Moon

Scientists say a giant impact knocked off the raw ingredients for the moon off the primitive molten Earth and into orbit.

Related Topics: Earth, Apollo Program, Moon Phases

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An illustration of the Gateway moon-orbiting space station planned by NASA, with major contributions from the European Space Agency and other international partners.

Europe will help build NASA's moon-orbiting Gateway space station

By Mike Wall

Europe signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday (Oct. 27) formalizing its collaboration on Gateway, NASA's planned outpost in lunar orbit.

The Clavius crater on the moon as seen by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The SOFIA observatory has detected water ice in shadowed regions of this sunlit lunar location.

Water on the moon is more common than we thought, studies reveal

By Chelsea Gohd

The moon has more hidden pockets of water ice than previously thought, NASA's SOFIA flying observatory reveals.

An image of SOFIA preparing for takeoff.

NASA to announce 'exciting new discovery' about the moon today

By Meghan Bartels

NASA wants you to get excited about the moon — or more specifically, about a mysterious new science result the agency plans to unveil on today (Oct. 26).

The core stage of the SLS rocket for NASA's Artemis 1 mission, complete with four engines, seen in Louisiana in January 2020 before shipment to Mississippi for testing.

NASA SLS megarocket shortage causes tug-of-war between moon missions, Europa exploration

By Meghan Bartels

NASA is choosing between human missions to the moon and a robotic mission to Jupiter's icy moon Europa as the agency manages its limited supply of megarockets in the coming years.

The moon, Jupiter and Saturn will form a triangle in the sky on the evening of Oct. 22, 2020.

Look up! The moon will pay Jupiter and Saturn a visit tonight

By Joe Rao

Skywatchers will be treated to an eye-catching gathering in the south-southwest sky about an hour after sunset on Thursday (Oct. 22) — a large triangle formed by the moon, Jupiter and Saturn.

NASA has picked Intuitive Machines to deliver the PRIME-1 ice-mining experiment to the moon's south pole in December 2022 on the company's private Nova-C lander.

NASA picks Intuitive Machines to land an ice-mining drill on the moon

By Tariq Malik

NASA has tapped the Houston-based company Intuitive Machines to land a drill on the moon's south pole in 2022.

Illustration of a future Moon base by the European Space Agency, which hasn’t signed the Artemis Accords.

Artemis Accords: why many countries are refusing to sign moon exploration agreement

By Christopher Newman

Only eight countries have signed the Artemis Accords, a set of guidelines surrounding the Artemis Program for crewed exploration of the moon.

China's Chang'e 4 lander on the far side of the moon, as seen by the mission's Yutu 2 rover.

China unveils ambitious moon mission plans for 2024 and beyond

By Andrew Jones

China is operating a mission on the far side of the moon and is preparing to launch another this year to collect lunar samples — and it's already planning a new set of bold lunar missions.

Lunar Exocam principal investigator Jason Achilles Mezilis, pictured with a prototype Lunar ExoCam module and Masten Space Systems' Xodiac vehicle.

'Lunar ExoCam' project aims to film spacecraft touchdowns on the moon

By Mike Wall

NASA has just awarded a $650,000 grant to the team behind Lunar ExoCam, a camera system designed to eject from moon landers and record video of their touchdowns from the otherworldly gray ground.

This illustration (made using real images and data) shows the moon in shadow during the "new moon" lunar phase.

October new moon 2020: An invisible 'supermoon' leads a parade of planets into the evening sky

By Jesse Emspak

The new moon occurs on Friday (Oct. 16), at 3:31 p.m. EDT (1931 GMT), on the same day that our natural satellite reaches perigee, or the closest point to Earth in its orbit.

A roughly 12-inch (30 centimeters) rock to be analyzed by Yutu 2.

China's moon mission robots wake up for a 23rd lunar day as team snags major award

By Andrew Jones

China's Chang'e 4 spacecraft have awoken for another lunar day on the far side of the moon, while on Earth the mission received a prestigious international award for its accomplishments.

Zany moon monikers: October's 'Blue Moon' and other lunar terms explained

By Joe Rao

October has already seen a Harvest Moon, now this week comes a "proxigean" new moon, and to finish out this month we'll have a "Halloween Micro Blue Moon." We'll explain.

An artist's depiction of astronauts working on the moon.

NASA awards $370 million to private companies to aid moon exploration push

By Mike Wall

SpaceX, Astrobotic and a dozen other companies just got an infusion of NASA cash to develop potentially game-changing exploration technologies.

An artist's depiction of astronauts walking on the moon as part of NASA's Artemis program.

8 nations sign US-led Artemis Accords for moon exploration and beyond

By Mike Wall

Eight nations have signed the Artemis Accords, a set of principles outlining the responsible exploration of Earth's nearest neighbor, NASA officials announced today (Oct. 13).

An artist's depiction of the UAE's planned moon rover seen on the lunar surface.

UAE will launch its first moon rover in 2024

By Meghan Bartels

The United Arab Emirates has joined the roll-call of nations looking to visit the moon, with a lunar rover named Rashid scheduled to launch in 2024.

US policy could thwart sustainable space development, researchers say

By Mike Wall

The United States' space policy threatens the safe and sustainable development of the final frontier, two researchers argue.

The Omega Speedmaster "Silver Snoopy Award" 50th Anniversary chronograph celebrates the role the Swiss watchmaker played in saving Apollo 13 and NASA's comic strip beagle-adorned lapel pin presentation in return.

Astronaut Snoopy orbits the moon on new Omega Speedmaster watch

By Robert Z. Pearlman

Omega launched its new Speedmaster "Silver Snoopy Award" 50th Anniversary chronograph.

NASA astronaut Charles Duke filmed Commander John Young as Young drove the Lunar Roving Vehicle, in footage shot on April 21, 1972 during the fifth day of the Apollo 16 moon landing.

Astonishing AI restoration brings Apollo moon landing films up to speed

By Mindy Weisberger

Artificial intelligence transformed NASA footage of Apollo missions to the moon, making decades-old events look like they were shot on high-definition video.