moon landing : NPR

50 years since the last Apollo astronauts went to the moon, NASA is finally going back

Orion's maximum distance from Earth was achieved on flight day 13, when it was 268,563 miles away. That's farther than any other spacecraft built for people--but only mannequins were on board. NASA/JSC hide caption

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NASA/JSC

Science

50 years since the last Apollo astronauts went to the moon, NASA is finally going back

December 7, 2022 • December 7, 1972 was the launch of the final mission in NASA's Apollo moon program. Fifty years later, NASA finally seems poised to return people to the lunar surface.

NASA's Artemis 1 moon rocket reaches the launch pad

The NASA Artemis 1 rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard moves slowly on an 11 hour journey to a launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Thursday, March 17, 2022. John Raoux/AP hide caption

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John Raoux/AP

Science

NASA's Artemis 1 moon rocket reaches the launch pad

March 18, 2022 • NASA's Artemis 1 rocket, the Space Launch System, reached the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39B on Friday. The successor to the Apollo program could one day send humans back to the moon.

In a first, a mysterious rocket part is about to slam into the moon — by accident

This composite image created with data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the far side of the moon. A mysterious piece of space junk is set to crash into the far side Friday morning. NASA hide caption

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NASA

Space

In a first, a mysterious rocket part is about to slam into the moon — by accident

March 3, 2022 • A rocket part set to slam into the far side of the moon Friday morning highlights the growing issue of space junk in orbit around Earth, experts say

In a first, a mysterious rocket part is about to slam into the moon — by accident

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China, Russia Announce Plan To Build Moon Research Station

An image taken on the moon by a panoramic camera aboard the lander-ascender combination of of China's Chang'e-5 spacecraft, provided by China National Space Administration. China and Russia have announced plans to jointly construct a lunar research station. China National Space Administration/Xinhua/AP hide caption

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China National Space Administration/Xinhua/AP

Space

China, Russia Announce Plan To Build Moon Research Station

March 10, 2021 • The two countries' space agencies say the proposal, which sets no time frame, could include an orbiting station, a base on the surface, or both.

China Promises To Share Findings From Its Returned Lunar Probe

China's Chang'e-5 probe returned to Earth this week after collecting samples of the lunar surface to Earth for the first time in almost 45 years. China National Space Administration/Xinhua via AP hide caption

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China National Space Administration/Xinhua via AP

Science

China Promises To Share Findings From Its Returned Lunar Probe

December 18, 2020 • The successful completion of the Chang'e-5 mission makes China only the third country to have returned soil and rock samples from the surface of the moon.

NASA Names Firms In Competition To Build Next-Gen Lunar Lander

This illustration made available by NASA in April 2020 depicts Artemis astronauts on the Moon. On Thursday, NASA announced the three companies that will develop, build and fly lunar landers, with the goal of returning astronauts to the moon by 2024. NASA via AP hide caption

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NASA via AP

Space

NASA Names Firms In Competition To Build Next-Gen Lunar Lander

May 1, 2020 • Elon Musk's SpaceX, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Dynetics, a Huntsville, Ala.- based firm, will share $967 million to develop a vehicle to get astronauts to the moon's surface by 2024.

2 Months After Failed Moon Landing, India Acknowledges Its Craft Crashed

An illustration of the landing craft stands behind members of the media at an Indian Space Research Organisation facility this year in Bangalore, India. Authorities initially chalked up the failed landing in September to a loss of communication with the craft; last week, they revealed what happened to it. Manjunath Kiran/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Manjunath Kiran/AFP via Getty Images

Asia

2 Months After Failed Moon Landing, India Acknowledges Its Craft Crashed

November 26, 2019 • The robotic Vikram craft would have made India the fourth country to successfully land on the moon. Instead, contact was lost — and now, authorities have formally acknowledged it crashed.

India's Attempt To Land Rover At Moon's South Pole Fails

Indian Space Research Organization employees react as they learn that mission control lost communication with its unmanned landing module moments before it touched down on the moon's south pole Saturday (local time.) Aijaz Rahi/AP hide caption

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Aijaz Rahi/AP

Space

India's Attempt To Land Rover At Moon's South Pole Fails

September 6, 2019 • The spacecraft's descent was going as planned until it reached an altitude of 2.1 km over the surface. "Subsequently, communication from Lander to the ground stations was lost," scientists explained.

50 Years After Apollo 11, Here's What (And How) Astronauts Are Eating

Some of the space food that was scheduled to be carried on the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission included (from left to right): chicken and vegetables, beef hash, and beef and gravy. Bettmann/Bettmann Archive hide caption

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Bettmann/Bettmann Archive

The Salt

50 Years After Apollo 11, Here's What (And How) Astronauts Are Eating

July 21, 2019 • Ever since astronaut John Glenn's first bite of applesauce in 1962, eating in space has been a challenge. NPR talks to former NASA food scientists to see how cosmic cuisine has evolved over the years.