Nasa Moon Program
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China Conducts First Test Of Manned Lunar Lander 'Lanyue'
China conducted its first test on Wednesday of a lunar lander that it hopes will put the first Chinese on the moon before 2030, the country's manned space program said.
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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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NASA To Lose About 20% Of Staff Amid Trump's Federal Workforce Cuts
The US space agency NASA will lose about 3,900 employees under Donald Trump's sweeping effort to trim the federal workforce -- at the same time as the president prioritizes plans for crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.
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NASA’s RASSOR Robot Digs Deep into Moon Mining Future with Successful Test
NASA’s RASSOR robot recently underwent testing at Kennedy Space Center, successfully excavating simulated lunar soil with its unique counterrotating drums. This trial validates RASSOR’s traction and digging capabilities, paving the way for IPEx—the next-gen, autonomous excavator designed to harvest Moon resources like oxygen and water. The te...
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NASA Stacks Artemis 2 Second Stage While the Future of SLS Remains Uncertain
NASA has stacked the Artemis 2 rocket’s second stage at Kennedy Space Centre, marking major progress toward its 2026 crewed moon mission. Despite this milestone, a recent budget proposal recommends ending the SLS program after Artemis 3, raising questions about the long-term future of NASA's lunar exploration strategy and deep space transportatio...
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Elon Musk Says Starship To Depart For Mars By 2026, Human Landing Likely By 2031
NASA is also awaiting a modified version of Starship as a lunar lander for its Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon this decade.
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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...
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Firefly Blue Ghost Moon Lander Successfully Lands on Moon for NASA Mission
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander has successfully landed on the Moon, marking a major milestone in private space exploration. Part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, the mission aims to study radiation levels, test lunar sample collection, and capture a total solar eclipse. The spacecraft, which landed in Mare Cris...
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Blue Ghost Lander Lowers Orbit, Prepares for Lunar Touchdown on March 2
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander has successfully lowered its orbit to 120 km in preparation for a lunar touchdown on March 2. The spacecraft, which launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Mission teams are monitoring its orbit and finalizing descent plans, though commun...
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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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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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Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-29 Mission to Test Lunar Gravity Simulation
Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-29 mission, scheduled for Jan. 28, 2025, will simulate lunar gravity during its suborbital flight. The uncrewed mission, launching from West Texas, carries 30 experiments, with 17 contributed by NASA. These experiments aim to advance lunar exploration technologies, including studying moon dust behaviour, fire dynamics...
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Two Private Lunar Landers Launch Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 for Moon Missions
Marking a milestone in space exploration, two private lunar landers, Blue Ghost by Firefly Aerospace and Resilience by ispace, were launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on January 15. Blue Ghost, under NASA's CLPS program, will study lunar regolith and environmental elements, landing in Mare Crisium. Resilienc...
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NASA Reschedules Artemis 2 and Artemis 3 Missions to Ensure Astronaut Safety
NASA has pushed back its Artemis 2 and Artemis 3 lunar missions to 2026 and 2027, respectively. The delays are attributed to issues with the Orion spacecraft, particularly its heat shield, which experienced damage during the Artemis 1 mission. Safety concerns and technical adjustments are being prioritised. The rescheduling could influence NASA’s...
-
China Conducts First Test Of Manned Lunar Lander 'Lanyue'
China conducted its first test on Wednesday of a lunar lander that it hopes will put the first Chinese on the moon before 2030, the country's manned space program said.
-
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 ...
-
NASA To Lose About 20% Of Staff Amid Trump's Federal Workforce Cuts
The US space agency NASA will lose about 3,900 employees under Donald Trump's sweeping effort to trim the federal workforce -- at the same time as the president prioritizes plans for crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.
-
NASA’s RASSOR Robot Digs Deep into Moon Mining Future with Successful Test
NASA’s RASSOR robot recently underwent testing at Kennedy Space Center, successfully excavating simulated lunar soil with its unique counterrotating drums. This trial validates RASSOR’s traction and digging capabilities, paving the way for IPEx—the next-gen, autonomous excavator designed to harvest Moon resources like oxygen and water. The te...
-
NASA Stacks Artemis 2 Second Stage While the Future of SLS Remains Uncertain
NASA has stacked the Artemis 2 rocket’s second stage at Kennedy Space Centre, marking major progress toward its 2026 crewed moon mission. Despite this milestone, a recent budget proposal recommends ending the SLS program after Artemis 3, raising questions about the long-term future of NASA's lunar exploration strategy and deep space transportatio...
-
Elon Musk Says Starship To Depart For Mars By 2026, Human Landing Likely By 2031
NASA is also awaiting a modified version of Starship as a lunar lander for its Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon this decade.
-
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...
-
Firefly Blue Ghost Moon Lander Successfully Lands on Moon for NASA Mission
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander has successfully landed on the Moon, marking a major milestone in private space exploration. Part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, the mission aims to study radiation levels, test lunar sample collection, and capture a total solar eclipse. The spacecraft, which landed in Mare Cris...
-
Blue Ghost Lander Lowers Orbit, Prepares for Lunar Touchdown on March 2
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander has successfully lowered its orbit to 120 km in preparation for a lunar touchdown on March 2. The spacecraft, which launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Mission teams are monitoring its orbit and finalizing descent plans, though commun...
-
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...
-
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...
-
Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-29 Mission to Test Lunar Gravity Simulation
Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-29 mission, scheduled for Jan. 28, 2025, will simulate lunar gravity during its suborbital flight. The uncrewed mission, launching from West Texas, carries 30 experiments, with 17 contributed by NASA. These experiments aim to advance lunar exploration technologies, including studying moon dust behaviour, fire dynamics...
-
Two Private Lunar Landers Launch Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 for Moon Missions
Marking a milestone in space exploration, two private lunar landers, Blue Ghost by Firefly Aerospace and Resilience by ispace, were launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on January 15. Blue Ghost, under NASA's CLPS program, will study lunar regolith and environmental elements, landing in Mare Crisium. Resilienc...
-
NASA Reschedules Artemis 2 and Artemis 3 Missions to Ensure Astronaut Safety
NASA has pushed back its Artemis 2 and Artemis 3 lunar missions to 2026 and 2027, respectively. The delays are attributed to issues with the Orion spacecraft, particularly its heat shield, which experienced damage during the Artemis 1 mission. Safety concerns and technical adjustments are being prioritised. The rescheduling could influence NASA’s...
