The moon, where no satnav has gone before
The test version of a unique satellite navigation receiver has been delivered for integration testing on the Lunar Pathfinder spacecraft. The NaviMoon satnav receiver is designed to perform the farthest ever positioning fix from Earth, employing sign.....»»
NASA"s Dragonfly rotorcraft mission to Saturn"s moon Titan confirmed
NASA has confirmed its Dragonfly rotorcraft mission to Saturn's organic-rich moon Titan. The decision allows the mission to progress to the completion of the final design, followed by the construction and testing of the entire spacecraft and science.....»»
Saturn"s ocean moon Enceladus could support life—researchers are working out how to detect extraterrestrial cells there
Saturn has 146 confirmed moons—more than any other planet in the solar system—but one called Enceladus stands out. It appears to have the ingredients for life......»»
NASA Goddard to build quake detector for Artemis III moon landing
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, will build a moonquake detector for astronauts to deploy on the moon in 2026 during the Artemis III mission, which will return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in more than.....»»
NASA"s VIPER moon rover gets its head and neck
In this image from Feb. 12, 2024, engineers lift a mast into place on NASA's VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) robotic moon rover. VIPER's mast and the suite of instruments affixed to it look a lot like the rover's "neck" and "h.....»»
The history of the young cold traps of the asteroid Ceres
Ceres, the largest asteroid in our solar system, harbors a dark secret: extremely young ice deposits in permanently shadowed craters near its poles. If that sounds vaguely familiar, it's because our moon and planet Mercury also have such polar ice de.....»»
Orbital eccentricity may have led to young underground ocean on Saturn"s moon Mimas
Saturn's moon Mimas could have grown a huge underground ocean as its orbital eccentricity decreased to its present value and caused its icy shell to melt and thin......»»
There"s a library on the moon now. It might last billions of years.
NASA's Odysseus Lunar Lander may have tipped over, but it still delivered an important payload of art, music, books ... and Bitcoin. Until 2024, our lunar neighbor didn't offer much in the way of reading material. Just four sentences were.....»»
This is the new spaceship that will take humans back to the moon
The completed Orion spacecraft, built by NASA and ESA, is seen fully stacked in a newly released photo. This craft will fly around the moon on the Artemis II mission. Next year, NASA will blast astronauts back to the moon. This is their 21st-ce.....»»
Watch NASA begin testing its Orion capsule for lunar flyby
NASA has started testing the Orion spacecraft that will take astronauts on a voyage around the moon in the Artemis II mission scheduled for 2025......»»
A new type of seismic sensor to detect moonquakes
During the Apollo missions of the 1970s, several seismometers were flown to the moon, where they collected data on lunar seismic trembling for eight years. The data showed some lunar quakes were as powerful as a magnitude 5......»»
NASA unveils probe bound for Jupiter"s possibly life-sustaining moon
US space scientists on Thursday unveiled the interplanetary probe NASA plans to send to one of Jupiter's icy moons as part of humanity's hunt for extra-terrestrial life......»»
Juice aces Callisto flyby test
Seven years from now, in April 2031, ESA's Juice mission will fly past Jupiter's moon Callisto, offering scientists a tantalizing glimpse at the mysterious, cratered alien world......»»
A molecular moon lander: Insight into molecular motion on surfaces at the nanoscale
For years, scientists have been intrigued by how molecules move across surfaces. The process is critical to numerous applications, including catalysis and the manufacturing of nanoscale devices......»»
Wireless power transmission could enable exploration of the far side of the moon
How can future lunar exploration communicate from the far side of the moon despite never being inline with the Earth? This is what a recent study submitted to IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems hopes to address as a pair of researc.....»»
NASA technology helps guard against lunar dust
Defeating dust may be a small concern for most people on Earth, but for astronauts and spacecraft destined for the moon or Mars, it is a significant hazard that must be mitigated. That's why researchers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are s.....»»
In exchange for a lunar rover, Japan will get seats on Moon-landing missions
Japan is making a significant commitment to the US-led Artemis program. Enlarge / Artist's illustration of a pressurized lunar rover design conceived by Toyota and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. (credit: Toyota/JAXA).....»»
Japanese astronaut to be first non-American to set foot on moon
A lucky Japanese astronaut will become the first non-American to set foot on the moon during one of NASA's upcoming Artemis missions, US President Joe Biden announced Wednesday......»»
Biden says Japanese will be first non-American on moon
A Japanese person will be the first non-American to walk on the moon, US President Joe Biden announced Wednesday during a state visit by Japan's prime minister......»»
If Europa has geysers, they"re very faint
In 2013, the Hubble Space Telescope spotted water vapor on Jupiter's moon Europa. The vapor was evidence of plumes similar to the ones on Saturn's moon Enceladus. That, and other compelling evidence, showed that the moon has an ocean. That led to spe.....»»
What could we build with lunar regolith?
It has often been likened to talcum powder. The ultra fine lunar surface material known as the regolith is crushed volcanic rock. For visitors to the surface of the moon it can be a health hazard, causing wear and tear on astronauts and their equipme.....»»