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☆ Opinion: The problem with space junk – and how to solve it
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Opinion Moriba Jah | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

This incident serves as an example of the urgent need for a profound shift toward sustainable space practices. Proponents of a circular space economy advocate for a transformative departure from this wasteful paradigm. Much like embracing reusable materials on Earth, transitioning to a circular space economy means designing space systems with reuse, refurbishment and recyclability in mind. The European Space Agency (ESA) has emerged as a trailblazer in the pursuit of a circular space economy. By leading the charge toward sustainable space practices, NASA can inspire other space agencies and private companies to follow suit.

Persons: Moriba Jah, Otero, Moriba Jah Mark Thiessen, wasn’t, I’m, Artemis Organizations: MacArthur Fellowship, University of Texas, CNN, Space, European Space Agency, ESA, NASA, Space Shuttle, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Austin, Naples , Florida, Naples

☆ China's hype video for its lunar base showed what looked like a NASA Space Shuttle lifting off, which it then realized and tried to fix
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China's new teaser for its lunar base appeared to show a NASA Space Shuttle taking off. The Space Shuttle was later blurred out in a state media version of the CGI video. AdvertisementA new concept video showcasing China's planned lunar base appeared to feature a NASA Space Shuttle lifting off from the facility — a detail that was then omitted in a later broadcast of the clip. Related storiesIt's unclear if showing a Space Shuttle was intended by China's space administration, but the spacecraft using a Chinese base in 2045 would be nearly impossible. Beijing says it plans for its international lunar base to be built jointly by other countries as a collaborative effort.

Persons: —, CNSA, It's, Artemis Organizations: NASA Space Shuttle, Shuttle, Service, China National Space Administration, Research, American, NASA, Space, Orbiter, Getty, Orion Spacecraft, Elon, SpaceX, International Space, Space Shuttle, Business Insider Locations: China, Beijing

☆ What’s on the far side of the moon? Here’s why scientists want to find out
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“The far side of the moon is very different from the near side,” said Li Chunlai, China National Space Administration deputy chief designer. The Yutu-2 lunar rover took an image of the Chang'e-4 lunar probe on the far side of the moon on January 11, 2019. Far side mysteriesDespite years of orbital data and samples collected during six of the Apollo missions, scientists are still trying to answer key questions about the moon. Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty ImagesChang’e-6 is just one mission heading to the moon’s far side as NASA has plans to send robotic missions there as well. Cracking the lunar codeOne of the most fundamental questions that scientists have tried to answer is how the moon formed.

Persons: Von, hasn’t, ”, Li Chunlai, David Trone, Bill Nelson, ” Nelson, “ We’re, Pink Floyd, Renu Malhotra, Louise Foucar, we’ve, Noah Petro, Artemis III, “, ” Petro, Artemis, Malhotra, Brett Denevi, ” Denevi, Hector Retamal, Denevi, Aitken, “ it’s, CNN’s Wayne Chang Organizations: CNN, China National Space Administration, NASA, Louise Foucar Marshall Science Research, Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Apollo, Reconnaissance, Artemis, Soviet Union, Johns Hopkins, Getty Locations: China, Tucson, AFP, Hainan Province

☆ Japan’s ‘Moon Sniper’ returns images after third long, lunar night
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Temperatures during the lunar night can plunge to minus 208 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 133 degrees Celsius), according to NASA. And Moon Sniper wasn’t expected to withstand even one lunar night, which is a period of darkness on the moon lasting about two weeks. Riding out the lunar nightThe mission team communicated with Moon Sniper on April 23 after the lander rode out its third lunar night. From JAXAIn addition to surviving the extreme cold of the lunar night, Moon Sniper has also endured the searing temperatures of the lunar day, which can reach 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius), according to NASA. On February 29, after seven days of operating, Odie went to sleep because it wasn’t intended to survive the lunar night.

