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Tag: The Moon

  • NASA’s Latest Attempt to Resolve Moon Rocket’s Fueling Problems Didn’t Go As Planned

    A recent test to confirm repairs to the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s fueling system faced problems of its own, casting doubt over NASA’s ability to fix a recurring issue ahead of the Artemis 2 launch window in March.

    NASA recently performed a confidence test on newly replaced seals in an area used to load SLS with propellant. During the test, however, operators only partially filled the rocket’s core stage liquid hydrogen tank before encountering an issue with ground support equipment, the agency said in a statement.

    The issue somehow reduced the flow of liquid hydrogen into the rocket. “Engineers will purge the line over the weekend to ensure proper environmental conditions and inspect the ground support equipment before replacing a filter suspected to be the cause of the reduced flow,” NASA wrote.

    Leaky rockets

    The latest confidence test, which the agency hadn’t announced in advance, was meant to address a hydrogen leak on the SLS rocket.

    NASA engineers first detected the leak on February 3 during a wet dress rehearsal for Artemis 2. SLS was loaded with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to simulate the launch countdown for the mission. The fueling test was cut short when engineers discovered the issue in one of the tail service mast umbilicals on the mobile launcher. The 35-foot-tall (11-meter-tall) structures provide cryogenic propellant lines and electrical cable connections to the SLS core stage.

    In an attempt to resolve the issue, technicians had replaced two seals inside the tail service masts. Although the confidence test of the new seals was only partially successful, NASA teams “were able to gain confidence in several key objectives of the test, and data was obtained at the core stage interfaces, taken at the same time in the test where they encountered a leak during the previous wet dress rehearsal,” the space agency wrote.

    A case of deja vu

    Those pesky hydrogen leaks also plagued the countdown to the launch of the Artemis 1 mission in 2022, leading to significant delays and a scrubbed launch attempt.

    At the time, NASA’s ground teams resolved the issue by changing how the liquid hydrogen was loaded into the rocket’s core stage. The same loading procedure was used for the Artemis 2 wet dress rehearsal, but it didn’t pan out this time.

    “Considering the issues observed during the lead-up to Artemis I, and the long duration between missions, we should not be surprised there are challenges entering the Artemis II campaign,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wrote on X. “That does not excuse the situation, but we understand it.”

    There is a lot riding on Artemis 2, the first crewed mission to the Moon since the Apollo program ended in 1972. “There is still a great deal of work ahead to prepare for this historic mission,” Isaacman added. “We will not launch unless we are ready and the safety of our astronauts will remain the highest priority.”

    Passant Rabie

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  • Scientists Just Discovered an Exotic New Element in Apollo-Era Moon Dust

    Science has come a long way since NASA launched the Apollo 17 mission. Over the last 50 years, researchers have developed advanced technologies and techniques that far surpass those available in 1972.

    This progress is exactly what NASA was hoping for when the Apollo 17 astronauts—the last humans to set foot on the Moon—returned to Earth with more than 2,000 samples of lunar rock and dust. Some were squirreled away in the hopes that one day, better-equipped scientists could study the samples and make new discoveries.

    And that’s what a team of researchers led by James W. Dottin III, an assistant professor of Earth, environmental, and planetary sciences at Brown University, just did. Dottin and his colleagues analyzed the composition of samples taken from the Moon’s Taurus-Littrow valley. The findings, published last month in the journal JGR Planets, indicate that volcanic material in the samples contain sulfur compounds that are starkly different from those found on our planet.

    “Before this, it was thought that the lunar mantle had the same sulfur isotope composition as Earth,” Dottin said in a press release. “That’s what I expected to see when analyzing these samples, but instead we saw values that are very different from anything we find on Earth.”

    A discovery 50 years in the making

    After the Apollo 17 astronauts landed in the Taurus-Littrow valley, they extracted a 2-foot-long core sample from the lunar surface using a hollow metal instrument called a double drive tube. Once returned to Earth, this sample and many others like it remained sealed inside their tubes under the protection of NASA’s Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis (ANGSA) program.

    In the last few years, NASA has begun accepting new research proposals to study the ANGSA samples. Dottin proposed analyzing sulfur isotopes using secondary ion mass spectrometry, a high-precision technique that wasn’t available when the samples were first returned to Earth.

