A team of Italian researchers say they have discovered evidence of a lunar cave and suspect that there could be hundreds more.
Motorcyclists have long ridden on an apparatus called the “wall of death,” which involves driving in circles parallel to the ground. Scientists are theorizing that something similar could be used for astronauts to exercise on the Moon.
Whereas NASA is seeking partners for its Artemis Program, Russia and China are pursuing an agreement of their own. They call it the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), and they too are looking for partners.
Lunar Gateway will be an orbiting habitat that will allow astronauts to make regular trips to and from the lunar surface. NASA has signed a contract with SpaceX to launch modules of the Gateway aboard a a Falcon Heavy rocket in 2024.
Both the Moon and Mars were volcanically active at one time and the result is lava tubes. A new study shows that lunar and Martian lava tubes might be enormous, and easily large enough to accommodate a base.
When the Artemis III mission lands on the lunar surface in 2024 - it will serve as a stepping stone towards the creation of a permanent human presence on the Moon, NASA hopes.
The agency is considering how to conduct science experiments on the Deep Space Gateway station, even while no crew members are on board.
There is growing interest in Europe to prioritize the moon as humanity's next deep-space destination. The moon, supporters say, can serve as a springboard to push the human exploration of the solar system, with Mars as the horizon goal.