Persons: CNN —, Smart, SLIM, ’, Moon, ”, Odysseus, Odie ”, Odie, “ Odie, Jack Fischer, Fischer, ” Fischer, “, I’m, Vikram, Artemis, Noah Petro, Artemis III, ” Petro Organizations: CNN, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, NASA, JAXA, Reconnaissance, Artemis, Apollo Locations: Japan, Houston, India, China

☆ China’s Chang’e-6 moon probe stands by for launch as space race with US heats up
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Marc Stewart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

China’s planned 53-day mission would see the Chang’e-6 lander touch down in a gaping crater on the moon’s far side, which never faces Earth. China became the first and only country to land on the moon’s far side during its 2019 Chang’e-4 mission. Ambitious missionThe Chang’e-6 probe will be a key test for China’s space capabilities in its effort to realize leader Xi Jinping’s “eternal dream” of building the country into a space power. This time, to communicate with Earth from the moon’s far side, Chang’e-6 must rely on the Queqiao-2 satellite, launched into lunar orbit in March. This time, China has said the Chang’e-6 mission will carry scientific instruments or payloads from France, Italy, Pakistan and the European Space Agency.

Persons: China’s, “, Ge Ping, Xi Jinping’s, James Head, Luo Yunfei, Bill Nelson, –, ” Nelson Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China, Space Administration’s, of Lunar Exploration, Space Engineering, Brown University, China News Service, Luna, NASA, European Space Agency Locations: China, Hong Kong, Hainan, United States, Russia, Chang’e, India, Japan, Texas, France, Italy, Pakistan

☆ Crater offers new clue near-Earth asteroid is really a piece of the moon, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The space rock, known as 2016 HO3, is a rare quasi-satellite — a type of near-Earth asteroid that orbits the sun but sticks close to our planet. Astronomers first discovered it in 2016 using the Pan-STARRS telescope, or Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System, in Hawaii. Scientists call the asteroid Kamo’oalewa, a name derived from a Hawaiian creation chant that alludes to an offspring traveling on its own. Kamo’oalewa specimen: A connecting puzzle pieceStudying crater impacts on the moon can also help scientists better understand the consequences of asteroid impacts should a space rock pose a threat to Earth in the future. There’s no other place, no other planet in our solar system with a moon like our moon.

Persons: they’ve, Giordano Bruno, Yifei Jiao, ”, Erik Asphaug, Kamo’oalewa, “ You’d, Asphaug, ” Jiao, ” Asphaug, Renu Malhotra, China’s, Patrick Michel, Noah Petro, Artemis III, Petro, “, ” Petro, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Survey Telescope, University of Arizona’s, Laboratory, Tsinghua University, University of, London, NASA, Arizona State University, University of Arizona, National Centre for Scientific Research, Reconnaissance, Artemis Locations: Hawaii, Beijing, “, France

☆ ‘Cabs to get into space’: How this Indian startup wants to revolutionize satellite space travel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Amy Gunia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But its private sector has played a limited role in space exploration, acting mostly as suppliers and vendors for its national space agency, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). “Very few companies globally are able to make it to orbit yet.”Pawan Chandana, the co-founder of Skyroot Aerospace Skyroot Aerospace Pvt. As Indian space startups mature over the coming years, he expects the government to become a customer, enabling further growth. Many private space companies source income from governments, including Space X, which has raked in billions of dollars from US government contracts. In November 2022, Skyroot Aerospace launched India's first privately built rocket, Vikram-S. Skyroot Aerospace Pvt.

Persons: Vikram, ” Pawan Chandana, “, Pawan Chandana, Narendra Modi, ”, Susmita Mohanty, Skyroot, Chandana, ridesharing, Kari Bingen, Modi, Mohanty Organizations: CNN, Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO, Elon, SpaceX, Skyroot Aerospace, Skyroot Aerospace Skyroot Aerospace, . Ltd, McKinsey & Company, Economic, ’, LEO —, Vikram Sarabhai, Aerospace Security, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Deloitte, India’s, NASA Locations: India, United States, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Singapore

☆ NASA is asking for help to retrieve Mars samples that could be the first evidence of alien life
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover is collecting samples that could be evidence of ancient alien life. But NASA's Mars Sample Return mission to bring them to Earth will now cost $11 billion and take two decades. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASUNASA's original proposal for the Mars Sample Return is "mind-bendingly complicated," David Parker, director of space exploration at the European Space Agency, said in 2021. AdvertisementAn illustration shows a concept of how NASA's Mars Sample Return mission would launch Perseverance's samples from the surface of Mars. At the current price tag, Mars Sample Return would "cannibalize" other NASA missions, Nelson said.

