Pasadena, California (AFP) Sept 30, 2007 - Fifty years after the launch of Sputnik left the United States scrambling to play catch-up in the first Space Race, US scientists fear history may be repeating itself as Asia emerges as the rising force in space exploration.
Hyderabad, India (AFP) Sept 27, 2007 - Japan plans to carry out two more missions to the moon and then collaborate internationally to put a man on the lunar surface, a Japanese space scientist said Thursday.
Hyderabad, India (AFP) Sept 26, 2007 - China plans to set up a lunar base after 2020, capping a series of preparatory robotic missions and a human landing on the moon, a Chinese space official said here Wednesday.
Hyderabad, India (AFP) Sept 25, 2007 - Asian giants Japan, China and India are engaged in a race to map lunar resources and make the moon a platform to explore planets beyond, amid a renewed burst of global space activity.
Moscow (UPI) Sep 24, 2007 - On Sept. 17, international reports confirmed the seriousness of Beijing's intention to put its own spacecraft in a lunar orbit before the end of this year. (United Press International's Outside View commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)
Moffett Field CA (SPX) Sep 20, 2007 - New higher resolution lunar imagery and maps including NASA multimedia content now are available on the Google Moon Web site. Updates include new content from the Apollo missions, including dozens of embedded panoramic images, links to audio clips and videos, and descriptions of the astronauts' activities during the missions. The new content is overlaid on updated, higher-resolution lunar maps. Also added are detailed charts of different regions of the moon suitable for use by anyone simulating a lunar mission.
Moscow (RIA Novosti) Sep 19, 2007 - On September 17, international reports confirmed the seriousness of Beijing's intention to put its own spacecraft in a lunar orbit before the end of this year. While for the leading space players - Russia and the United States - planned expeditions are quite natural if not always justified, China's lunar ambition, and indeed the country's entire space effort, fills one with wonder at such an extraordinary display of daring. But lunar programs exist in many countries, and nothing can save our natural satellite from colonization.
Tokyo (AFP) Sept 14, 2007 - Japan's first lunar orbiter successfully blasted into space Friday on the most extensive mission to investigate the moon since the US Apollo programme began nearly four decades ago, officials said.
New York (AFP) Sept 13, 2007 - Internet search giant Google on Thursday offered 30 million dollars in prize money for companies to land a robot camera to roam on the moon and send back high-resolution snaps and data.
Tokyo (AFP) Sept 11, 2007 - Bad weather has forced Japan to postpone the launch of a lunar orbiter that aims to collect data for research on the moon's origin and evolution, the country's space exploration agency said Tuesday.
Paris, France (ESA) Sep 03, 2007 - A year ago, as Europe reached the Moon for the first time, scientists on Earth eagerly watched SMART-1's spectacular impact. New results from the impact analysis and from the instruments still keep coming. One year on, we present ongoing scientific highlights of the mission. The analysis of data and simulations of the satellite's impact provide clues on the dynamics of the ejecta after the flash, along with laboratory experiments or modelling of impacts. The experience gained is being put to good use in preparation for future missions.
Moscow (AFP) Aug 31, 2007 - Russia plans to send a manned mission to the Moon by 2025 and wants to build a permanent base there shortly after, the head of Russian space agency Roskosmos said Friday.
Huntsville AL (SPX) Aug 28, 2007 - Most people appreciate lunar eclipses for their silent midnight beauty. NASA astronomer Bill Cooke is different: he loves the explosions. On Tuesday morning, Aug. 28th, Earth's shadow will settle across the Moon for a 90-minute total eclipse. In the midst of the lunar darkness, Cooke hopes to record some flashes of light--explosions caused by meteoroids crashing into the Moon and blasting themselves to smithereens.
Poway CA (SPX) Aug 27, 2007 - SpaceDev reports that it has been awarded a contract to develop a prototype lunar lander vehicle for the International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA). Since 2003, SpaceDev has performed four design and feasibility studies addressing various aspects of the ILO.
Hampton VA (SPX) Aug 24, 2007 - A new NASA contest encourages university art and design students to partner with science and engineering departments to create art representative of living and working on the moon. The goal is for students in the arts, science and engineering to collaboratively engage in NASA's mission to return humans to the moon by 2020, and eventually journey on to Mars and other destinations in the solar system.
Paris, France (ESA) Aug 23, 2007 - Owing to SMART-1's high resolution and favourable illumination conditions during the satellite's scientific operations, data from Europe's lunar orbiter is helping put together a story linking geological and volcanic activity on the Moon. The combination of high-resolution data from SMART-1's AMIE micro-camera and data from the US Clementine mission is helping scientists determine the tectonics of the Moon's giant basins and the history of volcanic flooding of mid-sized craters, inside and around the lunar basins.
