Latest news with #lunar
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
We finally figured out what's inside the Moon
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, BGR may receive an affiliate commission. For decades, scientists have debated what's beneath the Moon's dusty surface. Now, new research has delivered some of the clearest evidence yet of what's inside the Moon. Using data from lunar laser-ranging experiments and various space missions, a team of researchers built a detailed model of the Moon's internal makeup. Their findings point to a layered structure, with a molten outer core surrounding a solid inner core. This inner core appears to be as dense as iron, strongly suggesting that the Moon's center is a metallic ball rather than a liquid blob or fully solid sphere. Today's Top Deals Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Best Ring Video Doorbell deals Memorial Day security camera deals: Reolink's unbeatable sale has prices from $29.98 This discovery helps resolve a long-standing scientific puzzle. Previous studies, including Apollo-era seismic data, hinted at a complex core, but the resolution wasn't clear enough to settle the debate. With this new research, though, scientists have a clearer picture of what's inside the moon, and it supports the idea that the Moon once had a dynamic interior capable of generating a magnetic field. That early magnetic field, which vanished around 3.2 billion years ago, may have been created by motion in the Moon's molten layers. The new findings also lend weight to the theory of 'mantle overturn,' where denser material inside the Moon sinks while lighter material rises. This could explain why some elements appear in volcanic regions on the surface. These results also validate earlier estimates made in 2011, offering a rare moment of scientific confirmation across independent studies. Both found similar core dimensions and density, pointing to a shared structure between Earth and its satellite. Knowing what's inside the Moon is vital for understanding how the Moon formed, evolved, and how it might behave in the future. With possible human missions planned to the Moon in the coming years, seismic instruments and advanced sensors could soon provide even more detailed measurements to support these findings. More Top Deals Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2025: Get $2,000+ free See the
Japan Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Ispace reveals cause of second lunar lander crash
Japanese startup Ispace has concluded that a hardware anomaly in a laser-based landing sensor caused the failure of its Mission 2 lunar landing earlier this month, the company announced Tuesday. The company's 'SMBC x Hakuto-R Venture Moon' lander, officially named Resilience, made a hard landing on the lunar surface in the early hours of June 6. After 18 days of technical review, Ispace concluded that the laser range finder (LRF) — a key sensor used to measure altitude during descent — failed to provide accurate data in the final phase of landing, leaving the lander unable to slow down in time. 'Despite the united efforts and dedication of the Ispace team, our second attempt at a lunar landing was unsuccessful,' said company CEO Takeshi Hakamada. 'We deeply regret that we were unable to meet the expectations of our shareholders, payload customers, Hakuto-R partners, government officials and all others who supported us.' According to Ispace, the LRF failed to detect a strong enough reflection from the lunar surface, resulting in the loss of reliable altitude measurements. The company ruled out software issues, propulsion failures and power system abnormalities as contributing factors. Telemetry data pointed to two likely causes: degraded sensor performance during flight or a hardware breakdown — not a software issue like the startup's first attempt with Mission 1, which also ended in a hard lunar landing in 2023. In a news conference Tuesday, the company's Chief Technology Officer Ryo Ujiie stressed that the company had conducted verification testing, including outdoor trials, but said 'We need to reconsider how we operate.' Chief Technology Officer for Ispace Ryo Ujiie (left), founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada (center), and CFO and Director Jumpei Nozaki attend a press conference in Tokyo on June 6. | AFP-JIJI Lunar landing technology is highly complex, with a highly limited number of companies and facilities that have the capacity and knowledge to pull off a mission successfully. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully landed its unmanned probe 'SLIM' on the moon in January last year, with Japan joining the United States, Soviet Union, China, Russia and India as the only countries to achieve a lunar landing. However, due to an engine issue, SLIM touched down at an unexpected speed and altitude, causing it to land in an upside-down position with its solar cells facing west. As part of its measures to prevent another hard landing, Ispace plans to overhaul its landing sensor strategy, including a review of LRF configuration, selection and operations. The company will also convene an external review panel of third-party experts and expand collaboration with JAXA to strengthen its technical capabilities. The enhanced development and testing protocols are expected to increase costs by up to ¥1.5 billion ($10.3 million) for its next two missions: the Team Draper Commercial Mission 1 (Mission 3) and Mission 4. However, the company said the additional costs will be realized over time and will not affect its earnings forecast for the fiscal year ending March 2026. Ispace also reaffirmed that its future mission schedule remains unchanged, with its next landing attempt targeted for 2027. 'Ispace will not let this be a setback,' Hakamada said. 'We will not stop here, but as determined pioneers of the cislunar economy, we will strive to regain the trust of all stakeholders and embark on the next mission. Never quit the lunar quest.'
