface.” NASA put out a call […]
Rocket Lab secretly launched its own satellite that may one day go to the Moon
[ad_1] Normally, once the Kick Stage does its job, Rocket Lab de-orbits it to burn up in the atmosphere. However, this time it sent a command that switched it into Photon satellite mode to continue on a standalone mission called “First Light.” Intended as a demonstration, it’s equipped with solar panels and a camera that […]
NASA-backed project could automatically fix 3D printing for Moon bases
[ad_1] If humanity is going to 3D-print Moon bases, it can’t afford for things to go wrong — and NASA is backing technology to make sure those parts get built. According to Parabolic Arc, the agency recently selected a project from Relativity Space (which is working on 3D-printed rockets) that could detect and fix 3D […]
NASA wants to protect Moon and Mars from human contamination
[ad_1] You can read the NASA Interim Directives here: https://t.co/ZZW6BuRTpZ — Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) July 9, 2020 The agency has issued two Interim Directives to update its policies, with the first one focusing on robotic and crewed missions traveling to and from the Earth’s Moon. NASA Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen explained: “We are enabling […]
SpaceX plans seaborne spaceports for Mars missions and hypersonic flights
[ad_1] Don’t think SpaceX is toning down its spaceflight ambitions in light of the pandemic — if anything, the company is ramping things up. Elon Musk has confirmed a SpaceXFleet scoop (via TechCrunch) that SpaceX is hiring staff to help build “floating, superheavy-class spaceports” for Mars and Moon missions, not to mention hypersonic flights for […]
CommStar will launch a relay satellite to talk to astronauts on the Moon
[ad_1] In theory, by using CommStar-1, governments and other private space ventures will be able to focus more resources on other aspects of their missions. In this way, CommStar is following in the footsteps of SpaceX, which just ferried its first NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. “CommStar-1 is a major step by the […]
NASA crowdsourcing helps build a better Moon digging robot
[ad_1] NASA’s Artemis program will eventually need robots to help live off the lunar soil, and it’s enlisting help from the public to make those robots viable. The space agency has picked winners from a design challenge that tasked people with improving the bucket drums RASSOR (Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot) will use to […]
USGS releases first complete geologic map of the Moon
[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 […]
Follow Apollo 13 in real-time on its 50th anniversary
[ad_1] Now’s your chance to relive another important part of space history. Apollo in Real Time is streaming audio and video from Apollo 13 on the 50th anniversary of the “successful failure’s” launch on April 11th, 1970. The mission dialogue will let you experience the incident (which happened on April 13th) and the mix of […]