Designs

First (and last?) look at Intuitive Machines’ next moon lander’s footpad designs (photos)

by
a close-up of one of the footpads on a lunar lander shows a tribute to a Hindu spirtual leader printed on the pad's underside

Newly released photos of the next spacecraft to launch to the moon have revealed a detail that the U.S. company behind it really hopes will soon never be seen again. Intuitive Machines on Thursday (Feb. 20) shared images of its second Nova-C lunar lander, “Athena,” as it was being encapsulated within a protective fairing for … Read more

NASA is Considering Designs and Simulations to Prepare Astronauts for Lighting Conditions Around the Lunar South Pole

by

In the coming years, NASA and other space agencies will send humans back to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo Era—this time to stay! To maximize line-of-sight communication with Earth, solar visibility, and access to water ice, NASA, the ESA, and China have selected the Lunar South Pole (LSP) as the location … Read more