Persons: —, Nicola Fox, We're, David Parker, Bill Nelson, Nelson, Fox, Lockheed Martin, Northrop, We've, that's Organizations: NASA, Service, Mars Express, ESA, JPL, Caltech, ASU, European Space Agency, Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, SpaceX Locations: Berlin, Mars

☆ Opinion: The day of the Columbia disaster still haunts me
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Miles O'Brien | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

The CNN Original Series, “Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight,” uncovers the events that ultimately led to disaster. Miles O'Brien Vincent RicardelI was at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to cover the launch of the space shuttle, Columbia. Space Shuttle Columbia launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003. Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:39 a.m. NASA Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003.

Persons: Miles O’Brien, ”, Miles O'Brien Vincent Ricardel, Ilan Ramon, Scott Andrews, NASA's, Michael P, Anderson, William C, McCool, Rick D, David M, Brown, Laurel, Kalpana Chawla, Joe Skipper, Karl Ronstrom, Ramon, NASA Chawla, Clark, Chawla, Robert Giroux, Kathryn O'Neill, Zachary, Brett Coomer, Florida Sen, Bill Nelson, Matt Stroshane, Tommy Peltier, Eric Gay, Smiley, Gene Theriot, Sean O'Keefe, George W, Bush, Ron Dittemore, Joe Cavaretta, O'Keefe, Mannie Garcia, NASA Sandy Anderson, Carlos Noriega, Michael L, Coats, Evelyn Husband, Thomas, John Raoux, Glenn Benson, Kim Shiflett, Dave Santucci, “, —, Heidi Collins, Janeane Garofalo, “ Let’s, would’ve Organizations: PBS, CNN, Space Shuttle Columbia, NASA, Kennedy Space Center, Engineers, Reuters Space Shuttle Columbia, Scott Andrews People, Control Center, Getty, NASA Space, Columbia, Israeli Air Force, Space Shuttle, Red Team, Blue Team, Shuttle Columbia, Space, Johnson Space Center, Former, Houston, Houston Chronicle, People, US Navy Corps, Columbia Reconstruction, NASA Workers, Astronauts Memorial Foundation, Reuters, Bannock, Bannock Junior, Senior, Bannock High School, Johnson Space, Challenger, Shuttle, CNN Center, US Locations: Atlanta and New York, Florida, Columbia, synchronicity, Houston, Israel, SPACEHAB, New York, Laguna Hills , California, Texas, San Augustine , Texas, Washington ,, Shoshone, Fort Hall , Idaho, Iraq, Atlanta, United States, California, Dallas

☆ Opinion: NASA was America’s crown jewel. After the Columbia disaster it was never quite the same
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Opinion Douglas Brinkley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Space Shuttle Columbia launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003. Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:39 a.m. The environmentally controlled chamber was mated to Space Shuttle Columbia for access into the orbiter. NASA Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003. Students and staff of the Shoshone-Bannock High School had an experiment on board Space Shuttle Columbia.

Persons: Douglas Brinkley, Katherine Tsanoff, John F, Kennedy, ”, Douglas Brinkley Moore Huffman, Nancy Currie, Gregg, Scott Andrews, NASA's, Michael P, Anderson, William C, McCool, Rick D, David M, Brown, Laurel, Ilan Ramon, Kalpana Chawla, Joe Skipper, Karl Ronstrom, Ramon, NASA Chawla, Clark, Chawla, Robert Giroux, Kathryn O'Neill, Zachary, Brett Coomer, Florida Sen, Bill Nelson, Matt Stroshane, Tommy Peltier, Eric Gay, Smiley, Gene Theriot, Sean O'Keefe, George W, Bush, Ron Dittemore, Joe Cavaretta, O'Keefe, Mannie Garcia, NASA Sandy Anderson, Carlos Noriega, Michael L, Coats, Evelyn Husband, Thomas, John Raoux, Glenn Benson, Kim Shiflett, Sean O’Keefe, Jeff Bezos, Lockheed Martin, Sir Richard Branson, “ Organizations: Rice University, CNN, Shuttle Columbia, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, Russian Space Agency, Russia, United Arab, Challenger, Columbia, Space, Space Shuttle Columbia, Kennedy Space Center, Reuters Space Shuttle Columbia, Scott Andrews People, Control Center, Getty, NASA Space, Israeli Air Force, Space Shuttle, Red Team, Blue Team, Johnson Space Center, Former, Houston, Houston Chronicle, People, US Navy Corps, Columbia Reconstruction, NASA Workers, Astronauts Memorial Foundation, Reuters, Bannock, Bannock Junior, Senior, Bannock High School, Johnson Space, Shuttle, Investigation, Elon, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Boeing, Lockheed, Virgin Galactic, JFK Locations: China, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Columbia, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Houston, Israel, SPACEHAB, New York, Laguna Hills , California, San Augustine , Texas, Washington ,, Shoshone, Fort Hall , Idaho, American

