What's Up? The Space Place

Hey Space Placers! Here is my story on U.S. efforts to restore crewed spaceflight missions with U.S. hardware and an update on lunar missions. Enjoy my pic of Discovery! Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Here's something you don't see very often - a spacecraft headed to the Moon selfie! I LOVE IT! A picture taken by the camera of the Beresheet spacecraft 23,363 miles from Earth. Photograph: AFP/Getty  via UK THE GUARDIAN SKY GUY IN VA

Hi Space Placers! The Moon rush is on. 2019 is going to be the year that humanity starts heading back to the Moon. China's Chang'e 4 mission on the far side is underway and continuing its exploration. SpaceIL, a private Israeli company, has their lunar lander enroute to an April landing on the Moon if all goes well.  Artist Rendition of  Beresheet on the Moon CREDIT: SPACEIL NASA also just announced , " 12 science and technology demonstration payloads to fly to the Moon as early as the end of this year, dependent upon the availability of commercial landers. These selections represent an early step toward the agency’s long-term scientific study and human exploration of the Moon and, later, Mars." And last but certainly not least is NASA's announcement that, " NASA Scientists Show How Ingredients for Water Could Be Made on Surface of Moon, a 'Chemical Factory."    If water can be "made" on the Moon, this is a huge resource...