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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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NASA’s Mars Sample Return Mission May Survive with Lockheed Martin’s Low-Cost Proposal
NASA’s Mars Sample Return Mission is at risk due to skyrocketing costs, but a new cost-efficient proposal from Lockheed Martin could save the mission. By reusing technology from the InSight lander, the plan promises to bring back Mars samples at a fraction of the expected $11 billion.
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Supernova Remnants Found in Oceanic Samples, Scientists Look to Moon
Scientists have identified supernova debris in deep-sea sediments, including a rare plutonium isotope linked to a kilonova. Researchers believe a neutron star collision occurred nearly 10 million years ago, scattering radioactive material across space. To validate this theory, they plan to analyze lunar soil, which remains undisturbed by Earth's ge...
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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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Private Venus Mission Plans to Retrieve Cloud Samples for Life Research
A privately-led space mission is being developed to retrieve and analyse cloud samples from Venus. Scientists believe the planet’s sulfuric acid clouds might sustain organic molecules necessary for life. The mission, named Morning Star, involves deploying probes to collect mist from Venus' atmosphere. The collected samples would be returned to Ea...
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ISRO's Chandrayaan-4 to Land on Moon and Bring Back Lunar Samples in 2027
India’s space agency ISRO is gearing up for the Chandrayaan-4 mission, scheduled for 2027. This ambitious mission will involve a complex system of five modules, launched using two LVM3 rockets. Once in lunar orbit, two modules will descend to the surface, with one collecting samples and the other remaining on the Moon. The sample return module wi...
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NASA Perseverance Rover Discovers Ancient Rock Sample on Mars' Jezero Crater
NASA’s Perseverance rover has collected a unique rock sample from Mars' Jezero Crater. The rock, named “Silver Mountain,” is believed to be one of the oldest in the solar system, possibly dating back to the Noachian period, over 4 billion years ago. This discovery provides new insights into Mars’ geological history and past environmental co...
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NASA Updates Mars Sample Return Mission, Plans to Lower Costs
NASA will update the public on the Mars Sample Return mission during a press conference on January 7, 2025. The agency aims to reduce costs, risks, and mission complexity, following significant delays and rising costs. Originally estimated at $3 billion in 2020, the mission now carries a price tag of $11 billion, with potential delays extending to ...
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China's Tianwen-3 Mars Sample Return Mission Targets 2031 Ahead of NASA, ESA
China's Tianwen-3 mission aims to return Martian rock samples to Earth by 2031, setting a benchmark in space exploration. Scheduled for launch in 2028, the mission will employ cutting-edge technologies, including a lander, ascent vehicle, rover, and helicopter, to gather samples from regions like Utopia Planitia and Chryse Planitia. These areas wer...
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Earth Microbes Discovered in Asteroid Ryugu Sample, Raises Contamination Concerns
A study has confirmed that terrestrial microbes colonised a Ryugu asteroid sample after its return to Earth in 2020. The micro-organisms were found to proliferate upon exposure to Earth's atmosphere, raising concerns over contamination risks in planetary exploration. Published in Meteoritics & Planetary Science, the findings underline the need for ...
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ISRO Gets Government Nod for Shukrayaan Venus Orbiter Mission and Chandrayaan-4
India’s Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) and Chandrayaan-4 mission, approved by the government in September 2024, mark historic steps toward India's space vision for 2047. VOM will study Venus's surface, atmosphere, and solar interaction, while Chandrayaan-4 will return lunar samples from the South Pole. These missions are set to advance technology an...
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Moon Rocks Brought From the Far Side Confirm Ancient Volcanic Activity
Researchers analysing lunar samples from China’s Chang’e-6 mission have uncovered evidence of ancient volcanic activity on the Moon’s far side. The mission, which returned nearly two kilograms of lunar soil in June, landed in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the Moon’s oldest craters. Studies published in Science and Nature revealed volc...
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India Targets 2028 for Chandrayaan-4 Sample Return Mission to Moon
India is planning its next lunar mission, Chandrayaan-4, with a targeted launch in 2028. The mission aims to collect approximately 3 kilograms of lunar samples from the moon's south pole, specifically from areas rich in water ice. Following Chandrayaan-4, ISRO will collaborate with Japan on Chandrayaan-5, furthering India's ambitions in space explo...
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Gaganyaan Scheduled for 2026, Chandrayaan-4 to Launch by 2028: ISRO
ISRO Chairman S Somanath has revealed exciting new timelines for India's space missions. The Gaganyaan mission, set to be India's first manned space flight, is now scheduled for a 2026 launch. Furthermore, the ambitious Chandrayaan-4 mission, aimed at returning lunar samples, is expected to lift off by 2028. With a focus on self-reliance and privat...
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Chandrayaan-4 Mission Gets Government Approval, to Bring Back Samples from the Moon
Chandrayaan-4 mission has received approval from the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday. This marks another significant milestone in India's lunar exploration efforts. Unlike previous missions, Chandrayaan-4 will not only aim for a successful landing on the Moon but will also focus on returning to Earth.
-
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...