South China Morning Post
18-06-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Mengzhou spacecraft for China's moon-landing mission passes landmark test flight
China has completed the inaugural test flight of its next-generation Mengzhou crewed spacecraft , executing a critical zero-altitude escape trial at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert. Advertisement Developed for China's 2030 lunar ambitions , the modular Mengzhou spacecraft features two variants: a near-Earth version supporting space station operations with a seven-astronaut capacity and a deep-space model for lunar missions. Its reusable return capsule and advanced technologies place it among the world's most capable crew vehicles. 01:57 China's Chang'e-6 mission returns to Earth with first samples from moon's far side China's Chang'e-6 mission returns to Earth with first samples from moon's far side At midday on Tuesday, the spacecraft's escape engines ignited while grounded at the launch complex. Within 20 seconds, the return capsule reached its designated altitude and cleanly separated from the escape tower as parachutes deployed. The capsule subsequently touched down within the predetermined landing zone using an airbag cushioning system, marking the test's success. This foundational safety verification – designed to ensure crew survive during rocket failures at lift-off – simulates emergencies in which astronauts must be rapidly extracted from danger zones during a vehicle's most vulnerable launch phase. Advertisement The achievement represents China's first such test since 1998, when a similar trial was conducted for the Shenzhou spacecraft programme.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Social Rundown: Moon dust, BlackBerry could make a comeback, and Bar Etiquette
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Welcome back to the Social Rundown, where you can learn about the online trends happening globally and in Texoma, too! Want to get the latest tea or news on what's trending on social media? Tune in daily! Mood Dust Scientists at Texas A&M University are working to grow crops for food production in a lunar simulant, which is the moon's equivalent of dirt. Now, moon dust lacks essential elements like nitrogen and microbes, which are necessary for crop growth. So who knows, maybe one day we'll have plants and crops outside of Earth. Blackberry phones Back in the day, in the 2010s, BlackBerry phones were the hype, and now Gen-Z is hopping on the trend to bring the nostalgic telephone back. Could smartphones soon be a thing of the past? Bar etiquette A story by The New York Times shows that Gen Z does not want to start a bar tab; instead, they would much rather pay as they order. Others, including bartenders, not so much, as they explain that it's more convenient to keep a tab open, especially if they are ordering a drink that takes multiple steps to make. What do you prefer doing? Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Khaleej Times
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
From moonshots to diplomacy: India makes its presence felt
As Chandrayaan-3 gently descended onto the uncharted lunar south pole on August 23, 2023, mission control at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) erupted in celebration. But far from the jubilant engineers and the blinking consoles in Bengaluru, the ripples were felt in foreign ministries across the globe — from Washington to Paris, and beyond. India had just become the first country to land a spacecraft near the moon's south pole, joining an elite club of spacefaring nations. The triumph was scientific, but the implications were profoundly strategic. It signalled, unmistakably, that India's space programme is no longer just about rockets and research; it is now a central pillar of its foreign policy. This is space diplomacy, Indian style: pragmatic, purposeful, and increasingly pivotal to New Delhi's global engagement. For long has India's space programme operated in relative isolation, nurtured by strategic autonomy and limited budgets. But in today's multipolar, tech-driven world, space is no longer the final frontier. It is a geopolitical arena. And India is stepping in with intent. India's evolution from a regional space actor to a global scientific and strategic partner is neither accidental nor cosmetic. It reflects a deliberate recalibration of its foreign policy priorities in the 21st century - one where soft power, science, and strategic technology converge. Take, for instance, the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with the United States. During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2023 state visit to Washington, space was a dominant theme. The two countries signed agreements enabling ISRO and NASA to collaborate on joint missions, including the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite in 2024, designed to monitor climate change through high-resolution imagery. This mission, the world's most expensive Earth observation satellite to date at nearly $1.5 billion and weighing close to 3,000 kilos, epitomizes how space cooperation is shaping broader conversations around climate, security, and sustainability. With France, too, India has built one of its most enduring space alliances. For over six decades, the Indo-French space collaboration has ranged from satellite launches to scientific exchange. Today, it extends to joint ventures in Earth observation, maritime surveillance, and even space situational awareness, a reflection of the countries' shared interests in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. The India-Bhutan satellite, jointly developed to enhance remote sensing capabilities in the Himalayan kingdom, is again not just a goodwill gesture but a strategic investment in regional stability, resilience, and trust. What makes India's space diplomacy uniquely effective is its blend of accessibility, credibility, and ambition. Add to it India's affordable launch services and it makes it a win-win for all. The numbers underscore this: Since 1999 until July 2023, ISRO had launched 431 foreign satellites for 34 countries. India's burgeoning private space ecosystem adds another dimension to its diplomatic toolkit. With the liberalisation of the space sector in 2020 and the establishment of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) to facilitate private participation, several startups are redefining the possibilities of Indian space innovation. As of December 2024, around 330 industries, startups, and MSMEs are associated with IN-SPACe for activities ranging from authorization and data dissemination to technology transfer and access to ISRO facilities. Their agility and cost-efficiency make India an attractive partner not just for state actors but also for global commercial ventures. India's space diplomacy is not merely about prestige. It is about building coalitions of capability, creating a framework for shared technological futures, and asserting strategic autonomy in an interdependent world. By turning space into a conduit for cooperation rather than competition, India is not just launching satellites; it is launching a new era of international engagement.
