lander
-
Toppled Lunar Landers and More of February’s Best Space Images
It was a topsy-turvy month in spaceflight, with yet another lunar lander falling over and an upsetting new view showing NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter missing a rotor blade, among other memorable moments. February is the shortest month of the year, but it often packs a punch and feels a helluva lot longer than it should. Such…
-
Dying Moon Lander Sends Back Final Image Before the Long Lunar Night
Japan’s SLIM, the Smart Lander for Investigation Moon, has entered a dormant mode on the Moon’s Shioli Crater, facing a 14-day lunar night with temperatures dropping below -200 degrees Fahrenheit. Night has fallen at Shioli Crater, and that means it’s likely the end of the line for SLIM. The lander has been placed into hibernation…
-
Japan’s Moon Lander Springs Back to Life, Defying the Odds
SLIM fell into an unfortunate position last week, with its solar arrays pointed away from the Sun, but the lander has resumed operations after regaining power.
-
These Failed Missions to the Moon Remind Us That Space Is Hard
We’ve sent all sorts of things to the Moon over the past 64 years, but not every mission has gone as planned.