Special Report
The Revolution in Moon Exploration
As the United States prepares to once again land astronauts on the lunar surface, other countries are seeking to explore the moon, too, with rovers and landers. In a series of in-depth features, Smithsonian magazine reports on humanity’s renewed push to understand the moon.
See the Striking New Images From the Blue Ghost Lunar Lander, Now the Second Private Spacecraft to Touch Down on the Moon
Firefly Aerospace’s lander reached lunar soil early Sunday morning, after a 2.8-million-mile journey lasting 45 days
Athena Spacecraft Launches to the Moon, as Intuitive Machines Aims for Historic Second Lunar Landing
The American company achieved the first successful moon landing by a private spacecraft last year. Now, it has sent a new mission to the south pole, carrying science instruments for NASA
NASA Cancels VIPER Moon Mission After Spending $450 Million to Build a Rover
The project was intended to look for water ice in the shaded craters on the lunar south pole
Scientists Find an Underground Cave on the Moon That Could Shelter Future Explorers
Such caves could serve as lunar bases during upcoming missions, protecting astronauts against cosmic radiation and extreme temperatures
Odysseus Moon Lander Is Powering Down After ‘Very Successful’ Mission
The history-making spacecraft landed on its side, but it spent nearly a week sending data and images back from the moon—and engineers may try to make contact again after the lunar night is over
An American Spacecraft Successfully Lands on the Moon for the First Time Since 1972
After a tense touchdown process with last-minute changes, U.S.-based company Intuitive Machines received a signal from its uncrewed Odysseus lunar lander on Thursday evening
The Moon Is Shrinking, Causing Moonquakes at a Potential NASA Landing Site, Study Finds
Though the risk to astronauts is low, the shaking could cause landslides and impact potential long-term settlements at the lunar south pole
Doomed Lunar Lander Will Burn Up in Earth’s Atmosphere on Thursday
Astrobotic, the company in charge of the mission, says its Peregrine spacecraft will not reach the moon, and burning it will ensure the lander doesn’t end up as space debris