NASA’s Moon-mapping robot, surveying landing sites and resources since 2009
Sotheby’s has sold artifacts from Apollo 11, including a broken circuit-breaker switch and a felt-tip pen, for nearly $1 million. Buzz Aldrin recounts how he used a felt-tip marker to rearm the engine arm circuit, enabling the crew’s return from the Moon.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage has struck the Moon near Einstein Crater at about 5,400 mph, carving a new crater and launching a dust plume. South Korea’s Danuri orbiter has photographed the site and released images. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is scheduled to image the impact next week while scientists begin analysing ejecta and crater formation.
Researchers have identified a 222‑metre‑wide, up to 43‑metre‑deep crater on the Moon that has been dated to spring 2024. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has mapped ejecta across more than 100 km and a 7‑km cold spot; scientists say it is the largest fresh crater known in the solar system and a rare chance to study impact effects for planned lunar bases.