Landing on the Moon is an incredibly difficult feat − 2025 has brought successes and shortfalls for companies and space agencies
Half a century after Apollo’s last pioneers left a lunar dust printThe moon again became a destination for violent ambition and sensitive engineering.
This time, it’s Not only the great powers races to grow flagsBut also private companies, multinationals and automatic scouts that aim to open the moon’s secrets and lay the foundation Human return in the future.
To date in 2025, the moon’s exploration has risen forward. Several prominent missions I was released or fell to the moon. Each of them wandered on the long journey across space and the most difficult descending to the moon or orbit with varying degrees of success. Together, these tasks reflect both the promise and the difficulty of returning to the moon in the new space race specified through innovation, competition and cooperation.
as Airline engineer Specialized Guidance, navigation and monitoring techniquesand I am deeply interested in How to add every task – whether successful or not – to the understanding of collective scientists. These tasks can help engineers to learn to move in the complexities Towards a sustainable human presence on the moon.
Why is the landing on the moon very difficult?
Exploration of the moon remains one of the most technically demanding borders in the light of modern space. Choose the landing site It includes complicated differentials between scientific attention, terrain safety and sun exposure.
the Lunar Southern Pole It is a particularly attractive area, as it can contain water in the form of ice in shaded pits, and it is a decisive resource for future tasks. Other sites may have evidence Volcanic activity on the moon or History of the early solar system.
Each important path must be accurately calculated to ensure the craft arrives and descends in the right time and place. Engineers must account Moon’s position is constantly changing In its orbit around the earth, Window launch timing and Gravity of acting On the spacecraft throughout its journey.
They also need Carefully plan for the spacecraft path So that it reaches the right corner and the speed of a safe approach. Even early miscalculation can lead to major errors at the landing site – or a completely lost chance.
Once on the surface, Landers need to survive Extremia fluctuations in temperature -From the highlands exceeding 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 ° C) in broad daylight to the lowest level -208 f (-133 C) at night -as well as dust, radiation and delay in communication with the earth. Power systems in the spacecraft, temperature control, landing legs and communications links should work perfectly. Meanwhile, these chandeliers should avoid dangerous terrain and rely on sunlight to run their tools and recharge their batteries.
These challenges help explain the reason Many Landers or partial holidays have been shatteredAlthough technology has come a long way since the Apollo era.
Commercial companies face the same technical obstacles as government agencies, but often with more strict budgets, smaller teams and lower traditional devices. Unlike government tasks, which can attract contracts of institutional experience and infrastructure, many of the moon’s commercial efforts are directed to these challenges for the first time.
Successful landing and difficult lessons of ClPS
Many of the moon’s tasks that were launched this year belong to NASA Commercial lunar load services program. CLPS is an initiative that contracts with private companies to submit science and technology to the moon. Its goal is to accelerate exploration while reducing costs and encouraging commercial innovation.
The first moon mission for 2025, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1It was launched in January and Fell In early March.
Lander survived the harsh moon day and data transfer for about two weeks Loss of strength during the frozen moon night – Typical operational limit for most Lunar Lunar.
Blue Ghost showed how trade boys can withstand critical parts of Artemis program in NASAWhich aims to Returning astronauts to the moon Later this contract.
The second CLPS launch for this year, IM-2 intuitive machines missionIt was launched in late February. It targeted an interesting site near the Antarctic area of the moon.
the Nova-C Lander, named athenaHe landed on March 6 Near the Antarctic. However, during the landing process, Athens tends. Since she fell alongside her in a hole with unequal terrain, she was unable to spread solar panels to generate power, which End the mission early.
While the decline of Athens tends to be able to do all the scientific exploration that he planned, The data that came back It is still valuable to understand how future boys can avoid similar fate on rough polar terrain.
All moon missions do not need to land. NASA Lunar Trail PlaserIt was aimed at the moon, drawing the map on the moon, drawing a map of the moon, drawing a map, abundance, distribution, abundance and distribution WaterEspecially in Shaded pits Near the poles.
Soon after launch, however, NASA lost contact with the spacecraft. Engineers suspect that the spacecraft has been exposed to energy problem, which may leave its batteries exhausted.
Nassa Recovery efforts are continuingHoping to recharge the solar panels in the spacecraft in May and June.
Continuous and future tasks
It was launched on the same day As the Blue Ghost mission in January, the Japanese company ISPace’s Hakuto-R Mission 2 (flexibility) is it On his way to the moon And his son I successfully entered the moon’s orbit.
Implemented method a Successful from the moon On February 15, with It is expected to land in early June. Despite its launch at the same time, flexibility took a longer course than Blue Ghost To save energy. This maneuver also allowed the spacecraft to collect scientific notes during the soreness around the moon.
The task, if it succeeds, will advance The commercial space sector in Japan It has proven an important return to ISPace after the first moon exhibition She crashed during her final descent In 2023.
The rest of 2025 promises to evaluate the crowded moon. Intuitive machines Plans to launch IM-3 In late 2025 to test more advanced tools and NASA’s scientific experiments may be conducted to the moon.
European Space Agency Lunar Pathfinder It will lead to the creation of a satellite dedicated to lunar contacts, which makes it easy for future tasks, especially those that work on the far side or columns, to stay in contact with the Earth.
During, Astrobotic’s GRIFFIN Mission-1 It is scheduled to be delivered NASA Viber Rover To the southern pole of the moon, where it will look directly for Ice.
These tasks together are an increasing international and commercial approach to moon science.
Since the world converts its attention to the moon, every task – whether it is victory or the setback – brings humanity closer to the permanent return to our closest heavenly neighbor.
This article has been republished from ConversationAn independent, non -profit news organization brings you facts and trusted analysis to help you understand our complex world. Written by: Zhenbo Wangand Tennessee University
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Zhenbo Wang receives funding from NASA.
