Latest news with #ArtemisIII
Digital Trends
2 days ago
- Science
- Digital Trends
How to watch SpaceX launch the mighty Starship on its 10th flight
SpaceX is close to launching its enormous Starship rocket for the 10th time. The spaceflight company recently announced that it's targeting Sunday, August 24, for the highly anticipated launch. Recommended Videos Comprising the upper stage Starship spacecraft and first-stage Super Heavy booster, the rocket will launch from SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas. Once fully operational, NASA and SpaceX hope to use the 121-meter-tall Starship rocket for crew and cargo missions to the moon and possibly even Mars. First up, NASA wants to use a modified version of the spacecraft to return humans to the lunar surface in the Artemis III mission, which is currently set for 2027. But with testing of the Starship ongoing, that date may slip. SpaceX has designed the Starship to be a fully reusable rocket, allowing it to use both the booster and spacecraft for multiple missions, thereby saving massively on mission costs. How to watch SpaceX is targeting 6:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. ET) on Sunday, August 24, for the 10th Starship launch from the company's Starbase facility near Boca Chica, Texas. Technical issues or adverse weather conditions could prompt SpaceX to launch later, so be sure to check back here — or SpaceX's X account — for the latest information. The launch will be livestreamed by SpaceX on its X account. What to expect Whether you're there in person or watching online, you'll witness the world's most powerful rocket climbing skyward, generating around 17 million pounds of thrust as the huge rocket leaves the launchpad. SpaceX will livestream the launch and early part of the flight, with cameras attached to both the Super Heavy booster and Starship spacecraft tracking the mission's progress. Unlike some earlier Starship flights, the Super Heavy will not be returning to the launch tower after liftoff. Instead, cameras will capture footage of both parts of the vehicle coming down in their respective splashdown sites. One more thing … SpaceX chief Elon Musk has promised to give an update on the company's plans for the Starship shortly before the 10th flight takes place. The event will likely involve Musk speaking from a stage at Starbase. We'll update here when SpaceX confirms a start time for the event.
UPI
4 days ago
- Science
- UPI
NASA seeks student entries for Human Exploration Rover Challenge
Aug. 15 (UPI) -- NASA is accepting contest entries from student teams to design, build and test rovers on the moon and Mars. In the Human Exploration Rover Challenge, students need to make models that are capable of going over a course while completing tasks for future Artemis missions, NASA said in a news release. In the challenge, teams design projects that sample of soil, water and air over a half-mile course with a simulated field of asteroid debris, boulders, erosion ruts, crevasses and an ancient streambed. There are remote-controlled and human-powered divisions. In the human one, teams will play the role of two astronauts in a lunar vehicle. They must use a custom-built tool to manually collect samples. In remote-controlled, they will provide pressurized rovers, which will contain the necessary tools to collect and test samples onboard. "NASA's Human Exploration Rover Challenge creates opportunities for students to develop the skills they need to be successful STEM professionals," Vemitra Alexander, the activity lead for the challenge at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., said. "This challenge will help students see themselves in the mission and give them the hands-on experience needed to advance technology and become the workforce of tomorrow." Entries will be accepted until Sept. 15 and the 32nd annual winners will be announced at an in-person event April 9-11, 2026, at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center near NASA Marshall. Since the program began in 1994, more than 15,000 have participated in the Rover Challenge. Many students now work at NASA or in the aerospace industry. In the 2025 contest, more than 500 students participated, representing 35 colleges and universities, 38 high schools, and two middle schools in 20 states, Puerto Rico and 16 nations. "Last year, we saw a lot of success with the debut of our remote-controlled division and the addition of middle school teams," Alexander said. "We're looking forward to building on both our remote-controlled and human-powered divisions with new challenges for the students, including rover automation." The Artemis II is scheduled to reach the moon no earlier than April 26, and a crewed Artemis III is planned for mid-2027 aboard the Orion spacecraft. The last time humans landed on the moon was 1972 on Apollo 17.
India.com
07-08-2025
- Science
- India.com
Lunar colonies, humans walking around and...: What Moon will look like in 2070; NASA preparing to...
