The next wave of lunar explorers is headed to terrain that promises to be both stunning and challenging. Here’s how they’ll cope with some of the difficulties they’ll encounter.
spacecraft
Posted inNews
A Lunar Mission Spots Its Failed Brethren
Data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter have been instrumental in pinpointing where other Moon-bound spacecraft have crashed.
Posted inFeatures
Uranus: Time to Boldly Go
Scientists say now is the time to unlock the secrets of Uranus and suggest a low-cost, low-risk way to do so.
Posted inNews
There and Back Again: Asteroid Samples Return to Earth
OSIRIS-REx will help reveal Bennu’s detailed carbon chemistry and history of space weathering and unlock a key piece of the solar system’s early history.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Visualizing the Deep Insides of Planets and Moons
A novel method uses gravity data to determine where density anomalies lie inside planetary bodies.
Posted inNews
Dramatic Flyby Confirms That Mercury’s Radioactive Aurora Touches the Ground
Data collected by the BepiColombo spacecraft traces the causes of the strange aurora, which course through the planet’s weak magnetosphere.
Posted inNews
Spacecraft to Swing Past Mercury for Third Time
With each flyby, the BepiColombo mission gets another boost of energy for its eventual orbital insertion around Mercury.
Posted inNews
A Mission to Uranus Could Help Find Planet 9
Narrowing down the search is essential for gaining time on a high-powered telescope that could spot the hypothesized planet directly.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Martian Rocks May Record Ancient Wind Directions
Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover images of abraded surface rocks may retain records of ancient wind directions, providing important ground-truth to our understanding of Mars’ recent climate history.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Martian Lava, Up Close and Personal
The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover conducted the first investigation of volcanic rocks where they stand in their original configuration on the surface of Mars.