    Researchers can use this technique to measure the ratios of different isotopes in a sample. These ratios serve as a distinctive “fingerprint” that points to the sample’s origin. Thus, two samples with the same isotopic fingerprint likely came from the same source.

    Previous research has shown that oxygen isotopes in lunar samples are nearly identical between Moon and Earth rocks, so Dottin assumed the same would be true for sulfur isotopes. His findings tell a very different story.

    Two distinct isotopic fingerprints

    Dottin and his colleagues specifically analyzed portions of the drive tube sample that appeared to be volcanic rock from the Moon’s mantle. Their analysis revealed that volcanic material in the sample contained sulfur compounds that are very low in sulfur-33, a radioactively stable sulfur isotope. This is very different from sulfur isotope ratios found on Earth.

    “My first thought was, ‘Holy shmolies, that can’t be right,’” Dottin said. “So we went back to make sure we had done everything properly and we had. These are just very surprising results.”

    According to the researchers, the results suggest that the sulfur formed in chemical reactions early on in the Moon’s history, or that it stems from its formation. Experts widely believe the Moon is made of debris ejected from a collision between Earth and a Mars-sized object called Theia. It’s possible that the researchers have found traces of Theia’s sulfur signature in the Moon’s mantle.

    Dottin hopes that as researchers analyze sulfur isotopes from other planets like Mars they may begin to solve this mystery. Isotopic analysis has already provided key insights into how Earth and its only natural satellite came to be, and this approach will continue to help scientists unravel the history of our solar system.

    Ellyn Lapointe

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  • New Discovery Reveals Just How Different the Moon’s Two Sides Really Are

    The Moon is seriously two-faced. The near and far sides of Earth’s only natural satellite are so unlike each other, it’s a wonder they’re located on the same celestial sphere. Now, new research suggests they’re even more different than astronomers thought.

    A study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Geoscience found evidence to suggest that the interior of the Moon’s mysterious far side may be significantly colder than the near side, which constantly faces Earth. The findings, according to the authors, show that the geological differences between the Moon’s two faces extend far beneath the surface, bringing astronomers closer to figuring out why they’re so unalike.

    “It is one of the great mysteries of the Moon,” co-author Yang Li, an associate professor of Earth and planetary sciences at the University College London and Peking University, said in a UCL release. “We call it the two-faced Moon. A dramatic difference in temperature between the near and far side of the mantle has long been hypothesised, but our study provides the first evidence using real samples.”

    Earth’s two-sided satellite

    Astronomers once thought that the Moon’s near and far sides were relatively similar, but as their studies of the lunar surface have expanded over the last 60 years, they began to notice stark geological differences. For example, only 1% of the Moon’s far side features maria—dark plains created by ancient volcanic eruptions. In contrast, 31% of the near side is covered with maria.

    Observations by several lunar orbiters have also shown that rocks from the far side have distinctly different chemical compositions than those from the near side. What’s more, NASA’s twin GRAIL orbiters discovered that the far side’s crust is on average about 12 miles (20 kilometers) thicker than the near side’s.

    These dichotomies can be traced back to the Moon’s formation and evolution, which are intrinsically linked to Earth’s own history. Scientists widely believe that both our planet and its satellite formed when a Mars-sized object slammed into the proto-Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. Thus, studying the geological differences between the Moon’s two sides offers insight into Earth’s origin story as well.

    Uncovering an ancient temperature difference

    The samples Li and his colleagues analyzed were rock fragments gathered by China’s Chang’e 6 spacecraft, which launched to the far side of the Moon in May 2024. The chemical composition of the 2.8-billion-year-old sample suggests it formed from lava deep beneath the lunar surface at a temperature of about 2,012 degrees Fahrenheit (1,100 degrees Celsius). That’s about 200°F (100°C) cooler than the temperature samples from the near side formed at.

    Though their analysis did not reveal the current temperature difference between the near and far side of the moon, the researchers note that this discrepancy would have persisted for a very long time—perhaps to this day. They hypothesize that the far side interior may be cooler because it has fewer elements that release heat as they undergo radioactive decay, such as uranium, thorium, and potassium.

