Lunar Landings News and Discussions

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What a crock

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“The Date Is Set”: China Reveals the Volcanic Moon Site Chosen for Its First Astronaut Moonwalk

China has zeroed in on a volcanic region that could host its first astronauts on the Moon, and researchers say the site holds far more than a safe landing zone.

March 13, 2026

On March 9, 2026, a new report highlighted a little-known stretch of the Moon that has started to draw unusual attention inside China’s lunar planning. The study focused on a region near the lunar equator, where old basalt plains, winding surface channels and rougher highland material sit close together. At first glance, it looks like one more scarred patch of gray terrain. But the details suggest it may be far more important than that.

The timing is part of what makes the site stand out. China has been moving step by step toward a crewed lunar landing, and the latest analysis arrived just as that long campaign entered a more practical phase. As Nature Asia noted in its coverage of the paper, researchers were not simply describing lunar geology for its own sake. They were examining ground that could support the country’s first astronauts on the Moon.

That broader push had already become visible well before the new site analysis appeared. In April 2024, Reuters reported that the robotic Chang’e-6 mission was one of three demanding lunar missions designed to support China’s goal of landing astronauts on the Moon by 2030. That dispatch framed the lunar effort as more than a series of isolated launches. It showed a program gradually narrowing from exploration to execution.

The region now drawing the most interest is Rimae Bode. According to the new research, the area sits near Sinus Aestuum on the Moon’s near side and offers a rare mix of terrain types in one reachable zone. That combination makes it valuable for science but also useful for mission design. A landing site becomes more attractive when it can answer several questions at once.

The selection process was not small. Earlier reporting had shown that Chinese researchers reduced an original list of 106 possible landing areas to 14 candidates for the first crewed mission. Those sites were screened using engineering limits that mattered before any astronaut ever touched the surface, including near-side communication with Earth, access to solar power and terrain conditions suitable for landing and surface work.

https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/03/rimae-b ... ding-site/



A Nasa image shows a close-up of a small fresh crater in the highlands near Rima Bode II. Credit: NASA

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[caltrek]

Artemis II’s long Countdown – a Space Historian Explains Why It Has Taken Over 50 Years to Return to the Moon
By Emily A. Margolis
March 31, 2026

Introduction:

(The Conversation) While I was leading a tour of the National Air and Space Museum in January 2026, a visitor posed this insightful question: “Why has it taken so long to return to the Moon?”

After all, NASA had the know-how and technology to send humans to the lunar surface more than 50 years ago as part of the Apollo program. And, as another tour guest reminded us, computers today can do so much more than they could back then, as evidenced by the smartphones most of us carry in our pockets. Shouldn’t it be easier to get to the Moon than ever before?

The truth is that sending humans into space safely continues to be difficult, especially as missions increase in complexity.

Conclusion:

Over more than 50 years, each new presidential administration has reassessed the place of spaceflight among its priorities, either encouraging or curtailing NASA’s efforts to return humans to the lunar surface.

Each crewed flight requires the alignment of technical expertise, political will and financial support over years if not decades. For the space fans who plan to watch the Artemis II launch, the wait for countdown may feel long. But it’s just a blink in NASA’s long journey back to the Moon.

Read more here: https://theconversation.com/artemis-ii ... n-274165

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NASA update on Artemis II:

"Engineers investigated a sensor on the launch abort system’s attitude control motor controller battery that showed a higher temperature than would be expected. It is believed to be an instrumentation issue and will not affect today’s launch."

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[raklian]

"So many stars... wait, is it pieces?"

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lol

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[raklian]