Lunar Water Ice
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Blue Origin to Land NASA’s VIPER Rover on the Moon's South Pole in 2027
NASA chose Blue Origin to deliver the VIPER rover to the Moon’s South Pole by late 2027 under a $190 million CLPS contract. VIPER will explore permanently shadowed craters for water ice, a key resource for Artemis goals and sustainable human exploration on the lunar surface.
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NASA Unveils Plans for Lunar Nuclear Reactor by 2030 Amid Rising Moon Race
NASA plans to build a 100-kilowatt nuclear fission reactor on the Moon’s south pole by 2030 to power Artemis missions and future lunar bases. The site offers access to water ice but raises legal and diplomatic concerns under the Outer Space Treaty. With China and Russia advancing their own lunar power plants, the move from the US.
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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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NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer Moon Probe Struggles with Power and Signal Loss
NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer, launched on 26 February, has lost communication and is running low on power. The spacecraft, meant to detect water ice on the moon, has been unable to perform key trajectory corrections. Ground controllers are using the Deep Space Network and observatories to assess its position, but recovery remains uncertain. The missi...
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Athena Lunar Lander Successfully Lands Near Moon’s South Pole on IM-2 Mission
Intuitive Machines' Athena lunar lander has successfully landed near the Moon’s south pole as part of NASA’s IM-2 mission. Launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the lander aims to explore lunar resources and test new technologies, including NASA’s PRIME-1 water ice experiment and Nokia’s 4G network. The exact condition of Athena remains...
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SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches Athena Lander, NASA's Lunar Trailblazer to Moon
On February 26, 2025, SpaceX Falcon 9 launched Athena and NASA's Lunar Trailblazer from Kennedy Space Center. Athena, developed by Intuitive Machines, will land near Mons Mouton to investigate lunar ice using the PRIME-1 drill. Lunar Trailblazer will orbit the Moon, mapping water ice deposits. The mission includes two secondary vehicles: MAPP, a ro...
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NASA’s PRIME-1 Mission to Study Lunar Ice and Advance Moon Exploration
NASA’s PRIME-1 mission, set to launch on Intuitive Machines’ Athena lander, will explore lunar ice and subsurface materials at Mons Mouton near the Moon’s South Pole. The mission features the TRIDENT drill, which will extract soil samples up to one meter deep, and the MSOLO spectrometer, which will analyze gases released from these samples to...
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Athena Lunar Mission Set to Deploy 'Gracie' Hopper for Crater Exploration Near Moon's South Pole
Intuitive Machines, in collaboration with NASA, is preparing to launch the Athena lunar mission, featuring the 'Gracie' hopper designed for crater exploration near the Moon's south pole. Scheduled to launch from Florida's Space Coast within a four-day window starting on February 26, Athena will carry multiple payloads, including 'Gracie,' a small r...
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NASA Looks for Private Partners To Revive VIPER Moon Rover Mission
NASA is inviting private companies to collaborate on deploying the VIPER moon rover, initially halted due to budget constraints. The rover, designed to locate lunar water ice, was previously set to launch aboard Astrobotic’s Griffin lander. Companies must submit proposals by February 20, 2025, with final selections expected mid-year. Chosen firms...
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NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer Set to Explore Moon’s Water Cycle and Ice Locations
NASA’s upcoming Lunar Trailblazer mission aims to explore and map water on the Moon. Set for launch next year, this satellite will utilise advanced instruments to identify and measure water in various forms. It will investigate permanently shadowed craters and surface features to gather insights about lunar water's origins and its potential for f...
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Can Lunar Ice Quench Astronauts' Thirst? This Contest Seeks Solutions To Purify Moon Water
Scientists are investigating the composition and potential contaminants in lunar water to ensure it meets safety standards.
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Chandrayaan-3's ‘Pragyan’ Moon Rover Exits Lander to Explore Lunar Surface: Details
The moon rover of India's Chandrayaan-3 exited the spacecraft on Thursday morning to begin its exploration of the lunar surface, the country's space agency said on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
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Space Agencies Around The World Are Racing To Moon's South Pole. Here's Why
India's space agency is attempting to land a spacecraft on the moon's south pole, a mission that could advance India's space ambitions and expand knowledge of lunar water ice, potentially one of the moon's most valuable resources.
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As Chandrayaan-3 Prepares to Land on the Moon, Why Are Space Agencies Racing to the Lunar South Pole?
India's space agency ISRO is attempting to land a spacecraft, the Chandrayaan-3, on the Moon's south pole, a mission that could advance India's space ambitions and expand knowledge of lunar water ice, potentially one of the moon's most valuable resources.
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Explainer: Why Space Agencies Racing To Moon's South Pole
The ISRO is attempting to land a spacecraft on the moon's south pole, a mission that could advance India's space ambitions and expand knowledge of lunar water ice, potentially one of the moon's most valuable resources.