(Representational Image/AI-generated) NASA Moon Mission: Imagine the year 2070, there are small futuristic dome-shaped homes in lunar colonies stretching for as long as the eye can see, humans walking around on the lunar surface and going about their daily business as if they were on their home planet. Sounds like a science fiction story? Well, all this may become a reality in the near future, if NASA and other top global space agencies have their way in the new race to the Moon. Sean Duffy, who was recently appointed as the interim administrator of NASA by US President Donald Trump, announced that the space agency plans to build a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030, which will power a proposed space station and a lunar colony full of astronauts on the lunar surface under the Artemis II and Artemis III missions. What is NASA's plan? According to Duffy, the proposed nuclear reactor will generate about 100 kilowatts of electricity, enough to simultaneously power about 80 US homes for a year. Project head will be appointed within the next 30 days and NASA will invite proposals from private players like Elon Musk-led SpaceX within 60 days, the acting NASA chief said, adding that launch preparations will be completed by 2029. NASA announcement comes amid similar plans by Russia and China to build similar facilities on the moon within the same timeframe, thus triggering a new race to the moon. 'We need to move fast, or else they (China and Russia), will leave us behind and create a 'no entry zone' on the moon,' Duffy said. Why build a nuclear power plant on the moon? NASA plan to build a lunar colony need a massive amount of power which cannot be generated using solar panels because either side of the moon is periodically bathed in sunlight for two weeks, and then drenched in darkness for the next two. Thus, solar power would not be enough to power a lunar colony of about a dozen astronauts and their equipment. In this scenario, a nuclear reactor is the most cost-friendly and efficient option to power such a mammoth project that requires gargantuan amounts of electricity. How much will NASA's mission cost? Initially, NASA has asked for $350 million to kickstart the Artemis mission in 2026, and $500 million per year from 2027, and though the actual mission cost is still being estimated, experts believe that building a nuclear reactor on the moon is likely to cost over $100 billion. Notably, apart from the United States, its geopolitical rivals– China and Russia– are also in the moon race, while India also has major plans for a manned mission to the lunar world in the future.
STV News
06-08-2025
- Science
- STV News
Nasa races to build nuclear reactor on the moon to keep astronauts in space
Nasa is in a race to put a nuclear reactor on the moon to power its lunar exploration. The space agency had been working on plans for a fission surface power project that would provide the moon with at least 40 kilowatts of power — enough to continuously run 30 households for 10 years. But Nasa's acting administrator has now directed the agency to fast-track its plans to put the US ahead of China and Russia. China and Russia have previously announced plans to develop a similar project together by the mid-2030s. NASA's acting chief Sean Duffy announces plans to build nuclear reactor on the moon. / Credit: AP 'We're in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon,' Acting Nasa administrator Sean Duffy said. 'And to have a base on the moon, we need energy. 'If we're going to be able to sustain life on the moon, to then go to Mars, this technology is critically important.' Mr Duffy, who was named acting administrator last month, said he wanted to appoint someone to lead the programme within 30 days. According to Nasa estimates, lunar surface power needs at least 100 kilowatts for long-term human operations. A nuclear reactor would help people stay on the moon for a longer time, but the newly unveiled plans do not specify when a base would be built. If another country built a power network on the moon first, it could declare a 'keep-out zone', which would effectively stop the US from establishing its own base on the lunar surface. Nasa is desperate to avoid that, as it plans to return astronauts to the moon within the next two years. The agency's Artemis III mission, slated for 2027, hopes to see humans travel to the moon's surface for the first time in more than 50 years. The ageing International Space Station has experienced problems with leaks in recent years and is expected to be retired by 2030. Mr Duffy is also working to accelerate plans to create a commercial space station to replace the International Space Station. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
ITV News
06-08-2025
- Science
- ITV News
Nasa races to build nuclear reactor on the moon to keep astronauts in space
Nasa is in a race to put a nuclear reactor on the moon to power its lunar exploration. The space agency had been working on plans for a fission surface power project that would provide the moon with at least 40 kilowatts of power — enough to continuously run 30 households for 10 years. But Nasa's acting administrator has now directed the agency to fast-track its plans to put the US ahead of China and Russia. China and Russia have previously announced plans to develop a similar project together by the mid-2030s. 'We're in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon,' Acting Nasa administrator Sean Duffy said. 'And to have a base on the moon, we need energy. 'If we're going to be able to sustain life on the moon, to then go to Mars, this technology is critically important.' Mr Duffy, who was named acting administrator last month, said he wanted to appoint someone to lead the programme within 30 days. According to Nasa estimates, lunar surface power needs at least 100 kilowatts for long-term human operations. A nuclear reactor would help people stay on the moon for a longer time, but the newly unveiled plans do not specify when a base would be built. If another country built a power network on the moon first, it could declare a 'keep-out zone', which would effectively stop the US from establishing its own base on the lunar surface. Nasa is desperate to avoid that, as it plans to return astronauts to the moon within the next two years. The agency's Artemis III mission, slated for 2027, hopes to see humans travel to the moon's surface for the first time in more than 50 years. The ageing International Space Station has experienced problems with leaks in recent years and is expected to be retired by 2030. Mr Duffy is also working to accelerate plans to create a commercial space station to replace the International Space Station.