    According to some previous studies, the uneven distribution of these elements may stem from a massive asteroid impact on the far side that shoved denser materials containing these elements into the near side. Others suggest the Moon may have collided with a smaller moon early in its history, and thus near-side and far-side samples originate from two thermally different celestial bodies. Or, it could be that the near side’s interior is warmer due to Earth’s gravitational pull.

    Whatever the cause, this Chang’e 6 sample appears to have confirmed yet another puzzling difference between the Moon’s two faces. Figuring out exactly what this tells us about our cosmic companion’s history will require further research. At least for now, the researchers are left with more questions than answers.

    Ellyn Lapointe

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  • NASA Couldn’t Get Its Rover to the Moon, So Blue Origin Will Do It Instead

    NASA’s water-hunting lunar rover was given a second chance to reach the surface of the Moon. Blue Origin will deliver VIPER to the Moon on an upcoming lunar lander mission, resurrecting the exploration mission after it was called off last year.

    NASA contracted Blue Origin to transport its lunar rover to the Moon as part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services. The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, was originally set to launch in 2023 but faced several delays until the mission was called off altogether as it threatened to disrupt other payload deliveries to the Moon. Under the new deal, VIPER will hitch a ride to the Moon on board Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1) lander, scheduled to launch in 2027.

    Water hunter

    VIPER is designed to search for water ice in the lunar south pole, an integral aspect of establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon’s surface as part of NASA’s Artemis program.

    “Our rover will explore the extreme environment of the lunar South Pole, traveling to small, permanently shadowed regions to help inform future landing sites for our astronauts and better understand the Moon’s environment—important insights for sustaining humans over longer missions, as America leads our future in space,” Sean Duffy, acting NASA administrator, said in a statement.

    The boxy, four-wheeled rover is equipped with four instruments and headlights, which will be necessary to explore the permanently shadowed craters on the Moon. Over the course of its 100-day mission, VIPER is designed to map the location and abundance of water at the lunar south pole.

    VIPER was originally meant to launch with Astrobotic’s Griffin lander under a Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order worth $322 million. The launch date was first pushed back to 2024 and later to 2025 due to additional schedule and supply chain delays. In July 2024, NASA decided to cancel the mission altogether, stating that it threatens to disrupt other commercial payload missions to the Moon.

    NASA initially decided to take apart the robot and reuse its parts for future missions. The agency’s decision, however, sparked outrage from the science community over the potential loss of VIPER. In response, NASA put out a call for the private sector to take over its robot and send it to the Moon. At that point, NASA had already spent $450 million developing VIPER, and the agency declared that it wouldn’t spend any more money in getting the rover to land on the Moon.

    “NASA is committed to studying and exploring the Moon, including learning more about water on the lunar surface, to help determine how we can harness local resources for future human exploration,” Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, said in a statement. “We’ve been looking for creative, cost-effective approaches to accomplish these exploration goals. This private sector-developed landing capability enables this delivery and focuses our investments accordingly—supporting American leadership in space and ensuring our long-term exploration is robust and affordable.”

    In selecting Blue Origin to transport VIPER to the Moon, NASA has kept the mission alive for what it had previously described as the most capable robot ever sent to the lunar surface.

    Passant Rabie

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  • Moon Helium Deal Is the Biggest Space Resource Grab Yet

    For billions of years, solar winds have bombarded the Moon. Over time, this constant onslaught of charged particles has caused helium-3 to accumulate in the lunar surface. This isotope is rare on Earth, and rising demand from several industries—including quantum computing—has incentivized some companies to explore the possibility of lunar mining.

    One such company is Interlune, a Seattle-based startup that aims to extract natural resources—primarily helium-3—from the lunar surface. Interlune eventually hopes to sell its harvested helium-3 to government and commercial customers in the national security, medical imaging, fusion energy, and quantum computing industries—and it just struck a major commercial deal.

    The largest purchase of lunar resources yet

    On Tuesday, Interlune announced a partnership with Bluefors, a leading manufacturer of dilution refrigerators and one of the world’s largest consumers of helium-3. Its continuous cooling systems use helium-3 to keep quantum computers running at the ultra-low temperatures required for maintaining qubit stability and reliable operation.