☆ NASA’s space shuttle program reimagined rocketry. What went wrong?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

The CNN Original Series “Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight” uncovers the events that ultimately led to disaster. Deemed an “engineering marvel,” the first of five winged orbiters — the space shuttle Columbia — made its inaugural flight in 1981. Crews aboard the recovery ships Liberty Star and Freedom Star retrieve a reusable right solid rocket booster (below) after a space shuttle mission. Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:39 a.m. NASA Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003.

Persons: ”, Sean O’Keefe, Casey Dreier, Crews, O’Keefe, Scott Andrews, NASA's, Michael P, Anderson, William C, McCool, Rick D, David M, Brown, Laurel, Ilan Ramon, Kalpana Chawla, Joe Skipper, Karl Ronstrom, Ramon, NASA Chawla, Clark, Chawla, Robert Giroux, Kathryn O'Neill, Zachary, Brett Coomer, Florida Sen, Bill Nelson, Matt Stroshane, Tommy Peltier, Eric Gay, Smiley, Gene Theriot, Sean O'Keefe, George W, Bush, Ron Dittemore, Joe Cavaretta, O'Keefe, Mannie Garcia, NASA Sandy Anderson, Carlos Noriega, Michael L, Coats, Evelyn Husband, Thomas, John Raoux, Glenn Benson, Kim Shiflett, Rodney Rocha, Columbia’s, Rick Husband, “ Roger, Sen, Mark Kelly, “, ” Kelly Organizations: CNN, Shuttle Columbia, Sunday, NASA, Columbia, America’s, Planetary Society, European Space Agency, Space, International Space, Hubble, Liberty Star, NASA’s Ames Research Center, Space Shuttle Columbia, Kennedy Space Center, Reuters Space Shuttle Columbia, Scott Andrews People, Control Center, Getty, NASA Space, Israeli Air Force, Space Shuttle, Red Team, Blue Team, Johnson Space Center, Former, Houston, Houston Chronicle, People, US Navy Corps, Columbia Reconstruction, NASA Workers, Astronauts Memorial Foundation, Reuters, Bannock, Bannock Junior, Senior, Bannock High School, Johnson Space, Challenger, Shuttle, East Texas Locations: Columbia, America’s Soviet, Florida, Houston, Israel, SPACEHAB, New York, Laguna Hills , California, Texas, San Augustine , Texas, Washington ,, Shoshone, Fort Hall , Idaho, New Mexico, East

☆ Mars volcano the size of Mount Everest was hiding in plain sight, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Scientists may have pinpointed a massive, oddly shaped volcano taller than Mount Everest on the surface of Mars — and it has been hiding in plain sight for decades, according to new research. Some of the largest volcanoes on Mars lie relatively close to the proposed “Noctis volcano.” Shown here: 1) Olympus Mons, the tallest known volcano in our solar system. This NASA visualization of the Tharsis rise shows Olympus Mons, Tharsis Montes, Noctis Labyrinthus, and Valles Marineris. NASA SVSA volcano, a glacier and the history of MarsThe existence of a volcano in Noctis Labyrinthus could also help explain the creation of this bizarre landscape. The existence of a volcano in the region, Lee said, might offer more support for the latter theory.

Persons: Everest, Pascal Lee, NASA SVS Lee, Sourabh, Lee, “ It’s, ”, NASA’s, Noctis Labyrinthus, “, ” Lee, Shubham, Adrien Broquet, we’ve, —, we’re, Noctis, Ernst Hauber, ” Hauber, David Horvath —, Tucson , Arizona —, Broquet, Horvath, ” Horvath, Carl Sagan Organizations: CNN —, Mars, Planetary Science Conference, Olympus, NASA, University of Maryland, College, CNN, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance, Marineris, Humboldt Research, German Aerospace Center, SETI Institute, German Aerospace Center’s, of Planetary Research, Planetary Science Institute Locations: The Woodlands , Texas, That’s, Mars, Noctis, Valles, Tharsis Montes, Labyrinthus, Tucson , Arizona

☆ A Lunar Eclipse Warms Up the Moon for April’s Solar Eclipse
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Katrina Miller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As the moon prepares to blot out the surface of our sun in two weeks, it’s warming up with a penumbral lunar eclipse on Sunday night or Monday morning, depending on your time zone. Lunar eclipses occur when the planet slides between the sun and the moon. That’s in contrast to a solar eclipse, which happens when the moon interjects between the other two bodies. In the most dramatic version of the event, the darkest part of Earth’s shadow washes over the lunar surface, making it shine crimson. This is a total lunar eclipse, also known as a blood moon.

