Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, 'Out There,' was published on Nov. 13, 2018.
'If it's possible, it must be done': Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck has his eyes on missions to Mars and Venus'We are ready for every scenario.' NASA's Artemis 2 astronauts say they're all set for historic flight to the moon'We want to get there first and claim that for America': NASA chief explains push for nuclear reactor on the moon A new private moon lander could take flight just a few years from now.
— announced on Tuesday that it plans to build a robotic moon lander to help open the lunar frontier.is hard. But we know that we have some of the brightest minds in aerospace engineering here at Impulse, who push the boundaries of innovation forward every day," Mueller wrote in athat laid out Impulse's lunar vision."We're confident in our ability to solve technology’s toughest challenges and excited to continue accelerating our future beyond Earth."'If it's possible, it must be done': Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck has his eyes on missions to Mars and Venus 'We're really on a different trajectory': How NASA's Artemis moon missions aim to prepare us for MarsImpulse Space, which Mueller founded in 2021, specializes in in-space transportation — getting spacecraft where they need to go after they launch into the final frontier.to higher-energy destinations like geostationary orbit and Earth-moon space. Helios is scheduled to make its spaceflight debut in late 2026. Impulse's moon plans involve that Helios kick stage and a new lunar lander, which the company will build in-house. The duo will launch together on a standard medium- or heavy-lift, Helios serves as a cruise stage, transporting the lander to low lunar orbit within one week," he wrote."The lunar lander then separates from Helios and descends to the surface of the moon. By taking advantage of Helios' high delta-v capabilities, this mission architecture doesn't require in-space refueling."Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors Each Helios-lander mission will be able to put 3 tons of payload down on the moon, Mueller said. The first such delivery could occur as soon as 2028, he added.has launched its Nova-C spacecraft to the moon twice already, and Tokyo-based ispace has done the same with its Hakuto-R craft. Peregrine, a spacecraft built by Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic, has one flight under its belt, as does Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost. 'If it's possible, it must be done': Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck has his eyes on missions to Mars and Venus 'We're really on a different trajectory': How NASA's Artemis moon missions aim to prepare us for Mars The above are all relatively small robotic landers, but there are bigger, crew-capable moon craft in development as well. For instance, NASA has tapped SpaceX'sImpulse Space aims to bridge the gap between these two lander categories, offering a cost-effective way to get midsize payloads down on the moon, according to Mueller. "We need landers capable of near-term, multi-ton cargo deliveries in order to rapidly build out a sustainable lunar presence," he wrote."These sorts of deliveries could include things like a lunar terrain vehicle, rovers, communication relay systems, power generators and habitation modules." Impulse Space has already started working on the moon lander's engine, which will"use a nitrous and ethane bipropellant — the same combination used successfully in space on Mira," Mueller wrote. And he reminded readers that Impulse took Mira from a mere design on paper to a functioning spacecraft in Earth orbit in less than 15 months. "We’re confident in our ability to deliver this solution because of our strong track record of rapid success," Mueller wrote of his company's moon plans.to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life,"Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.'If it's possible, it must be done': Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck has his eyes on missions to Mars and Venus 'This is how I'm going to land': New NASA astronaut candidate's helicopter skills could come in handy on the moon A giant weak spot in Earth's magnetic field is getting bigger — and it could be bad news for satellites A giant weak spot in Earth's magnetic field is getting bigger — and it could be bad news for satellites
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