Adding geopolitical intrigue, it’s looking more and more like NASA’s helpless flailing could position China to beat the United States in the race to return to the Moon.

China’s lunar exploration program has made massive leaps in recent years, most recently successfully testing its “Lanyue” lunar lander at a facility outside of Beijing. It was a “key step in the development of China’s manned lunar exploration program” and the “first time that China has carried out a test of extraterrestrial landing and takeoff capabilities of a manned spacecraft,” according to a statement by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC.)

The goal is to land the first Chinese astronauts on the Moon “before 2030” — a clear shot across the bow, considering NASA is currently hoping to launch its first crewed landing attempt, Artemis 3, no earlier than mid-2027.

What steps can be taken to protect spacecraft from space debris? This is what a paper presented at the 2024 17th Hypervelocity Impact Symposium hopes to ad | Space

IN A NUTSHELL 🚀 Venus Aerospace has tested a Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine, marking a milestone in propulsion technology. ⚡ The engine relies on supersonic explosions to generate thrust, offering higher efficiency than traditional methods. ✈️ The integration with the VDR2 ramjet could enable hypersonic vehicles to take off and land from conventional runways. 🌐

Humans are one step closer to traveling at faster-than-light speeds.

Travelling to our nearest star system is the ultimate one-way trip — but could you live your life among the stars? Let us know in our latest poll.

An alternative trajectory developed for a NASA Mars smallsat mission could enable other missions to go to Mars outside conventional launch windows.

The contract is the result of a rapid development process, in which Agile designed, 3D-printed, assembled, and hotfire-tested the DS250 in just 10 weeks.