Persons: “, ”, Noah Petro, Dr, Petro Organizations: Lunar, Orbiter, NASA

☆ Space photos from 5 recent moon-landing missions show how tiny engineering errors can cause big problems, like crashing or landing sideways
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Houston-based company's uncrewed Odysseus lander was almost lost to one of the tiniest possible mistakes. The view from the Intuitive Machines Odysseus lander as it descended to its landing site. Intuitive MachinesWith less than two hours to go before landing, Intuitive Machines engineers frantically whipped up a new navigation system. Indeed, several robotic moon landing attempts have crashed or otherwise malfunctioned in the last few years. Similarly, Intuitive Machines' success on Thursday shows that small errors don't necessarily have to spell the end of a mission.

Persons: Steve Altemus, Trent Martin, Odysseus, Astrobotic —, Peregrine, Astrobotic Astrobotic, Astrobotic, Vikram, SpaceNews, Robert Braun, Kailasavadivoo Sivan, ispace, NASA's, Braun, Japan's Smart Lander, SLIM, LEV, Takara Tomy Organizations: US, Business, NASA, Reconnaissance, Goddard, Arizona State University, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, NASA's Goddard Space Flight, freefall, JAXA, Takara, Sony Group Corporation, Doshisha Locations: India, Japan, Houston

☆ Odysseus lunar lander shares new photos from its harrowing descent
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Odysseus spacecraft has dispatched new images it captured of the lunar surface during the lander’s harrowing approach to the moon. The grainy images were shared by Intuitive Machines, the company that developed Odysseus, on Monday morning. What Odysseus’ images revealAn image released by company Friday showed a view of the moon’s Schomberger crater captured by the spacecraft during its descent. “The camera is on the starboard aft-side of the lander in this phase,” the Intuitive Machines post noted, referring to the right rear portion of the vehicle. Intuitive Machines shared Odysseus’ precise location: The spacecraft is sitting at the coordinates 80.13°S and 1.44°E on the moon, resting at about 2,579 meters (8,500 feet) in elevation.

Persons: Odysseus, ’, “ Odysseus, Odie, Florida —, Embry ‑ Riddle CubeSat, ” Embry, Riddle Organizations: CNN, Reconnaissance, NASA, Goddard, Arizona State University, Embry, Riddle University Locations: Florida

☆ The moon is shrinking, and it could be a problem for astronauts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

On the lunar surface, however, it’s a different story. “We also knew that the largest of the shallow moonquakes detected by the Apollo seismometers was located near the south pole. As part of the mission, two astronauts will spend about a week living and working on the lunar surface. They can be an opportunity to better study the moon as we do on the Earth with earthquakes,” Husker said. Studying moonquakes at the south pole will tell us more about the Moon’s interior structure as well as its present-day activity.”

Persons: India’s, Russia’s Luna, Artemis, ”, Thomas R, Watters, ” Watters, LRO, “, Renee Weber, ” Weber, Weber, Yosio Nakamura, Nakamura, Allen Husker, Husker, Jeffrey Andrews, Hanna Organizations: CNN, NASA, National Air, Space Museum’s, for, Planetary Studies, Lunar, Science, Apollo, University of Texas, California Institute of Technology, University of Arizona Locations: China, Austin

All parts of the vertical launch configuration are authentic components of the shuttle system, including the rust-colored external tank, which was flight-qualified. The external tank arrived by barge and made a similar trip across the city. A groundbreaking ceremony for the Air and Space Center was held in 2022 on the 11th anniversary of Endeavour’s final return from space. The 116-foot-long (35.3-meter-long) rocket motors were trucked to Los Angeles from the Mojave Desert in October and were installed the following month. Atlantis is at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, where it is displayed as if in orbit with its payload doors open and robotic arm extended.