-
NASA’s Mars Sample Return Mission May Survive with Lockheed Martin’s Low-Cost Proposal
NASA’s Mars Sample Return Mission is at risk due to skyrocketing costs, but a new cost-efficient proposal from Lockheed Martin could save the mission. By reusing technology from the InSight lander, the plan promises to bring back Mars samples at a fraction of the expected $11 billion.
-
Supernova Remnants Found in Oceanic Samples, Scientists Look to Moon
Scientists have identified supernova debris in deep-sea sediments, including a rare plutonium isotope linked to a kilonova. Researchers believe a neutron star collision occurred nearly 10 million years ago, scattering radioactive material across space. To validate this theory, they plan to analyze lunar soil, which remains undisturbed by Earth's ge...
-
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...
-
Private Venus Mission Plans to Retrieve Cloud Samples for Life Research
A privately-led space mission is being developed to retrieve and analyse cloud samples from Venus. Scientists believe the planet’s sulfuric acid clouds might sustain organic molecules necessary for life. The mission, named Morning Star, involves deploying probes to collect mist from Venus' atmosphere. The collected samples would be returned to Ea...
-
ISRO's Chandrayaan-4 to Land on Moon and Bring Back Lunar Samples in 2027
India’s space agency ISRO is gearing up for the Chandrayaan-4 mission, scheduled for 2027. This ambitious mission will involve a complex system of five modules, launched using two LVM3 rockets. Once in lunar orbit, two modules will descend to the surface, with one collecting samples and the other remaining on the Moon. The sample return module wi...
-
NASA Perseverance Rover Discovers Ancient Rock Sample on Mars' Jezero Crater
NASA’s Perseverance rover has collected a unique rock sample from Mars' Jezero Crater. The rock, named “Silver Mountain,” is believed to be one of the oldest in the solar system, possibly dating back to the Noachian period, over 4 billion years ago. This discovery provides new insights into Mars’ geological history and past environmental co...
-
NASA Updates Mars Sample Return Mission, Plans to Lower Costs
NASA will update the public on the Mars Sample Return mission during a press conference on January 7, 2025. The agency aims to reduce costs, risks, and mission complexity, following significant delays and rising costs. Originally estimated at $3 billion in 2020, the mission now carries a price tag of $11 billion, with potential delays extending to ...
-
China's Tianwen-3 Mars Sample Return Mission Targets 2031 Ahead of NASA, ESA
China's Tianwen-3 mission aims to return Martian rock samples to Earth by 2031, setting a benchmark in space exploration. Scheduled for launch in 2028, the mission will employ cutting-edge technologies, including a lander, ascent vehicle, rover, and helicopter, to gather samples from regions like Utopia Planitia and Chryse Planitia. These areas wer...
-
Earth Microbes Discovered in Asteroid Ryugu Sample, Raises Contamination Concerns
A study has confirmed that terrestrial microbes colonised a Ryugu asteroid sample after its return to Earth in 2020. The micro-organisms were found to proliferate upon exposure to Earth's atmosphere, raising concerns over contamination risks in planetary exploration. Published in Meteoritics & Planetary Science, the findings underline the need for ...
-
ISRO Gets Government Nod for Shukrayaan Venus Orbiter Mission and Chandrayaan-4
India’s Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) and Chandrayaan-4 mission, approved by the government in September 2024, mark historic steps toward India's space vision for 2047. VOM will study Venus's surface, atmosphere, and solar interaction, while Chandrayaan-4 will return lunar samples from the South Pole. These missions are set to advance technology an...
-
Moon Rocks Brought From the Far Side Confirm Ancient Volcanic Activity
Researchers analysing lunar samples from China’s Chang’e-6 mission have uncovered evidence of ancient volcanic activity on the Moon’s far side. The mission, which returned nearly two kilograms of lunar soil in June, landed in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the Moon’s oldest craters. Studies published in Science and Nature revealed volc...
-
India Targets 2028 for Chandrayaan-4 Sample Return Mission to Moon
India is planning its next lunar mission, Chandrayaan-4, with a targeted launch in 2028. The mission aims to collect approximately 3 kilograms of lunar samples from the moon's south pole, specifically from areas rich in water ice. Following Chandrayaan-4, ISRO will collaborate with Japan on Chandrayaan-5, furthering India's ambitions in space explo...
-
Gaganyaan Scheduled for 2026, Chandrayaan-4 to Launch by 2028: ISRO
ISRO Chairman S Somanath has revealed exciting new timelines for India's space missions. The Gaganyaan mission, set to be India's first manned space flight, is now scheduled for a 2026 launch. Furthermore, the ambitious Chandrayaan-4 mission, aimed at returning lunar samples, is expected to lift off by 2028. With a focus on self-reliance and privat...
-
Chandrayaan-4 Mission Gets Government Approval, to Bring Back Samples from the Moon
Chandrayaan-4 mission has received approval from the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday. This marks another significant milestone in India's lunar exploration efforts. Unlike previous missions, Chandrayaan-4 will not only aim for a successful landing on the Moon but will also focus on returning to Earth.
