Tag: moon

NASA heading back to Moon soon, and this time to stay

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — NASA is accelerating plans to return Americans to the Moon, and this time, the US space agency says it will be there to stay. Jim Bridenstine, NASA’s administrator, told reporters Thursday that the agency plans to speed up plans backed by President Donald Trump to return to the moon, using private companies. “It’s important that we get back to the moon as fast as possible,” said Bridenstine in a meeting […]

LOOK: Total lunar eclipse as seen from Paris

PARIS, France (AFP) — An unusual set of celestial circumstances came together over Sunday night and the wee hours of Monday for sky watchers in Europe, Africa and the Americas, where the moon was fully obscured before lighting up again with a faint red glow. Footages of the lunar eclipse over Paris. https://youtu.be/jsx9GNNsa1c

Total lunar eclipse set to woo skywatchers Sunday night to Monday

An unusual set of celestial circumstances comes together Sunday for skywatchers in Europe, Africa and the Americas, where a total lunar eclipse may be glimpsed, offering a view of a large, red Moon. The full Moon will appear bigger than normal because it is closer to the Earth — about 222,000 miles (358,000 kilometers) away — which earns it the nickname “super Moon.” Other monikers include a “Wolf Moon,” a traditional way of coining an […]

China’s moon cotton experiment ends in freezing lunar night

BEIJING, China (AFP) — A cotton seedling that sprouted on the moon has been left to die as China’s historic lunar lander continues a freezing night-time nap that will last as long as two earth weeks, scientists said. The Chinese space agency announced earlier this week that the seed had germinated inside a special canister aboard the Chang’e-4 probe, after the spacecraft on January 3 made the first-ever landing on the far side of the […]

Cottoning on: Chinese seed sprouts on moon

BEIJING, China (AFP) — A small green shoot is growing on the moon in an out-of-this-world first after a cotton seed germinated on board a Chinese lunar lander, scientists said Tuesday. The sprout has emerged from a lattice-like structure inside a canister since the Chang’e-4 lander set down earlier this month, according to a series of photos released by the Advanced Technology Research Institute at Chongqing University. “This is the first time humans have done […]

China envisions moon base after far-side success

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China will seek to establish an international lunar base one day, possibly using 3D printing technology to build facilities, the Chinese space agency said Monday, weeks after landing a rover on the moon’s far side. The agency said four more lunar missions are planned, confirming the launch of a probe by the end of the year to bring back samples from the moon. The future launches will culminate with a mission […]

Elon Musk shows off prototype of Mars-bound rocket, Starship

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has unveiled the first pictures of a retro-looking, steely rocket called Starship that may one day carry people to the Moon and Mars. Musk posted pictures on Twitter late Thursday of the Starship Hopper prototype, which awaits its first flight test in Texas in the coming weeks. “Starship test flight rocket just finished assembly at the @SpaceX Texas launch site. This is an actual picture, not […]

China’s probe sends panoramic image of moon’s far side

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s lunar probe has sent the first panoramic image of its landing site since its historic arrival on the far side of the moon, showing the cratered landscape it is exploring. The Chang’e-4 mission — named after a moon goddess — made the world’s first soft landing on the moon’s far side on January 3, a major step in China’s ambitions to become a space superpower. A rover dubbed Yutu-2 — […]

China lands probe on far side of moon: state TV

BEIJING, China (AFP) — A Chinese lunar rover landed on the far side of the moon on Thursday, in a global first that boosts Beijing’s ambitions to become a space superpower. The Chang’e-4 probe touched down and sent a photo of the so-called “dark side” of the moon to the Queqiao satellite, which will relay communications to controllers on Earth, state broadcaster CCTV said. Beijing is pouring billions into its military-run space program, with hopes […]

China launches rover for first far side of the moon landing

by Ryan MCMORROW Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — China launched a rover early Saturday destined to land on the far side of the moon, a global first that would boost Beijing’s ambitions to become a space superpower, state media said. The Chang’e-4 lunar probe mission — named after the moon goddess in Chinese mythology — launched on a Long March 3B rocket from the southwestern Xichang launch center at 2:23 am (1823 GMT), […]

Japan space tourist says moon training ‘shouldn’t be too hard’

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Billionaire Japanese tycoon and future space tourist Yusaku Maezawa’s training to go the moon should not be too tricky, he joked Tuesday, adding that he planned to use free time from his six-hour work day to squeeze it in. The 42-year-old Maezawa paid an undisclosed sum for a ticket on fellow tycoon Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket around the moon as early as 2023 and the passionate art collector also plans to […]