Moon Monday #257: NASA preps to send astronauts to Luna
Plus mission updates.
Coverage of India’s exploration of Mars
* Reviewing Mangalyaan, India’s first Mars mission * India’s Mars orbiter completes six years at the red planet, but where is the science? * Debate: Mangalyaan’s low science output still reflects on ISRO * Mangalyaan spacecraft terminated—it was never a science mission * My article on Mangalyaan was rejected 8 times
All the rovers heading to the Moon over the next 10 years | Moon Monday #256
As lunar exploration ramps up worldwide, our celestial companion is slated to be explored by increasingly advanced rovers of all sorts over the next 10 years. Not all of them will be successful, and so the reason for this post is not just to garner excitement about the possibilities of
Articles on Japan’s Moon missions
* The joint Indo-Japanese Chandrayaan 5 LUPEX mission will drill for water on the Moon * JAXA welcomed us into the era of precision Moon landings * How ISRO aided this feat * Japan’s road to landing astronauts on the Moon * The need for resilience in private Moon landing missions through expansive and
Poem: The dawn of your light
Like the dawn of the blaze of a lander over the grays touches your light and spans the open lunar sky A descent energetic yet graceful methodical and careful Spawned from the blue marble verse you bring the best in us. Poem notes: I’ve had the privilege and pleasure
Achievements and shortfalls in global lunar exploration in 2025
Moon Monday #255: Capturing the state of the world’s lunar exploration efforts this year.
ISRO and India had a mixed year in space in 2025
Indian Space Progress #34: An honest review of the country’s space activities this year
Moon Monday #254: The one following last week’s embarrassing typo
What could’ve been the real headline instead: Lunar mission updates and India’s ultimate Moonshot.
A space program can only move as swiftly as its rockets. It’s India’s time to act on that.
Indian Space Progress #33: A review of the state of ISRO’s orbital launch vehicles reveals a bleak picture of ambitious goals sliding to the right—in stark contrast to the incessant chest thumping about efficiency.
Moon Monday #253: A peek at new lunar samples and mission updates
Here is a peek at some lunar samples from China’s Chang’e 5 nearside landing mission as well as the Chang’e 6 farside one! Holding them is an incredible feeling that vividly reminds you of the immense and irreplaceable value of exploring our Moon. 🌙 Check my coverage of
Lunar sample science updates straight from Hong Kong | Moon Monday #252
A volcano of new results which have improved our understanding of our cosmic companion.
Moon Monday #251: Prepping to live on Luna via analogs on Earth
Plus mission updates and more memes.