Space
Astronomy, space exploration, cosmology, and astrophysics
Lunar Roving Vehicle: The Electric Moon Buggy That Transformed Apollo Exploration
The Lunar Roving Vehicle was an electric rover used on Apollo 15-17 that expanded astronaut exploration range from hundreds of meters to tens of kilometers on the Moon.
Apollo 17: The Final and Most Scientifically Productive Moon Mission
Apollo 17 (December 1972) was the last crewed lunar landing, setting records for longest surface stay, most samples collected, and farthest distance driven on the Moon.
The Apollo Program: Humanity's First Visits to the Moon (1961-1972)
NASA's Apollo program (1961-1972) achieved six crewed Moon landings between 1969 and 1972, placing 12 humans on the lunar surface. Apollo 11 (July 1969) was the first but least capable mission; each subsequent mission dramatically expanded scientific range, culminating in Apollo 17's 75 hours on the surface with a rover covering 36km. The program ended due to budget cuts, not technical limits. The 53-year gap until Artemis 2 (April 2026) is the longest period without human deep-space flight.
Artemis 2: First Crewed Moon Mission in 53 Years (April 2026)
Artemis 2, launched April 1, 2026, was the first crewed mission to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972 — a free-return lunar flyby (no landing) with four astronauts aboard the Orion capsule 'Integrity.' The crew (Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen) set a new human distance record at ~252,000 miles. The mission succeeded end-to-end with minor in-flight issues. The crew proposed naming two newly discovered craters 'Integrity' and 'Carroll' (after commander Wiseman's late wife).
Apollo 11 Was the Worst Moon Mission: Why Every Subsequent Mission Was Better
An argument that Apollo 11, while the most iconic, was objectively the least capable moon mission — closest to failure (manual landing with seconds of fuel, broken ascent switch fixed with a pen) and least scientifically productive (one 2.5-hour moonwalk, 60m radius, overheated seismometer). Each subsequent Apollo mission was dramatically more capable, culminating in Apollo 17 spending 75 hours on the surface with a rover covering 36km.
Chinese ZQ-3 Rocket Uncontrolled Reentry Over Europe (2026)
An 11-ton LandSpace ZQ-3 second stage made an uncontrolled reentry over Europe in early 2026, continuing China's criticized practice of leaving large rocket stages to decay naturally rather than performing controlled deorbits.