Following humanity's return to the Moon.

Editorial Team

Moon Daily Editorial Team

Editorial Team

The Moon Daily Editorial Team produces Moon Daily's coverage of lunar exploration and science. We report on Artemis, landers and the Gateway, commercial lunar payloads, and the science of lunar geology, regolith and water ice. Articles reflect our team's collective editorial process, source verification, drafting, technical review, and editing, rather than a single writer's work. Moon Daily takes editorial responsibility for content under this byline. For more on how we work, see our editorial policy.

Chang’e-1 Opens Facilities For Data Transmission

Beijing (XNA) Nov 21, 2007 - China's first lunar orbiter Chang'e-1, which is now circling the moon at a stable altitude of 200 km, has opened its facilities to transmit data back to earth, a spokesman for the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said Tuesday. The facilities will be tested over the next few days which will help ensure smooth operation of the probe and reliable data transmission, spokesman Pei Zhaoyu said.

Nov 21, 2007

Astronomers Say Moons Like Ours Are Uncommon

Pasadena CA (SPX) Nov 21, 2007 - The next time you take a moonlit stroll, or admire a full, bright-white moon looming in the night sky, you might count yourself lucky. New observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope suggest that moons like Earth's - that formed out of tremendous collisions - are uncommon in the universe, arising at most in only 5 to 10 percent of planetary systems.

Nov 21, 2007

Moon Rocket Parachute Tests A Success

Yuma AZ (SPX) Nov 20, 2007 - How do you bring a 200,000-pound rocket booster back to Earth after it catapults its payload toward the moon? Very carefully! It's something NASA has to learn to do. The agency is laying plans to return to the moon in the next decade, and designs for the new Ares moon rocket call for reusable boosters. These massive side-rockets can't just crash back into the ocean when they're out of fuel -- they've got to be lowered gently.

Nov 20, 2007

SKorea to join Asian space race: science ministry

Seoul (AFP) Nov 20, 2007 - South Korea on Tuesday announced an ambitious plan to join Asia's space race by launching a lunar orbiter by 2020 and sending a probe to the moon five years after that.

Nov 20, 2007

First China Lunar Probe To Activate Observation Payloads On Monday

Beijing (XNA) Nov 19, 2007 - China's first lunar orbiter Chang'e-1 will adjust its posture to get positioned to the moon late on Monday night, and activate probing facilities aboard afterwards to get ready for scientific exploration, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Sunday. The satellite has gone through a number of tests since it entered the 127-minute round polar circular orbit at an altitude of 200 km above the moon's surface on Nov. 7, according to Pei Zhaoyu, the spokesman for CNSA.

Nov 19, 2007

Scientist In Texas Runs NASA’s Lunar Laser Program

Washington DC (SPX) Nov 19, 2007 - At the McDonald Observatory in western Texas, a unique space program has been quietly underway for more than 30 years. It is called the Lunar Laser Ranging Program. VOA's Paul Sisco has more. Research scientist Jerry Wiant has traveled a lonesome highway in western Texas to the McDonald Observatory in the Fort Davis Mountains almost every morning for 38 years.

Nov 19, 2007

NASA Tests Lunar Habitat In Extreme Antarctic Environment

Washington DC (SPX) Nov 15, 2007 - NASA will use the cold, harsh, isolated landscape of Antarctica to test one of its concepts for astronaut housing on the moon. The agency is sending a prototype inflatable habitat to Antarctica to see how it stands up during a year of use. Agency officials viewed the habitat Wednesday at ILC Dover in Frederica, Del., as it was inflated one last time before being packed and shipped to Antarctica's McMurdo Station.

Nov 15, 2007

Japan shoots first high-definition of Earth rising

Tokyo (AFP) Nov 14, 2007 - Japan's space agency said Wednesday it has shot the first high-definition image of the Earth rising, showing a crystal clear blue planet emerging from the moon's horizon.

Nov 14, 2007

Russia And India Sign Joint Lunar Research Deal

Moscow (RIA Novosti) Nov 13, 2007 - Russia's Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) and the Indian Department of Space have signed a joint lunar research and exploration agreement, the Russian agency said on Monday. The agreement was signed by Roskosmos chief Anatoly Perminov and Madhavan Nair, secretary of India's Department of Space and chairman of the Space Commission. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is currently on an official visit to Moscow.

Nov 13, 2007

Japan Set To Bring The Moon To Your Wall TV

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Nov 09, 2007 - The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) have successfully performed the world's first high-definition image taking by the lunar explorer KAGUYA (SELENE,) which was injected into a lunar orbit at an altitude of about 100 km on October 18, 2007, (Japan Standard Time. Following times and dates are all JST.)

Nov 9, 2007

China To Open Moon Probe Projects For Public Tender

Beijing (XNA) Nov 08, 2007 - China will open part of the country's second-stage moon mission projects for public tender, to attract participation of competent institutions and enterprises in the moon program, said a spokesman with the China National Space Administration (CNSA) here Wednesday. They could include scientific research organs, universities and also private companies, Li Guoping, the spokesman for the CNSA, told a press conference.

Nov 8, 2007

Chang’e-1 To Start Lunar Probe In Late November

Beijing (XNA) Nov 08, 2007 - China's first lunar orbiter Chang'e-1 will start its probing of the moon in late November when all the instruments aboard shall be put into operation, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said here Wednesday. We expect the Chang'e-1 to send back the first lot of data and activate all its scientific instruments in late November, Li Guoping, the spokesman for CNSA, told a press conference.

Nov 8, 2007

Key Maneuvers Still Awaits Chang’e-1 Before Mission Success

Beijing, China (XNA) Nov 06, 2007 - China's first lunar probe, Chang'e-1, which entered the moon's orbit Monday morning, still has to undergo three key steps before it can really start its moon probe mission, a deputy chief commander of China's lunar obiter project said here Monday. The three steps include two brakings at perilune, three-dimensional positioning of the satellite, and the adjustment of the working model of the satellite's sub-systems, Long Jiang, deputy chief commander of the lunar obiter project, told a press conference.

Nov 6, 2007

China’s moon probe may double life span due to fuel savings

Beijing (AFP) Nov 6, 2007 - The life of China's maiden lunar probe could be doubled since smooth operations during the 14-day flight have allowed the Chang'e I to save crucial fuel supplies, state press said Tuesday.

Nov 6, 2007

Chang’e 1 To Skip Correction, Flies To Moon Directly

Beijing, China (SPX) Nov 05, 2007 - China's lunar probe Chang'e 1 will skip the scheduled orbital correction tomorrow as the orbiter is operating normally and is right on its planned trajectory to enter the moon orbit on Monday. The correction was the third scheduled one after Chang'e 1 skipped the first one planned on Thursday and finished its first orbital correction yesterday morning, Xinhua news agency reported.

Nov 5, 2007

China’s moon probe enters lunar orbit

Beijing (AFP) Nov 5, 2007 - China's maiden lunar probe successfully entered the moon's orbit on Monday, officials said, a critical step in its year-long mission to photograph and map the surface of the celestial body.

Nov 5, 2007