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NASA Aims to Deploy Nuclear Reactor on Moon by 2030 for Strategic Power
NASA is accelerating plans to deploy a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030, according to interim head Sean Duffy. The reactor would ensure steady power through long lunar nights and help secure water-ice resources at the Moon’s south pole. China and Russia also aim for lunar reactors by the mid-2030s, sparking a geopolitical “moon ...
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NASA Awards Firefly $177M for 2029 Mission to Deliver Rovers to Moon’s South Pole
NASA has awarded Firefly Aerospace a $176.7 million contract for a groundbreaking 2029 mission to the moon’s south pole. The CLPS mission will deploy multiple rovers and scientific instruments to explore permanently shadowed regions, analyze lunar regolith, and search for water ice—key steps toward supporting Artemis program goals and enabling ...
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Scientists Explore Role of Space Radiation in Powering Alien Microbial Life
A new study proposes that life may exist far from sunlight in a “radiolytic habitable zone” deep beneath the icy surfaces of Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. Cosmic rays, which can penetrate rock and ice, break water molecules apart to release hydrogen, oxygen, and energy-rich electrons. These can fuel microbes in subsurface water, much like bacter...
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ESA JUICE Mission Scans Jupiter's Lunar Crater in Test Run for Alien Life
ESA’s JUICE spacecraft scanned the famous Earthrise crater on the Moon to test radar for future exploration of Jupiter’s icy moons. The data confirmed JUICE’s radar accuracy, setting the stage for a search for life beneath Europa and Ganymede. The crater, immortalised in a 1968 Apollo 8 photo, now plays a role in extraterrestrial science.
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'HOPE' In Ladakh To Simulate Life On Mars, A "Rehearsal" For Future
Located at an altitude of 4.3 kilometres above sea level, Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (HOPE) is designed to simulate Mars-like conditions and will serve as a testbed for future crewed missions to the Moon and beyond.
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China’s Tianwen 2 Probe Snaps Striking Views of Earth and Moon While En Route to Asteroid
China’s Tianwen 2 spacecraft, now millions of kilometers from Earth, captured distant images of Earth and the moon as it journeys to asteroid Kamo'oalewa. Set to collect samples by 2026 and return them in 2027, the mission could reveal insights into the solar system’s formation—before continuing on to a second deep-space target, comet 311P/PA...
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Japanese Private Lunar Lander Resilience Fails Mission, Crashes on Moon
Japan’s private moonshot ended in disappointment as ispace’s Resilience lander crashed during final descent. A delay in rangefinder data prevented timely deceleration, causing a hard landing on the lunar surface. This marks the company’s second failure. Despite the setback, ispace plans future missions in 2027 with the upgraded Apex 1.0 lande...
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Japan’s Resilience Lander to Touch Down on the Moon on June 5: What You Need to Know
ispace's Resilience lander is on the brink of touching down on the Moon’s Mare Frigoris region. If successful, this June 5 landing will mark a major milestone for Japan’s private space sector and the SMBC x HAKUTO-R Mission 2. The mission could mark a significant achievement for private space exploration in Japan.
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Firefly’s Blue Ghost Moon Lander Mission Unveils Surprising Discoveries on the Lunar Surface
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Moon Lander uncovered unexpected hard rock formations and extreme lunar heat variations during its mission. These discoveries provide critical insights for improving future lunar landers. As Firefly prepares for its annual moon missions, the lessons learnt from Blue Ghost's successes will guide robotics and human op...
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Artemis II Orion Service Module Secured for Launch at Kennedy Space Center
NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft is a step closer to its mission around the Moon. Three spacecraft adapter jettison fairings have been installed on its service module at Kennedy Space Center. These panels will protect the solar arrays from heat, wind, and acoustic forces during launch. Once in space, they will detach, allowing the arrays to dep...
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Chandrayaan-5 Approved: ISRO Plans 350kg Rover, India-Japan Collaboration
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan confirmed the Centre’s approval for Chandrayaan-5, advancing India’s lunar exploration plans. The mission, which includes a 350kg rover, will be developed in collaboration with Japan. ISRO is also working on Chandrayaan-4, focusing on sample collection, and has outlined plans for an independent space station by 2035. ...
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NASA’s Space Station Research Aids Lunar Missions With Key Technologies
Research aboard the International Space Station is advancing lunar exploration. Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission-1, which landed on 2 March 2025, carries three experiments linked to space station studies. LEXI observes X-ray emissions to study space weather, RadPC tests radiation-tolerant computing, and LuGRE detects GNSS signals for lunar ...
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Watch: ISRO Shares "Spectacular View" Of De-Docking Of SpaDeX Satellites
The Indian space agency, ISRO, on Thursday accomplished de-docking of the SpaDeX satellites, clearing the way for future missions such as exploring the moon, human spaceflight, and building its space station.
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ISRO Achieves De-Docking Of SpaDeX Satellites
ISRO on Thursday said it has accomplished de-docking of the SpaDeX satellites, clearing the way for future missions such as exploring the moon, human spaceflight, and building its own space station.
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ISRO Expands with Two Launchpads, Chandrayaan-4 to Launch in 2028 with Lunar Sample Return Mission
Isro is developing two new launchpads in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to support its growing space program. Chandrayaan-4, a 9,200 kg mission planned for 2028, will involve a lunar sample return. The organisation is also collaborating with NASA on the NISAR satellite for environmental monitoring. In the past decade, Isro has launched 433 satellite...
