MOONDAILY.com brings you daily news on our Moon and various lunar science issues http://www.moondaily.com/index.html Mon, 26 May 2025 11:49:32 GMT Mon, 26 May 2025 11:49:32 GMT en-us Where did the moon's magnetism go? Scientists have puzzled over this question for decades, ever since orbiting spacecraft picked up signs of a high magnetic field in lunar surface rocks. The moon itself has no inherent magnetism today. Now, MIT scientists may have solved the mystery. They propose that a combination of an ancient, weak magnetic field and a large, plasma-generating impact ma]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 11:49:32 GMT Queqiao-2, China's dedicated relay satellite for lunar landing missions, is now poised to support both domestic and international lunar exploration efforts, according to the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory. First launched in March 2024, Queqiao-2, also known as Magpie Bridge 2, played a critical role in the Chang'e 6 mission, which successfully retrieved samples from the far side of the ]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 11:49:32 GMT NASA researchers have made significant strides in understanding the internal structures of the Moon and the asteroid Vesta through advanced gravity mapping, offering new insights into the formation and composition of these celestial bodies. The first study, published May 14 in Nature, introduced a sophisticated gravity model of the Moon that captures tiny variations in its gravitational fi]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 11:49:32 GMT Norway became the 55th nation to sign the Artemis Accords during a ceremony in Oslo Thursday, agreeing to a pact designed to promote international cooperation in space exploration. "The United States and Norway have a longstanding relationship in space," a release from the U.S. State Department said. "Collaboration stretches back to 1962, when NASA supported the first suborbital rocket ]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 11:49:32 GMT NASA is pushing the boundaries of construction technology to support long-term human exploration of the Moon and Mars. By focusing on in-situ resource utilization, the agency aims to reduce the need for costly Earth-based supplies. The Moon to Mars Planetary Autonomous Construction Technology (MMPACT) project, funded by NASA's Game Changing Development program and managed by the Marshall Space F]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 11:49:32 GMT Researchers from Curtin University, Nanjing University, and The Australian National University have discovered unusual high-magnesium glass beads collected by China's Chang'e-5 mission, revealing potential clues about the Moon's mantle. These tiny green glass beads, distinct from typical lunar impact formations, may have originated from deeper within the Moon, suggesting an asteroid impact likel]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 11:49:32 GMT April 2025 was a busy month for space. Washington DC (SPX) May 13, 2025 Pop icon Katy Perry joined five other civilian women on a quick jaunt to the edge of space, making headlines. Meanwhile, another group of people at the United Nations was contemplating a critical issue for the future of space exploration: the discovery, extraction and utilization of natural resources on the Moon. At th]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 11:49:32 GMT NASA will host a live Twitch event Tuesday to help "global creators" of all ages design a plush mascot that will indicate zero gravity, when Artemis II astronauts take flight next year around the moon. NASA's livestream will promote its ongoing Moon Mascot Challenge and allow viewers to collaborate in real-time with an artist as they create a sample zero gravity indicator. Zero g]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 11:49:32 GMT The United States Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) have achieved a critical milestone in cislunar space situational awareness (SSA) with the successful completion of the Oracle-M (Oracle-Mobility) Hot Fire Test at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Conducted from March 16 to 21, 2025, this test represents a pivotal step in readying Orac]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 11:49:32 GMT
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have taken a significant step in human space exploration by signing a joint Statement of Intent focused on collaboration in low Earth orbit and future lunar missions. This agreement builds upon existing partnerships and recent joint work on missions like the Axiom 4 commercial mission, laying the groundwork for f]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 11:49:32 GMT NASA is exploring alternative ways to deliver its VIPER rover to the moon after canceling partnership proposals to land a water-seeking robot on the lunar surface. VIPER, which stands for Volatiles Investigating Polar Explorer Rover, is supposed to study the extreme environment of the moon's south in search of ice and other potential resources. On Wednesday, NASA announced it can]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 11:49:32 GMT ispace, inc. (ispace) (TOKYO: 9348), a global leader in lunar exploration, has announced the successful entry of its RESILIENCE lunar lander into lunar orbit. This critical milestone, known as Success 7 of the Mission 2 "SMBC x HAKUTO-R Venture Moon" initiative, occurred on May 7, 2025, at 5:41 a.m. JST (May 6, 2025, 20:41 UTC). The maneuver was executed from ispace's Mission Control Cente]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 11:49:32 GMT Engineers, technicians, mission planners, and the four astronauts set to fly around the Moon next year on Artemis II, NASA's first crewed Artemis mission, are rapidly progressing toward launch. At the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, teams are working around the clock to move into integration and final testing of all SLS (Space Launch System) and Orion spacecraft elements. Recentl]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 11:49:32 GMT As NASA works to establish a long-term presence on the Moon, researchers have reached a breakthrough by extracting oxygen at a commercial scale from simulated lunar soil at Swamp Works at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The achievement moves NASA one step closer to its goal of utilizing resources on the Moon and beyond instead of relying only on supplies shipped from Earth. NASA Ke]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 11:49:32 GMT Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck, who made what was for decades the only work of art on the Moon, died on Saturday aged 99, his family said on Facebook. Born on October 8, 1925, Van Hoeydonck was a prolific artist whose works spanned sculpture, painting, drawing, collage and graphic design. He is best known for "Fallen Astronaut", an aluminium sculpture left on the moon in 1971 by the c]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 11:49:32 GMT