Tag Lander

Assessment of Japan’s SLIM Moon Lander’s Survival Questioned due to Power Challenges

Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) lunar lander has successfully landed on the Moon’s surface, achieving a soft touchdown. However, there is currently an issue with the lander’s ability to generate electricity from its solar cells. The spacecraft is relying on internal battery power, and controllers are working to optimize data recording and downloading while conserving battery life. It is unclear why the

Japan’s space agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), has once again delayed the launch of its “Moon Sniper” lunar mission. This is the third time the launch has been postponed, this time due to strong winds. The new launch date has not yet been announced. The mission was set to take place from the southern island of Tanegashima and would have also carried a research satellite developed by JAXA, NASA, and the European Space Agency.

The delay comes just

The launch of the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) robotic lunar lander and the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) X-ray telescope on the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIA spacecraft has been canceled. Originally scheduled for August 28, the launch was postponed due to poor weather conditions. The launch window will remain open until September 15. The H-IIA will take an eastward trajectory over the Pacific and release its solid rocket boosters around 1

Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California are conducting tests on the legs and footpads of the Sample Retrieval Lander, which will be used to bring rock core samples collected by NASA’s Perseverance rover back to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign. The lander, weighing up to 5,016 pounds, will be the largest spacecraft ever to land on Mars. The legs are crucial for absorbing the impact of touchdown and ensuring a successful landing.

A captivating snapshot of NASA’s Mars Phoenix Lander has emerged, showcasing the lander in a stunning selfie taken during its mission in 2008. The three-month mission aimed to study the Martian arctic and gather information on the history of water, evidence of a habitable zone, and the potential for life on Mars. One major accomplishment of the mission was the confirmation of water on Mars, which provided valuable insights into the planet’s potential for supporting life. Additionally, the analysis of soil samples revealed

India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has achieved a major milestone in space exploration with the successful landing of its Chandrayaan-3 Lander Module on the Moon’s surface. This achievement marks India’s first soft landing on another celestial body and showcases new technologies in the field of space exploration. The mission, which was launched on July 14, 2023, aimed to achieve a soft landing on the Moon and gather valuable data. After reaching lunar orbit on August 5, the lander module separated from the propulsion module and successfully touched down in the Moon’s southern polar region on August 23. The European Space Agency (ESA) played a crucial role in the mission by providing deep space communication support, ensuring that operators remained connected with the spacecraft throughout its journey. ESA coordinated support from its stations in French Guiana and the UK, as well as NASA’s Deep Space Network and ISRO’s own stations. The successful landing opens up new possibilities for India’s space exploration efforts and highlights the significance of international collaboration in advancing scientific exploration. The Chandrayaan-3 mission will soon deploy its rover to conduct scientific experiments on the lunar surface, with ESA stations continuing to relay telemetry and scientific data until the end of

In a tragic setback for the Russian space program, the spacecraft Luna 25 crashed into the Moon during a planned orbit maneuver on August 19. After completing a successful eight-day flight and two orbit corrections, Luna 25 was positioned in a circumlunar orbit before attempting to transfer to a pre-landing orbit. However, the connection with the spacecraft was suddenly lost during this transfer, resulting in the crash. Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, confirmed the loss of Luna 25 and its

Scientists have made an exciting discovery about Mars using data collected by NASA’s InSight Mars lander. Despite losing contact with the lander in December 2022, scientists have continued to analyze the data and have found that Mars’ rotational speed is increasing. The research, led by Sebastien Le Maistre of the Royal Observatory of Belgium, utilized InSight’s Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment (RISE) instrument to make precise measurements of Mars’ rotation. The team found that Mars’ rotational speed is accelerating by approximately four milliarcseconds per year squared, resulting in a decrease in the length of the Martian day by a fraction of a millisecond per year. This increase in rotation is believed to be caused by factors such as ice accumulation on the polar ice caps or post-glacial rebound. The RISE instrument also revealed how Mars wobbles due to the movement of its molten metal core. The measurements made by InSight are the most accurate ever taken and have provided valuable insights into the planet’s characteristics. By utilizing radio waves and analyzing the Doppler shift in a signal beamed from Earth to InSight, the scientists were able to determine Mars’ rotational speed. Despite challenges such as small variations in signal frequencies