-
NASA Aims to Deploy Nuclear Reactor on Moon by 2030 for Strategic Power
NASA is accelerating plans to deploy a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030, according to interim head Sean Duffy. The reactor would ensure steady power through long lunar nights and help secure water-ice resources at the Moon’s south pole. China and Russia also aim for lunar reactors by the mid-2030s, sparking a geopolitical “moon ...
-
NASA Awards Firefly $177M for 2029 Mission to Deliver Rovers to Moon’s South Pole
NASA has awarded Firefly Aerospace a $176.7 million contract for a groundbreaking 2029 mission to the moon’s south pole. The CLPS mission will deploy multiple rovers and scientific instruments to explore permanently shadowed regions, analyze lunar regolith, and search for water ice—key steps toward supporting Artemis program goals and enabling ...
-
Scientists Explore Role of Space Radiation in Powering Alien Microbial Life
A new study proposes that life may exist far from sunlight in a “radiolytic habitable zone” deep beneath the icy surfaces of Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. Cosmic rays, which can penetrate rock and ice, break water molecules apart to release hydrogen, oxygen, and energy-rich electrons. These can fuel microbes in subsurface water, much like bacter...
-
ESA JUICE Mission Scans Jupiter's Lunar Crater in Test Run for Alien Life
ESA’s JUICE spacecraft scanned the famous Earthrise crater on the Moon to test radar for future exploration of Jupiter’s icy moons. The data confirmed JUICE’s radar accuracy, setting the stage for a search for life beneath Europa and Ganymede. The crater, immortalised in a 1968 Apollo 8 photo, now plays a role in extraterrestrial science.
-
'HOPE' In Ladakh To Simulate Life On Mars, A "Rehearsal" For Future
Located at an altitude of 4.3 kilometres above sea level, Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (HOPE) is designed to simulate Mars-like conditions and will serve as a testbed for future crewed missions to the Moon and beyond.
-
China’s Tianwen 2 Probe Snaps Striking Views of Earth and Moon While En Route to Asteroid
China’s Tianwen 2 spacecraft, now millions of kilometers from Earth, captured distant images of Earth and the moon as it journeys to asteroid Kamo'oalewa. Set to collect samples by 2026 and return them in 2027, the mission could reveal insights into the solar system’s formation—before continuing on to a second deep-space target, comet 311P/PA...
-
Japanese Private Lunar Lander Resilience Fails Mission, Crashes on Moon
Japan’s private moonshot ended in disappointment as ispace’s Resilience lander crashed during final descent. A delay in rangefinder data prevented timely deceleration, causing a hard landing on the lunar surface. This marks the company’s second failure. Despite the setback, ispace plans future missions in 2027 with the upgraded Apex 1.0 lande...
-
Japan’s Resilience Lander to Touch Down on the Moon on June 5: What You Need to Know
ispace's Resilience lander is on the brink of touching down on the Moon’s Mare Frigoris region. If successful, this June 5 landing will mark a major milestone for Japan’s private space sector and the SMBC x HAKUTO-R Mission 2. The mission could mark a significant achievement for private space exploration in Japan.
-
Firefly’s Blue Ghost Moon Lander Mission Unveils Surprising Discoveries on the Lunar Surface
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Moon Lander uncovered unexpected hard rock formations and extreme lunar heat variations during its mission. These discoveries provide critical insights for improving future lunar landers. As Firefly prepares for its annual moon missions, the lessons learnt from Blue Ghost's successes will guide robotics and human op...
-
Artemis II Orion Service Module Secured for Launch at Kennedy Space Center
NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft is a step closer to its mission around the Moon. Three spacecraft adapter jettison fairings have been installed on its service module at Kennedy Space Center. These panels will protect the solar arrays from heat, wind, and acoustic forces during launch. Once in space, they will detach, allowing the arrays to dep...
-
Chandrayaan-5 Approved: ISRO Plans 350kg Rover, India-Japan Collaboration
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan confirmed the Centre’s approval for Chandrayaan-5, advancing India’s lunar exploration plans. The mission, which includes a 350kg rover, will be developed in collaboration with Japan. ISRO is also working on Chandrayaan-4, focusing on sample collection, and has outlined plans for an independent space station by 2035. ...
-
NASA’s Space Station Research Aids Lunar Missions With Key Technologies
Research aboard the International Space Station is advancing lunar exploration. Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission-1, which landed on 2 March 2025, carries three experiments linked to space station studies. LEXI observes X-ray emissions to study space weather, RadPC tests radiation-tolerant computing, and LuGRE detects GNSS signals for lunar ...
-
Watch: ISRO Shares "Spectacular View" Of De-Docking Of SpaDeX Satellites
The Indian space agency, ISRO, on Thursday accomplished de-docking of the SpaDeX satellites, clearing the way for future missions such as exploring the moon, human spaceflight, and building its space station.
-
ISRO Achieves De-Docking Of SpaDeX Satellites
ISRO on Thursday said it has accomplished de-docking of the SpaDeX satellites, clearing the way for future missions such as exploring the moon, human spaceflight, and building its own space station.
-
ISRO Expands with Two Launchpads, Chandrayaan-4 to Launch in 2028 with Lunar Sample Return Mission
Isro is developing two new launchpads in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to support its growing space program. Chandrayaan-4, a 9,200 kg mission planned for 2028, will involve a lunar sample return. The organisation is also collaborating with NASA on the NISAR satellite for environmental monitoring. In the past decade, Isro has launched 433 satellite...
