Tag: Lunar Lander
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Astrobotic’s moon lander suffers failure in propulsion system, putting mission at risk
An artist’s conception shows Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander with Earth in the background. (Astrobotic via YouTube) Hours after the launch of its commercial moon lander, Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic reported a failure within the robotic spacecraft’s propulsion system that could rule out a soft landing. “Unfortunately, it appears the failure within the propulsion system is causing a critical…
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First Vulcan rocket launches commercial moon lander with a boost from Blue Origin
United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur rocket lifts off from its Florida launch pad. (NASA via YouTube) Update: Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander fell back to Earth 10 days after launch due to a propellant leak that ruled out a moon landing. United Launch Alliance’s next-generation Vulcan Centaur rocket lifted off for the first time tonight, making use…
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Milestone moon lander mission targets an otherworldly frontier for DNA data storage
Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander is prepared for placement within its launch vehicle’s fairing. (Astrobotic Photo) A mission to send a commercial lander to the moon, set for launch in a couple of days, will bring the fruition of projects that have been in the works for years — including projects that aim to put DNA into…
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Jeff Bezos and NASA’s administrator share a sneak peek at Blue Origin’s moon lander
Jeff Bezos, left, and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson chat in front of a mockup of Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lunar lander at the company’s Alabama production facility. (Blue Origin via Bill Nelson / X / Twitter) Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson today provided a look at coming attractions in…
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India’s robotic lander touches down on the moon, lifting spirits at home and abroad
Indian mission controllers cheer the successful touchdown of the Vikram lunar lander. (ISRO via YouTube) A robotic Indian lander set down safely on the moon today, setting off a wave of pride that reached from Mission Control in Bengaluru to Seattle’s tech community. “India is now on the moon,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said over…
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After Russia’s failure, India is next in line to attempt a Moon landing
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 to plan, the Chandrayaan 3 lander—named Vikram—will settle softly onto the lunar surface at 8:34 am EDT (12:34 UTC)…
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Here come the Moon landing missions (probably)
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. Following the Space Race in the 1960s and early 1970s,…
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Blue Origin-led team wins $3.4B contract for NASA’s second lunar landing system
An artist’s conception shows the integrated design for the Blue Moon lander. (Blue Origin Illustration) An industry team led by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture has won a $3.4 billion NASA contract to provide a second type of landing system for crewed as well as uncrewed lunar landings. The decision announced today settles a…
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A year after Blue Origin’s big setback, NASA gets set to support a second commercial moon lander
An astronaut looks at the lunar surface through the hatch of a moon lander. (NASA Illustration) NASA has laid out its plan for choosing a second commercial venture to build a landing system capable of carrying astronauts to and from the lunar surface. The venture would provide a competitive alternative to SpaceX’s lunar landing system,…
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Blue Origin loses lunar lander lawsuit; NASA says SpaceX work will resume ASAP
An artist’s conception shows SpaceX’s Starship rocket ship on the moon. (SpaceX Illustration) A federal judge today rejected Blue Origin’s challenge to a $2.9 billion contract that NASA awarded to SpaceX for building the lunar lander destined to carry astronauts to the moon. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ space venture had argued that NASA gave overly…