Lunar Science Stories
Mission Manager Update: VIPER Rover Approved to Move into Environmental Testing!
While NASA’s VIPER team has been focused on building the flight rover that will go to the South Pole of the Moon, the team has also been making preparations for environmental testing of the rover. In April, the VIPER team…
NASA’s New Mobile Launcher Stacks Up for Future Artemis Missions
The foundation is set at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for launching crewed missions aboard the agency’s larger and more powerful SLS (Space Launch System) Block 1B rocket in support of Artemis IV and future missions. On May 9,…
NASA Goddard to Build Quake Detector for Artemis III Moon Landing
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, will build a moonquake detector for astronauts to deploy on the Moon in 2026 during the Artemis III mission, which will return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in…
NASA’s LRO Observes 2024 Solar Eclipse Shadow
Editor’s Note, April 16, 2024: This story has been updated to remove an unclear secondary image and caption. As the Moon blotted out the Sun to viewers across the United States during the April 8 solar eclipse, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance…
NASA Technology Helps Guard Against Lunar Dust
Defeating dust may be a small concern for most people on Earth, but for astronauts and spacecraft destined for the Moon or Mars, it is a significant hazard that must be mitigated. That’s why researchers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center…
NASA’s LRO Finds Photo Op as It Zips Past SKorea’s Danuri Moon Orbiter
Editor’s Note: This feature was updated on April 9, 2024, to correct the velocity difference between spacecraft to 11,500 kilometers per hour. NASA’s LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter), which has been circling and studying the Moon for 15 years, captured several…
What’s Up: April 2024 Skywatching Tips from NASA
Catch Mars and Saturn rising, and Jupiter hangs out with Comet 12P. Plus NASA has you covered for the total eclipse whether you're headed to totality or watching from afar.
NASA VIPER Robotic Moon Rover Team Raises Its Mighty Mast
NASA’s VIPER – short for the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover – now stands taller and more capable than ever. And that’s thanks to its mast. VIPER’s mast, and the suite of instruments affixed to it, looks a lot like the rover’s…
NASA Selects First Lunar Instruments for Artemis Astronaut Deployment
NASA has chosen the first science instruments designed for astronauts to deploy on the surface of the Moon during Artemis III. Once installed near the lunar South Pole, the three instruments will collect valuable scientific data about the lunar environment,…
Casey Honniball: Finding Her Space in Lunar Science
Lunar scientist Casey Honniball conducts lunar observations and field work near volcanoes to investigate how astronauts could use instruments during moonwalks. Name: Casey HonniballTitle: Lunar scientistOrganization: Planetary Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Laboratory, Science Directorate (Code 698) What do you do…