India's upgraded 'Bahubali' rocket is standing tall on the coast of the Bay of Bengal in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota waiting to loft India's Chandrayaan-3 satellite towards the moon.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has produced images and data proven that have transformed our understanding of the moon. But how much longer can the orbiter last?
Over the 14 years since its launch, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has produced images and data proven that have transformed our understanding of the moon. But how much longer can the orbiter last?
When I was first learning about the science of the Moon, there were a few basic facts that everyone got right. The Moon has practically no atmosphere, as when sunlight hits the Moon, it very quickly can give individual molecules and atoms enough energy to achieve escape velocity. We thought the same thing was true for any water on the Moon; sunlight would kick the water molecules so hard and so often that the molecules wouldn't remain on the Moon for very long, and therefore it would be completely dry.
China has commanded 80% control over the rare earth metals market, providing it unparalleled political and economic power through an increasingly vital resource.