moon

A year in isolation: 366-day mock moon mission wraps up in Russia

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On Nov. 14, 2024, the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) of the Russian Academy of Sciences marked the successful completion of SIRIUS-23, a year-long biomedical isolation experiment simulating the conditions of deep-space travel and lunar surface operations. For 366 days, a crew of six analog astronauts lived and worked in a sealed environment, a meticulously … Read more

A red moon: Will the next ‘Sputnik Moment’ be made in China?

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In late 1957, the US Navy’s Vanguard rocket was primed to launch the world’s first artificial satellite. But, on the morning of Oct. 4, the Soviet Union struck first and lobbed a small metal ball into orbit that Moscow Radio called Sputnik (“Fellow Traveler”). That “Sputnik Moment” had a profound impact on the nascent Space … Read more

Is the moon still geologically active? Evidence says it’s possible

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The moon may still be geologically active, judging from the way the lunar far side is wrinkling as the moon contracts. At least, that’s what planetary scientists who have discovered 266 lunar “wrinkle ridges,” say, as all of these ridges appear to have formed during the past 160 million years in the rare volcanic plains … Read more

Is the moon geologically dead? Maybe not, says new evidence

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NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this mosaic image of the far side of the moon. For the first time, scientists have found evidence for relatively recent geological activity on moon’s far side. Via NASA/ GSFC/ Arizona State University. Across the lifetimes of people alive on Earth today, scientists have assumed the moon has been a … Read more

SpaceX to launch water-hunting moon probe ‘Lunar Trailblazer’ on Feb. 26

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LITTLETON, Colorado — A university-led lunar orbiter designed to pinpoint the location of ice or liquid water trapped in rocks on the moon’s surface is nearly ready for takeoff. The Lunar Trailblazer is slated to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than Feb. 26 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It … Read more

How did walking on the Moon affect the Apollo astronauts?

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In one of the most famous photos in history, Buzz Aldrin – Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 11 – stands on the Moon. Credit: NASA Strange as it may sound, where the astronauts sat (or “sat” – the crew actually stood) in the Apollo Lunar Module may have profoundly impacted the way the experience of … Read more

The moon will cover the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades this week. Here’s how to see it

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During the overnight hours of Feb. 5-6, the moon will pass through the famous Pleiades star cluster while one day past its half-lit first quarter phase. This will actually be the third time in the past four months that the moon has interacted with this famous star pattern in what is known as an occultation. … Read more