Tag: Moon
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NASA’s giant rocket will carry solar sail, a lunar flashlight and more mini-satellites
An artist’s conception shows Lunar Flashlight flying above a crater on the moon. (Credit: NASA) NASA says it’ll send 13 miniaturized satellites – including a pop-up solar sail and a “lunar flashlight” – beyond Earth orbit when it flies its heavy-lift Space Launch System rocket for the first time in 2018. The main payload for the…
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UW researchers trace a connection between the moon and the rain
Readings from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, shown in this artist’s conception, provided evidence to support a link between lunar tides and rainfall patterns. (Credit: NASA) When the moon is high in the sky, its gravitational pull warps the atmosphere enough to reduce rainfall ever so slightly. At least that’s the conclusion that researchers from…
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Moon Express wins thumbs-up from XPRIZE for multimillion-dollar lunar launch
An artist’s conception shows Moon Express’ lander on the way to the lunar surface. (Credit: Moon Express) Moon Express, the lunar exploration venture co-founded by Seattle entrepreneur Naveen Jain, has gotten the “all systems go” signal for its bid to put a robotic lander to the moon and win the Google Lunar XPRIZE. The thumbs-up comes…
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Moon Express and Rocket Lab make deal for lunar landings in 2017
Moon Express co-founder and CEO Bob Richards shows off a model of the MX-1 lunar lander in 2013. (Credit: Moon Express via YouTube) Moon Express says it has reserved three lunar lander launches from a startup called Rocket Lab starting in 2017, with an eye toward putting robots on the moon’s surface and winning the…
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Supermoon Sunday! How to make the most of the total lunar eclipse
A total lunar eclipse shines dully over Seattle’s Space Needle in 2008. (Credit: Clane Gessel) Sunday’s super-sized total lunar eclipse is special for a couple of reasons, but it’s extra-special for places like Seattle, where the timing is perfect for family viewing. “I love it when these astronomical events are at a good time,” said…
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China aims for landing on moon’s far side by 2020
China’s Yutu rover is pictured in this view from the Chang’e 3 landing platform shortly after arriving on the moon in December 2013. Credit: Chinese Academy of Sciences/NAOC A rover and landing platform developed as a backup for China’s Chang’e 3 moon mission will be repurposed to attempt the first touchdown on the lunar far…
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Russian institute plans all-female simulated moon mission for end of 2015
Following from their Mars-500 “long duration” simulation in 2011-2012, the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow, Russia, has announced plans to perform an all-female simulated eight-day lunar circumnavigation mission by the end of 2015. The test and flight simulation project is called “Луна-2015” (Moon-2015). A simulated lunar mission: In early July, the Institute of Biomedical Problems…
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Watch the moon transit the Earth
Spectacular views from a NOAA space weather observatory show the sunlit far side of the moon crossing the face of the Earth from a distant vantage point a million miles away. The first glimpse of the moon’s transit of Earth from the Deep Space Climate Observatory was released Wednesday by NASA, which runs the Earth-watching…
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Photographer catches space station transiting the moon
Australian photographer Dylan O’Donnell captured this view of the International Space Station transiting the moon June 30. Credit: Dylan O’Donnell It’s not an unprecedented sight, but catching the International Space Station transiting a celestial object like the sun or moon takes patience and precision. An Australian photographer was in the right place at the right…
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Falcon Heavy enabler for Dragon solar system explorer
SpaceX head Elon Musk has revealed plans to utilize the Falcon Heavy and Dragon 2 vehicles for science missions throughout the solar system. Citing Dragon 2’s capability as a “science delivery platform”, Mr. Musk claimed the crew-capable spacecraft could also be tasked with landing scientific payloads at destinations ranging from the Moon and Mars –…