-
Blue Origin to Land NASA’s VIPER Rover on the Moon's South Pole in 2027
NASA chose Blue Origin to deliver the VIPER rover to the Moon’s South Pole by late 2027 under a $190 million CLPS contract. VIPER will explore permanently shadowed craters for water ice, a key resource for Artemis goals and sustainable human exploration on the lunar surface.
-
NASA Unveils Plans for Lunar Nuclear Reactor by 2030 Amid Rising Moon Race
NASA plans to build a 100-kilowatt nuclear fission reactor on the Moon’s south pole by 2030 to power Artemis missions and future lunar bases. The site offers access to water ice but raises legal and diplomatic concerns under the Outer Space Treaty. With China and Russia advancing their own lunar power plants, the move from the US.
-
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 ...
-
NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer Moon Probe Struggles with Power and Signal Loss
NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer, launched on 26 February, has lost communication and is running low on power. The spacecraft, meant to detect water ice on the moon, has been unable to perform key trajectory corrections. Ground controllers are using the Deep Space Network and observatories to assess its position, but recovery remains uncertain. The missi...
-
Athena Lunar Lander Successfully Lands Near Moon’s South Pole on IM-2 Mission
Intuitive Machines' Athena lunar lander has successfully landed near the Moon’s south pole as part of NASA’s IM-2 mission. Launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the lander aims to explore lunar resources and test new technologies, including NASA’s PRIME-1 water ice experiment and Nokia’s 4G network. The exact condition of Athena remains...
-
SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches Athena Lander, NASA's Lunar Trailblazer to Moon
On February 26, 2025, SpaceX Falcon 9 launched Athena and NASA's Lunar Trailblazer from Kennedy Space Center. Athena, developed by Intuitive Machines, will land near Mons Mouton to investigate lunar ice using the PRIME-1 drill. Lunar Trailblazer will orbit the Moon, mapping water ice deposits. The mission includes two secondary vehicles: MAPP, a ro...
-
NASA’s PRIME-1 Mission to Study Lunar Ice and Advance Moon Exploration
NASA’s PRIME-1 mission, set to launch on Intuitive Machines’ Athena lander, will explore lunar ice and subsurface materials at Mons Mouton near the Moon’s South Pole. The mission features the TRIDENT drill, which will extract soil samples up to one meter deep, and the MSOLO spectrometer, which will analyze gases released from these samples to...
-
Athena Lunar Mission Set to Deploy 'Gracie' Hopper for Crater Exploration Near Moon's South Pole
Intuitive Machines, in collaboration with NASA, is preparing to launch the Athena lunar mission, featuring the 'Gracie' hopper designed for crater exploration near the Moon's south pole. Scheduled to launch from Florida's Space Coast within a four-day window starting on February 26, Athena will carry multiple payloads, including 'Gracie,' a small r...
-
NASA Looks for Private Partners To Revive VIPER Moon Rover Mission
NASA is inviting private companies to collaborate on deploying the VIPER moon rover, initially halted due to budget constraints. The rover, designed to locate lunar water ice, was previously set to launch aboard Astrobotic’s Griffin lander. Companies must submit proposals by February 20, 2025, with final selections expected mid-year. Chosen firms...
-
NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer Set to Explore Moon’s Water Cycle and Ice Locations
NASA’s upcoming Lunar Trailblazer mission aims to explore and map water on the Moon. Set for launch next year, this satellite will utilise advanced instruments to identify and measure water in various forms. It will investigate permanently shadowed craters and surface features to gather insights about lunar water's origins and its potential for f...
-
Can Lunar Ice Quench Astronauts' Thirst? This Contest Seeks Solutions To Purify Moon Water
Scientists are investigating the composition and potential contaminants in lunar water to ensure it meets safety standards.
-
Chandrayaan-3's ‘Pragyan’ Moon Rover Exits Lander to Explore Lunar Surface: Details
The moon rover of India's Chandrayaan-3 exited the spacecraft on Thursday morning to begin its exploration of the lunar surface, the country's space agency said on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
-
Space Agencies Around The World Are Racing To Moon's South Pole. Here's Why
India's space agency is attempting to land a spacecraft on the moon's south pole, a mission that could advance India's space ambitions and expand knowledge of lunar water ice, potentially one of the moon's most valuable resources.
-
As Chandrayaan-3 Prepares to Land on the Moon, Why Are Space Agencies Racing to the Lunar South Pole?
India's space agency ISRO is attempting to land a spacecraft, the Chandrayaan-3, on the Moon's south pole, a mission that could advance India's space ambitions and expand knowledge of lunar water ice, potentially one of the moon's most valuable resources.
-
Explainer: Why Space Agencies Racing To Moon's South Pole
The ISRO is attempting to land a spacecraft on the moon's south pole, a mission that could advance India's space ambitions and expand knowledge of lunar water ice, potentially one of the moon's most valuable resources.