Persons: — NASA's, Samuel Oschin, Steven F Organizations: ANGELES, Space Shuttle Endeavour, Samuel, Samuel Oschin Air, Space Center, California Science Center, Endeavour, Los Angeles International Airport, NASA Boeing, Air and Space, NASA, Shuttle Challenger, Columbia, Atlantis, Enterprise, Kennedy Space Center, National Air, Intrepid Museum Locations: Los Angeles, Exposition Park, Florida, Chantilly , Virginia, New York

☆ Sea of Nectar: What you should know about the moon area where Japan’s lander touched down
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

If the lander turns on again, it could make good on its objectives to collect unprecedented information about a region called the Sea of Nectar. The 1969 US moon mission Apollo 11 captured this oblique view of the large crater Theophilus at the northwest edge of the Sea of Nectar. Here's the first picture sent back by the Moon Sniper after it landed on the lunar surface. The Sea of Nectar is much smaller than its neighbor the Sea of Tranquility, which is over 540 miles (875 kilometers) across and is similarly smooth and flat. “After the Apollo missions, we brought back samples and learned they were essentially massive lava planes,” Osinski said.

Persons: Smart, SLIM —, Moon, Theophilus that’s, ”, Gordon Osinski, who’s, Artemis, Osinski, we’ve, ” Osinski, Sara Russell, haven’t, Russell, “, SLIM, ” “, John Pernet, Fisher, Pernet, it’s, Tranquillity, Canada’s, maria ”, “ It’s, NASA’s Organizations: CNN, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, NASA, Western University, Lunar Reconnaissance, Planetary Materials, Ritsumeikan University, Aizu, University of Manchester, Planetary Institute, Apollo, Getty Locations: Japan, , Ontario, Shioli, United Kingdom

☆ 2024 is a big year for the sun. This Helio year, see a total eclipse, solar storms, and NASA almost landing on our star.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The sun has a big year in 2024, starting with a total solar eclipse across the US. NASA's Parker Solar Probe will fly closer to the sun than any spacecraft ever, almost landing on it. One of the main events this year will be a historically cool total solar eclipse crossing the US in April. AdvertisementIn a total solar eclipse, the moon passes in front of the sun as seen from Earth, darkening the sky. For example, NASA is launching three rockets during the April total solar eclipse, loaded with instruments to study how the sudden darkness changes our upper atmosphere.

Persons: NASA's Parker, —, It's, Rodrigo Garrido, Rune Stoltz Bertinussen, Kelly Korreck, Connie Moore, NASA's, Nour Raouafi, Johns Hopkins, Steve Gribben, Raouafi, That's Organizations: Probe, Service, American Geophysical Union, Reuters, NASA, Parker Locations: San Francisco, Northern, Arizona, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Tromso, Norway

☆ Japan has landed a spacecraft on the moon for the first time, but the mission didn't go exactly according to plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Japan successfully landed a spacecraft on the moon for the first time in the nation's history. AdvertisementOn Friday, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced that its SLIM spacecraft had successfully landed on the moon. But the spacecraft isn't generating solar power. But many of these instruments may go unused if the spacecraft can't generate solar energy to power them. Even though the mission didn't go exactly according to plan, Kuninaka said that JAXA considers it a success since the spacecraft successfully touched down on the moon.

Persons: —, James Stuby, Smart Lander, SLIM aren't, Hitoshi Kuninaka, there's, Kuninaka Organizations: Service, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, SLIM, Japan, JAXA, NASA Locations: Japan, China, India

☆ ‘Magic islands’ mystery on Saturn’s moon Titan may be solved
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The disappearing “magic islands” on Saturn’s largest moon Titan have intrigued scientists since NASA’s Cassini mission spotted them during flybys a decade ago. Titan, larger than both our moon and the planet Mercury, is the only moon in our solar system with a thick atmosphere. The sea is 50% larger than Lake Superior and is made up of liquid methane, ethane and nitrogen. An artist's illustration shows a lake at the north pole of Saturn's moon Titan, including raised rims spied by Cassini. Liquid methane slowly seeps into the frozen clumps, eventually causing them to disappear from view.

