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• Andrew Jones
China is seeking payloads for an uncrewed mission of Lanyue, its human lunar landing system, ahead of a planned crewed moon landing before 2030. The mission will provide a flight opportunity for payloads as the country advances its lunar landing effort.
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China is seeking payloads for an uncrewed mission of Lanyue, its human lunar landing system, ahead of a planned crewed moon landing before 2030. The mission will provide a flight opportunity for payloads as the country advances its lunar landing effort.
Dr. Sarah Rugheimer joins Judith Delany to discuss LIFE, the study of exoplanets and the search for life beyond Earth. The conversation considers why Europe has the expertise to take a leading role in this field, linking scientific questions about other worlds with the region’s research capabilities.
A study has identified four locations on the moon for future crewed missions, extending consideration beyond the lunar south pole where NASA is focused on establishing a base. The recommendations add potential destinations to the discussion of where human exploration missions could go.
NASA is changing how it selects science missions, aiming to make the process faster and simpler. The changes affect how future missions are chosen, but the available report does not detail the specific revisions, schedule or programs involved.
Solar flares are complex events triggered when magnetic field lines break and snap back to the Sun’s surface. Flare ribbons can reveal otherwise hidden solar explosions, offering a way to identify activity that may not be apparent from the explosions themselves.
In a conversation with Judith Delany at ESPI AC 2026, Ricardo Conde examines Europe’s future in lunar exploration, Portugal’s space ambitions and the idea of the Moon as a shared domain. The discussion frames European participation in lunar activity as both a policy question and a broader opportunity for humanity.
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India’s space agency, ISRO, launched Chandrayaan-1 on Oct. 21, 2008, marking the country’s first mission to the moon. The anniversary highlights a milestone in India’s space program and its move into lunar exploration.
Inversion and NASA are pursuing aerocapture, a technique that uses a planet’s atmosphere to slow a spacecraft and establish its orbit. The approach has long appealed to mission planners, but the article’s summary does not specify the technical obstacle, mission, schedule or demonstration plan.
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