    As the quantum computing industry moves toward commercialization—with tech giants such as Google, IBM, and Microsoft reporting progress in scaling—the demand for helium-3 is set to rise. Bluefors agreed to purchase up to 10,000 liters of helium-3 annually from Interlune between 2028 and 2037. This substance trades at around $2,500 per liter, according to a 2024 estimate from The Edelgas Group. The deal is the largest purchase of lunar resources to date.

    “A majority of the quantum technology industry relies on Bluefors systems to operate and accelerate development,” Rob Meyerson, Interlune co-founder and CEO, said in a company release. “We are excited to help Bluefors continue advancing companies toward unlocking scientific and medical discoveries made possible only by near-absolute-zero temperatures.”

    How Interlune plans to mine the Moon by 2028

    Meyerson, former president of Blue Origin, founded Interlune in 2020 alongside former chief architect Gary Lai and Harrison Schmitt, the only living member of Apollo 17. Ever since that mission, Schmitt—a geologist—has advocated for humanity to harness the Moon’s helium-3 reserves.

    Interlune has spent the past five years working toward that goal. The company has raised over $18 million in venture funding to develop robotic harvesters and launch a demonstration mission in 2027 as well as a pilot plant by 2029, according to SpaceNews.

    This funding and the clearly laid-out roadmap are promising, but it remains to be seen whether Interlune will overcome the steep technological, logistical, and financial challenges of lunar mining by 2028. Though the prospect has garnered plenty of buzz in recent years, very few companies have made real progress toward achieving it.

    What’s more, some experts argue that the value of mining the Moon’s helium-3 is overblown. The fact is, we don’t know for sure how much is up there. And although the highest concentrations measured in the Apollo and Luna samples are greater than Earth’s, they’re still very low.

    For now, the Moon’s helium-3 is more promise than product, but Interlune’s deal with Bluefors signals rising demand from the quantum computing industry—and could mark a major step toward a new era of space resource extraction.

    Ellyn Lapointe

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  • India becomes fourth country to land on the moon, first on the south pole, with Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft

    India becomes fourth country to land on the moon, first on the south pole, with Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft

    The moon’s surface is seen below the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on August 20, 2023 as it orbited in preparation for landing.

    ISRO

    India staked new claim as a national superpower in space on Wednesday, landing its Chandrayaan-3 mission safely on the moon’s unexplored south pole.

    The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft launched last month and touched down on the lunar surface around 8:34 a.m. ET.

    The feat makes India the fourth country – after the then-Soviet Union, the U.S. and China – to land on the moon, and the first to land on one of the moon’s lunar poles.

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tuned in to the livestream of the landing from South Africa’s Johannesburg, where he attended the 15th BRICS summit of emerging markets.

    “All the people of the world, the people of every country and region: India’s successful moon mission is not just India’s alone … this success belongs to all of humanity,” Modi said, speaking on the ISRO webcast of the event.

    “We can all aspire for the moon, and beyond,” Modi added.

    The Indian Space Research Organisation mission control room celebrates the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

    ISRO

    The lunar south pole has emerged as a place of recent exploration interest thanks to recent discoveries about traces of water ice on the moon. India previously attempted a lunar south pole landing in September 2019, but a software failure caused the Chandrayaan-2 mission to crash into the surface.

    “[The south pole is] really a very interesting, historical, scientific and geologic area that a lot of countries are trying to get at that can serve as a base for future exploration,” Wendy Cobb, professor of strategy and security studies at the U.S. Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, told CNBC. 

    Cobb added that the discovery of water on the south pole of the moon is “really important for future exploration,” as it could serve as a source of fuel for rockets and spacecraft.

    A rising space power

    People wave Indian flags as an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) rocket carrying the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh on July 14, 2023.

    R.satish Babu | Afp | Getty Images

    Modi visited the U.S. in June, during which he signed agreements alongside President Joe Biden to join the Artemis Accords and further collaborate on missions between ISRO and NASA.

    Next year, the space agencies are expected to work together to fly Indian astronauts to the International Space Station.

    India has also done more with less than its top global counterparts, with ISRO’s annual budget a fraction of NASA’s. In 2020, ISRO estimated the Chandrayaan-3 mission would cost about $75 million.

    The mission was originally slated for 2021, but was delayed by the Covid pandemic.

    NASA Administrator Bill Nelson congratulated ISRO on the successful landing in a post on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, adding, “We’re glad to be your partner on this mission!”

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