Persons: NASA’s, Cassini, Xinting Yu, ”, Yu, Stéphane Le Mouélic, Virginia Pasek, ” Yu, “ Organizations: CNN, NASA, Titan, JPL, Caltech, University of Texas, Research, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory Locations: Ligeia Mare, Superior, San Antonio, Virginia

☆ It looks like China will leapfrog the US in the race to the moon after a fuel leak ruined a pivotal mission
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China is gearing up to launch a lunar lander within the next few months. The news comes days after a fuel leak doomed a US space mission to the lunar surface. The Chinese mission will attempt the first-ever sample collection from the far side of the moon. AdvertisementA rendering of the Chang'e 5, China's previous lander mission to the moon, on the lunar surface. Another company, Intuitive Machines, is getting ready to launch its own NASA-backed lunar lander, IM-1, within the next few weeks.

Persons: —, Ren Junchuan, Astrobotic's, it's Organizations: Service, China National Space Agency, NASA, Staff, Getty, European Space Agency, Xinhua, Peregrine Locations: China, Xinhua, France, Italy, Sweden, Pakistani

☆ Asia’s year in review: Who had it good — and who had it bad — in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-22 | by ( Curtis Chin | Jose B. Collazo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

As 2023 comes to a close, we take a look at the year that was in Asia and the Pacific region. But who had it good and who had it bad in 2023? Bad year: China's property marketWith millions of Chinese citizens still waiting for homes they put down payments on — but might never be built — 2023 was a particularly bad year for China's property market. A newly built property is seen from the air in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province, China, Dec 15, 2023. Chinese families and individuals who once saw homes as more than somewhere to live but also as investments have reason to fear 2023 won't be the last bad year they face.

Persons: Curtis, Chin, Jose B, —, Vikram, Amit Dave, Narendra Modi, Taylor Swift, Kim Ji, Jennie, Kim Jennie, Roseanne Chae, Lisa, Lalisa, King Charles, Rose, Roseanne Park, Jisoo Kim, Jennie Kim, King Charles III, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon Hee, Victoria Jones, Blackpink, Michelle Yeoh, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, San Francisco —, China Evergrande, Moody's, Asia's Organizations: Asian Development Bank, RiverPeak Group, ISRO —, Indian Space Research, Orbiter, ISRO, Buckingham, Sustainable, COP26, Getty, YG Entertainment, APEC, U.S, International Monetary Fund Locations: U.S, Asia, Turkey, Syria, Maui, Hawaii, Lahaina, Pacific, India, Gujarat Science City, Ahmedabad, Korea, British, LONDON, ENGLAND, Glasgow, London, England, South Korea, Malaysian, New Zealand, Thailand, China, San Francisco, United States, Taiwan, South China, Country, Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province

☆ The 'solar wind,' which the sun is constantly blasting over the planets, suddenly disappeared and created a void around Mars
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-14 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Solar wind washes over the planets, but it briefly disappeared at Mars due to an event on the sun. Normally in our solar system, the sun is constantly spewing out a stream of charged particles and magnetic fields, called the solar wind. In December 2022, though, the solar wind suddenly disappeared around Mars, and the planet's atmosphere swelled by thousands of kilometers, as a result. An eruption on the sun swept away the solar windScientists determined that the sun had emitted a burst of high-speed solar wind, which swept away a region of the regular solar wind, leaving a void in its wake. To figure out if that's what happened, it helps to study the opposite extreme, when the solar wind vanishes.

Persons: Mars, Shannon Curry, MAVEN, Lacey Young, Curry, Owen Humphreys, NASA's MAVEN Organizations: MAVEN, Service, NASA, JPL, American Geophysical Union, Lacey Young NASA, Science, Space Station Locations: Mars, San Francisco

☆ Fact Check: The moon is not a reflection of Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The moon is not a reflection of Earth, despite a viral TikTok clip circulating online. A clip (archived) circulating online opens with a visual of the moon and text printed across the upper-third that reads, “This Proves My Video ‘Moon is a Reflection of Earth.’”A voice over can then be heard claiming that the moon is a “translucent plasma luminary” which is why you can see the moon during the day. The individual moves the light source and with it, the two light points move, opposite each other, around the resin. The video does not prove that the sun and moon are reflections of another light source, or that the moon is a reflection of Earth. The moon is not a reflection of Earth.

Persons: ” Mike Boylan, Read Organizations: University of Texas, Reuters, European Space Agency, National Aeronautical and Space Agency, NASA, Reconnaissance, Thomson Locations: Austin

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