Private Moon Mission
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Celestis to Send Human Ashes Beyond the Moon on Deep-Space Memorial Flight in 2026
Celestis, a Texas-based pioneer of space memorial services, is preparing its next deep-space mission, Infinite Flight, scheduled for late 2026. Launched aboard Stoke Space’s fully reusable Nova rocket from Cape Canaveral, the mission will carry cremated remains and DNA samples beyond the Moon into a permanent solar orbit. Part of Celestis’s Voy...
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Artemis Era Raises Safety Concerns as Lunar Orbit Nears Capacity, New Study Finds
As lunar exploration surges, scientists warn that the Moon’s limited stable orbits are growing crowded. Georgia Tech simulations suggest that with about 50 satellites, each may need several collision-avoidance maneuvers per year. Even now, orbiters like Chandrayaan-2 require frequent course corrections. With Artemis and private missions incoming,...
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SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launch of Private Griffin Moon Lander Pushed to 2026 Amid Testing Phase
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy launch carrying Astrobotic’s Griffin-1 lunar lander has been delayed to July 2026 due to ongoing testing. The mission, part of NASA’s CLPS program, will deliver multiple rovers and cultural payloads to the Moon, marking a key milestone for private lunar exploration.
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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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Private US Lander's Moon Mission Ends After Spacecraft Tips Over
Intuitive Machines' second Moon mission ended in disappointment Friday after its spacecraft tipped over and was left unable to recharge its solar-powered batteries, mirroring the US company's first attempt last year.
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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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US Spaceship Lands On Moon, Second Private Lander To Achieve Milestone
Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1 touched down near Mons Latreille, a volcanic formation in Mare Crisium on the Moon's northeastern near side.
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2 Moon Landings Scheduled Within A Week For NASA's Private Fleet
More than fifty years passed between the last Apollo mission and the United States' return to the lunar surface when the first-ever private lander touched down last February.
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US Firm Aims For Second Moon Landing Attempt
Intuitive Machines made history last year as the first private entity to put a robot on the Moon, though the triumph was marred by the lander tipping onto its side -- something it hopes to avoid this time around.
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Private US Company Set For "Challenging" Second Moon Landing Mission
Intuitive Machines made history last year as the first private company to put a robot on the Moon, although the triumph was marred by the lander tipping onto its side.
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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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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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Private US, Japanese Lunar Landers Launch On Single Rocket
One rocket, two missions: lunar landers built by US and Japanese companies launched their "rideshare" to the Moon, showcasing the private sector's growing role in space exploration.
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Celestis to Send Human Ashes Beyond the Moon on Deep-Space Memorial Flight in 2026
Celestis, a Texas-based pioneer of space memorial services, is preparing its next deep-space mission, Infinite Flight, scheduled for late 2026. Launched aboard Stoke Space’s fully reusable Nova rocket from Cape Canaveral, the mission will carry cremated remains and DNA samples beyond the Moon into a permanent solar orbit. Part of Celestis’s Voy...
-
Artemis Era Raises Safety Concerns as Lunar Orbit Nears Capacity, New Study Finds
As lunar exploration surges, scientists warn that the Moon’s limited stable orbits are growing crowded. Georgia Tech simulations suggest that with about 50 satellites, each may need several collision-avoidance maneuvers per year. Even now, orbiters like Chandrayaan-2 require frequent course corrections. With Artemis and private missions incoming,...
-
SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launch of Private Griffin Moon Lander Pushed to 2026 Amid Testing Phase
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy launch carrying Astrobotic’s Griffin-1 lunar lander has been delayed to July 2026 due to ongoing testing. The mission, part of NASA’s CLPS program, will deliver multiple rovers and cultural payloads to the Moon, marking a key milestone for private lunar exploration.
-
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.
-
Private US Lander's Moon Mission Ends After Spacecraft Tips Over
Intuitive Machines' second Moon mission ended in disappointment Friday after its spacecraft tipped over and was left unable to recharge its solar-powered batteries, mirroring the US company's first attempt last year.
-
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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US Spaceship Lands On Moon, Second Private Lander To Achieve Milestone
Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1 touched down near Mons Latreille, a volcanic formation in Mare Crisium on the Moon's northeastern near side.
-
2 Moon Landings Scheduled Within A Week For NASA's Private Fleet
More than fifty years passed between the last Apollo mission and the United States' return to the lunar surface when the first-ever private lander touched down last February.
-
US Firm Aims For Second Moon Landing Attempt
Intuitive Machines made history last year as the first private entity to put a robot on the Moon, though the triumph was marred by the lander tipping onto its side -- something it hopes to avoid this time around.
-
Private US Company Set For "Challenging" Second Moon Landing Mission
Intuitive Machines made history last year as the first private company to put a robot on the Moon, although the triumph was marred by the lander tipping onto its side.
-
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...
-
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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Private US, Japanese Lunar Landers Launch On Single Rocket
One rocket, two missions: lunar landers built by US and Japanese companies launched their "rideshare" to the Moon, showcasing the private sector's growing role in space exploration.
