NASA progresses toward crewed moon mission with spacecraft and rocket milestones

How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.

Introduction:

The news topic “NASA progresses toward crewed moon mission with spacecraft and rocket milestones” has drawn international attention, with various media outlets providing diverse insights, historical context, political stances, and on-the-ground developments. Below is a curated overview of how different countries and media organizations have covered this topic recently.

Quick Summary:

• There are many risks associated with human space exploration. NASA has been planning for these missions to make our astronauts return home safely. To prevent bone and muscle loss in our astronauts, we have the astronauts exercising for hours every day. And of course we don’t want to run out of food on a space exploration mission. We want to make sure that we have everything that the astronauts need to take with them to make Sure that we can sustain them. To hear the rest of the interview, click here: http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/28/science/space/top-10-dangers-of-space-exploration.html.
• NASA’s BioNutrients series of experiments is testing ways to use microorganisms to make nutrients that will be needed for human health during future long-duration deep space exploration missions. Some vital nutrients lack the shelf-life needed to span multi-year human missions, such as a mission to Mars, and may need to be produced in space to support astronaut health. To meet this need, the BioNutrient project uses a biomanufacturing approach similar to making familiar fermented foods. But these foods also will include specific types and amounts of nutrients that crew will be able to consume in the future. The first experiment in the series set out to assess the five-year stability and performance of a hand-held system that uses an engineered microorganism, yeast, to manufacture fresh vitamins on-demand.

Country-by-Country Breakdown:

What Are the Dangers of Going to Space? We Asked a NASA Expert: Episode 55

There are many risks associated with human space exploration. NASA has been planning for these missions to make our astronauts return home safely. To prevent bone and muscle loss in our astronauts, we have the astronauts exercising for hours every day. And of course we don’t want to run out of food on a space exploration mission. We want to make sure that we have everything that the astronauts need to take with them to make Sure that we can sustain them. To hear the rest of the interview, click here: http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/28/science/space/top-10-dangers-of-space-exploration.html. Read full article

NASA Continues BioNutrients Space-Fermented Food Research

NASA’s BioNutrients series of experiments is testing ways to use microorganisms to make nutrients that will be needed for human health during future long-duration deep space exploration missions. Some vital nutrients lack the shelf-life needed to span multi-year human missions, such as a mission to Mars, and may need to be produced in space to support astronaut health. To meet this need, the BioNutrient project uses a biomanufacturing approach similar to making familiar fermented foods. But these foods also will include specific types and amounts of nutrients that crew will be able to consume in the future. The first experiment in the series set out to assess the five-year stability and performance of a hand-held system that uses an engineered microorganism, yeast, to manufacture fresh vitamins on-demand. Read full article

NASA Readies Moon Rocket for the Future with Manufacturing Innovation

Engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are building a cone-shaped adapter that is key to SLS Block 1B. Starting with Artemis IV, the Orion spacecraft and its astronauts will be joined by other payloads atop an upgraded version of the SLS. The adapter consists of eight composite panels with an aluminum honeycomb core and two aluminum rings. The testing demonstrated that it can handle up to three times the expected load. It acts as a connecting point to secure a large payload that is co-manifested – or flying along with – the Orion spaceship. The Lunar I-Hab, one of the initial elements of the Gateway lunar space station. Built by ESA (European Space Agency), it will be used to enable long term exploration of the lunar surface and pave the way for future journeys to Mars. Read full article

NASA Cameras to Capture Interaction Between Blue Ghost, Moon’s Surface

Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies (SCALPSS) is an array of cameras placed around the base of a lunar lander to collect imagery during and after descent and touchdown. Using a technique called stereo photogrammetry, researchers at Langley will use the overlapping images to produce a 3D view of the surface. An earlier version of SCALPSs was on Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus spacecraft that landed on the Moon last February. The new version has two additional cameras and will begin taking images at a higher altitude, prior to the expected onset of plume-surface interaction, to provide a more accurate before-and-after comparison. As trips to the Moon increase and the number of payloads touching down in proximity to one another grows, scientists and engineers need to be able to accurately predict the effects of landings. Read full article

Program Manager at NASA Glenn Earns AIAA Sustained Service Award

Christopher Pestak has received the 2025 Sustained Service Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) He oversees and coordinates the efforts of 350 contractor employees performing a wide range of scientific, engineering, and technical support work for NASA Glenn on the GEARS contract. He joined NASA in 1983 as an engineering contractor supporting the Atlas/Centaur and Shuttle/ Centaur projects. Read full article

Orion Spacecraft Tested in Ohio After Artemis I Mission

The Orion spacecraft has faced a battery of tests over the years. The crew module, now known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024. The Orion test article was subjected to acoustic levels simulating both a nominal ascent and a launch abort scenario. In the event of an emergency, Orion — and astronauts inside — will jettison away from the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for a safe landing in the ocean. The test campaign is necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II, the first crewed mission under NASA’s Artemis campaign. The Artemis campaign is a joint effort between NASA, Lockheed Martin and the European Space Agency (E.S.A.E.E) to send humans to the moon and back. Read full article

NASA Science

Ranger 3 was NASA’s first attempt to put a probe on the Moon. It carried a TV camera and an instrument capsule. A series of malfunctions sent the spacecraft hurtling past the Moon, but it did take the first measurements of interplanetary gamma ray flux. Ranger 3 eventually entered heliocentric orbit. It missed the Moon by about 22,860 miles (36,793 kilometers) on Jan. 28, 1962. The central computer and sequencer failed and the spacecraft returned no TV images. The spacecraft also carried a 94-pound (42.6-kilogram) capsule that would separate at about 13 miles (21.4 kilometers) in altitude and then independently impact on the lunar surface. The primary onboard instrument was a seismometer. It was the first U.S. attempt to hit the Moon with a probe. Read full article

Global Perspectives Summary:

Global media portray this story through varied cultural, economic, and political filters. While some focus on geopolitical ramifications, others highlight local impacts and human stories. Some nations frame the story around diplomatic tensions and international relations, while others examine domestic implications, public sentiment, or humanitarian concerns. This diversity of coverage reflects how national perspectives, media freedom, and journalistic priorities influence what the public learns about global events.

How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.

Sources:

• What Are the Dangers of Going to Space? We Asked a NASA Expert: Episode 55
• NASA Continues BioNutrients Space-Fermented Food Research
• NASA Readies Moon Rocket for the Future with Manufacturing Innovation
• NASA Cameras to Capture Interaction Between Blue Ghost, Moon’s Surface
• Program Manager at NASA Glenn Earns AIAA Sustained Service Award
• Orion Spacecraft Tested in Ohio After Artemis I Mission
• NASA Science

Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-05-nasa-crewed-moon-mission-spacecraft.html