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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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Artist's concept of water ice trapped in sunshine-shy craters on the moon.

Tiny moonbound spacecraft have very big goals

By Leonard David

Four small spacecraft are being readied for moonbound treks to help quench a thirst for new data about lunar water ice.

Flatland BMX legend Terry Adams performs under the light of the Harvest Moon in Arkansas' Ozark Mountains on Oct. 1, 2020.

Watch BMX bike legend Terry Adams dance with the Harvest Moon (video)

By Mike Wall

Terry Adams, one of the best BMX trick riders in the world, danced on two wheels in the orange light of a rising Harvest Moon Thursday night (Oct. 1), as a new video shows.

ICON illustration of a conceptual lunar base with 3D printed infrastructure, including landing pads and habitats.

Texas company aims to 3D-print buildings on the moon with 'Project Olympus'

By Mike Wall

Austin-based startup ICON, which 3D-prints houses here on Earth, just launched Project Olympus, an ambitious effort to develop a space-based construction system.

A diagram showing the location of the nearly-full moon and Mars early on Oct. 3, 2020, as seen from New York City.

Don't miss Mars and the nearly full moon huddling together in tonight's sky

By Joe Rao

Friday night is date night for two bright celestial meetups that will light up the sky tonight (Oct. 2 - Oct. 3).

NASA Exploration Ground Systems and Jacobs workers watch as one of the two "worm"-emblazoned solid rocket booster segments is moved into place inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA reveals retro 'worm' logo painted on moon-bound Artemis rocket

By Robert Z. Pearlman

The worm is back, again.

A full moon shines over Virginia.

The Harvest Moon of 2020 rises tonight! But why is it in October?

By Joe Rao

When the full moon shines tonight (Oct. 1), it will mark the Harvest Moon of 2020.

Model of the new launch vehicle for human spaceflight on display in Zhuhai in 2018.

China is building a new rocket to fly its astronauts on the moon

By Andrew Jones

China has revealed that it is working on a new rocket that could send astronauts to the moon for lunar landing missions.

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

We now know exactly how much radiation astronauts will face on the moon

By Mike Wall

We finally know what kind of radiation environment future moonwalkers will be stepping into.

Astrophotographer Anthony Lynch sent in this photo of the Harvest Moon, September 2013, taken at Phoenix Park in Dublin, Ireland.

Harvest Moon 2020: When and how to see October's full moon

By Jesse Emspak

The full moon of October 2020 also carries the title of the Harvest Moon for those living in the Northern Hemisphere.

An artist's illustration of an Artemis landing craft at the lunar south pole.

US faces tight timeline for 2024 moon landing, NASA chief tells Senate

By Elizabeth Howell

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine says the landing system and rocket for Artemis need to be ready next year for the agency to achieve a crewed moon landing in 2024.

International Observe the Moon Night 2020 will take place virtually on Sept. 26.

International Observe the Moon Night 2020: Celebrate with NASA's Artemis program in webcast tonight.

By Elizabeth Howell

As International Observe the Moon Night goes virtual this year, NASA is inviting the public to join a live celebration online.

CAPSTONE will be the first cubesat to fly in Earth-moon space, settling into a near rectilinear halo orbit around the moon.

Tiny cubesat launching next year to blaze trail for NASA moon-orbiting space station

By Leonard David

A high-tech pioneer for NASA's moon-orbiting Gateway space station is being readied for liftoff early next year.

Earth's moon is thought to have formed when a Mars-sized object, called Theia, slammed into the early Earth 4.4 billion years ago, blasting out material that later coalesced in to a large satellite as depicted in this artist's illustration.

'Giant impact' theory of moon's formation gets another boost

By Elizabeth Howell

Scientists have found fresh evidence in lunar rocks showing that the moon was likely formed after a Mars-sized planet crashed into the proto-Earth more than 4 billion years ago.

chang'e 3 lunar lander

China's Chang'e 3 lunar lander still going strong after 7 years on the moon

By Andrew Jones

China has lunar spacecraft operating on both the near and far sides of the moon, according to an update from the China National Space Administration.

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

NASA still targeting moon's south pole for 2024 crew landing

By Mike Wall

NASA is definitely targeting the moon's south pole for a crewed landing in 2024 — but that timeline will be difficult to achieve if Congress doesn't open its purse strings, and fast.

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

The 1st Artemis astronauts on the moon may not visit the lunar south pole after all, NASA says

By Meghan Bartels

For 18 months, NASA has focused on landing astronauts in 2024 near the moon's south pole, but that last piece of the directive may need to take a back seat if executing the mission gets too tricky.

As multiple nations have exploration crosshairs on Earth's moon, including private sector interests, there's also increasing discussion of the military utility of cislunar space and lunar territory, too.

Is Earth-moon space the US military's new high ground?

By Leonard David

U.S. military officials have increasingly flagged a new role in guarding American assets and interests in Earth-moon space.

Dynetics has built a full-scale prototype of its crewed lunar lander, which the company hopes will start landing NASA astronauts on the moon in 2024.

Will this lander carry humans to the moon? Dynetics unveils lunar mock-up

By Mike Wall

Dynetics has built a full-scale mock-up of the lander it hopes will soon be carrying NASA astronauts to the moon.

See the moon, Venus and the Beehive star cluster in the early morning sky on Sept. 14, 2020.

See Venus swing by the crescent moon Monday morning

By Joe Rao

The moon and Venus will form a triangle with the Beehive star cluster in the predawn sky on Monday (Sept. 14).

The near-side of the moon, as seen by NASA's robotic Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

NASA wants to buy moon dirt from private companies

By Mike Wall

NASA, which has already booked robotic rides to the lunar surface on commercial landers, now aims to pay private companies to collect moon dirt.