It turns out that Odysseus landed on the Moon without any...
Enlarge / Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lander is shown shortly before touching down on the Moon. Intuitive Machines Steve Altemus beamed with pride on Tuesday morning as he led me into Mission Control for the Odysseus lander, which is currently operating on the Moon and returning valuable scientific data to Earth. A team of about a…
Intuitive Machines almost lost its moon lander because somebody forgot to...
A serendipitous moment, a NASA experiment, and frantic, innovative software engineering rescued the company's Odysseus lander from what could have been a catastrophic error — a switch that didn't get flipped before launch.That simple mistake disabled the lasers designed to guide the spacecraft to a flat, safe spot for landing, Intuitive Machines cofounder and CEO…
The first private company just landed on the moon. Here’s how...
A Houston company made history by successfully landing the first commercial US spacecraft on the moon, more than 50 years after the US made its last crewed landing. The aerospace company, Intuitive Machines, worked with NASA to launch the Nova-C lunar lander in their "IM-1." The collaboration, which included technology from other private companies, marks…
After Peregrine failed to land on the moon, Astrobotic still plans...
Earlier this month, the space company Astrobotic launched its Peregrine mission toward the moon, but the spacecraft never made it and ultimately burned up in Earth's atmosphere.During Astrobotic's first press conference since its failed Peregrine mission, the company's CEO, John Thornton, said Astrobotic is more excited than ever to attempt to send another lunar lander…
Astrobotic’s lander might still travel far enough to reach the moon,...
Astrobotic's lunar lander could still make it far enough to reach the moon — but the moon will be in the wrong place when it arrives.The spacecraft, called Peregrine, has already traveled 200,000 miles away from Earth, which is about 84% the distance to the moon, Astrobotic said Wednesday.It suffered an accident when it launched…
After Russia’s failure, India is next in line to attempt a...
Enlarge / India's Chandrayaan 3 lander stands about 2 meters, or a little more than 6 feet, in height. India's Chandrayaan 3 spacecraft is setting up for a final descent to the surface of the Moon on Wednesday, four days after Russia's Luna 25 lander cratered following a botched engine burn. If all goes according…
Here come the Moon landing missions (probably)
Enlarge / India's Chandrayaan-3 lunar spacecraft undergoes accoustic testing. ISRO As anyone who has been paying attention to space exploration knows, the Moon is red-hot. Up to half a dozen missions may launch to the lunar surface in the next six months, heralding a new era of Moon exploration. It has not always been so.…
China’s Lunar Rover Wakes Up and Gets to Work for its...
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has released some new photos and updated the world on their lunar rover mission. The Yutu-2 rover is working its way into the history books on the lunar far side, exploring the Von Karman crater. It’s third lunar day is now in the record books. As of March 4th,…
Lockheed Martin Reveals Their Proposition For a Lunar Lander
In the coming decades, NASA has ambitious plans to send astronauts back to the Moon and conduct the first crewed mission to Mars. In order to accomplish these lofty goals, the agency is investing in cutting-edge technology and partnering with major aerospace companies to create the necessary spacecraft and mission components. One such component, which…