The lander, built by an Israeli company, will survive on the surface for just a few days. It will capture magnetic field data and conduct an experiment with a lunar orbiter.
Space & Planets
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Plasma Density Distribution in Mercury’s Magnetosphere
A new measurement of plasma density distribution in Mercury’s magnetosphere obtained from observations of field line resonance events provides necessary constraint for many planetary science issues.
Posted inNews
A Target Before Shooting Ryugu
The asteroid’s rough surface surprised Hayabusa2’s mission scientists. So they pulled out their spare gun and shot an “asteroid” at home first.
Posted inNews
Asteroid Mission Attempts Touchdown, Sample Grab
Hayabusa2 will fire a metal bullet into the asteroid surface to eject material that will then be collected. The mission will return the samples to Earth in late 2020.
Posted inNews
Deaf Students Feel the Universe’s Vibrations in New Workshop
Students experienced the vibrations of Earth’s auroras, the Sun’s flares, Jupiter’s bow shock, and Saturn’s rings in an outreach activity designed specifically for their community.
Posted inNews
New Tiny Moon of Neptune Discovered
The moon’s size and orbit point to it being the remnant of a collision with Neptune’s moon Proteus.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Long Can Celestial Bodies Retain Ice?
A new model suggests that many objects in the outer asteroid belt may still harbor deposits that formed around the time of their accretion.
Posted inNews
NASA Wants to Get Back to the Moon, and Fast
The space agency has plans for a sustainable return to the Moon.
Posted inNews
Opportunity Rover Mission Complete
The rover explored Mars’s surface for nearly 15 years and discovered ample evidence of the planet’s wet history.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
New Hints About How Martian Moons Formed
A new study finds that Phobos includes chunks of Martian crust.