Previous Nasa lunar missions have been named after the Greek god Apollo. The next will be named Artemis after his mythical twin sister, and there is already speculation about the identity of the agency's first female Moonwalker. The waning part of the lunar cycle is when the moon grows smaller in the sky every night. This is the part of the lunar cycle that we use to let go of all that stood in the way of achieving your dreams and intentions. Use the moon’s waning energy to let go of doubts, fears, people, situations, beliefs and anything that stood in your way.

As it falls towards the ground, Orion will deploy a total of 11 different parachutes – most of which are made from a hybrid of Kevlar and Nylon - to slow the vehicle down to the speed of 27 km/h (17mph) required to safely splash down in the Pacific Ocean. Even with minimal surface support in place on early missions, astronauts will embark on at least a week-long expedition on the Moon. Crew will work by day in their modern spacesuits – using new tools to collect samples and setting up a variety of experiments. Inside a bench-top oven, the ilmenite is heated to extract oxygen, which is combined with hydrogen to get water. To protect these habitats against micrometeoroid strikes and radiation, robots could 3D-print hard outer shells that could sit over the habitats. Lunar “soil”, or regolith, could even be used as the building material. “It’s an easy construction method, and can be done rapidly,” says Philip Metzger. Artemis is the first step in the next era of human exploration. Together with commercial and international partners, NASA will establish a sustainable presence on the Moon to prepare for missions to Mars.NASA has proposed two lunar surface transportation systems: a lunar terrain vehicle (LTV) and a mobile home and office referred to as a habitable mobility platform. Harvesting lunar resources could lead to safer, more efficient operations with less dependence on supplies delivered from Earth. NASA plans to send the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover ( VIPER) to the lunar South Pole before crew. Arriving via a commercial Moon delivery, mobile robot will get a close-up view of the distribution and concentration of ice that could eventually be harvested to support human exploration farther into the solar system. We will learn how to spend more time on the lunar surface as well as prepare to future trips to Mars by conducting life science research and learning to mitigate hazards associated with space exploration. What to know The Sun on the cusp of Cancer is moving out of the square to Neptune in Pisces. Great time to journal for the next few months, so that we can reflect on current events with more clarity. The scientific attraction is clear. The lunar samples returned to Earth by the Apollo astronauts have been an invaluable resource in understanding the inner workings and history of our celestial companion.

If Donald Trump were to lose the 2020 election, a new Democrat administration could cancel the Moon plan. But Logsdon considers this unlikely. “I think it’s much harder to think that a new government would cancel the return to the Moon programme, given how much momentum it’s building,” he explains.Mercury in Gemini is sextile to Mars in Leo. Impulsivity and spontaneity could work to our advantage. However, be careful not to jump into situations that are best left alone. Be ready to utilize an escape if necessary, as we may realize that our first inclination may not have been the right decision. The Sun hovers over the lunar South Pole horizon continuously throughout the day and year, providing a near-constant source of energy for solar power opportunities. There is no single location, however, that avoids periods of darkness. This means NASA must plan for early Artemis systems to survive the extremely cold environment without power, to build in the capability to store power for up to eight days. Yet that knowledge is still limited, as only a small amount of material was returned from a few lunar locations. A team of permanent dwellers would send our ability to study the Moon into overdrive. The Lunar Lantern is not the only space architecture exhibition featured at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition (which will run until Nov. 21st). The European Space Agency (ESA) – in partnership with the international architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) – are also showcasing their proposal for a fully operational semi-inflatable lunar habitat, known as the Lunar Village.

Another key challenge colonisers will face is radiation. The Earth has an atmosphere and a magnetic field, both of which act as giant safety blankets protecting us from solar particles and cosmic rays from the Galaxy at large. These ordinary words have an extraordinary significance: they are thought to be the last words spoken by a human being on the Moon. That may be about to change, at least if Johann-Dietrich Woerner, the Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), gets his way – he wants to build a village on the Moon! Woerner’s idea is to start building on the far side of the Moon – the face that always points away from Earth. China also thinks this would be the best location.Then there are the externally mounted tension cables, which apply compressive stress to the habitats 3D printed walls. The outermost component, the Whipple Shield, is a double shell made up of an interior lattice and external shield panels. This provides protection against ballistic impact from micrometeorites and ejecta (caused by impacts nearby) while also shielding the interior structure from the extreme heat caused by direct exposure to the sun. The Lunar Lantern outpost consists of habitats, sheds, landing pads, blast walls, and roadways. Landing pads, thought to be one of the first lunar structures, will need to contain and control the supersonic and subsonic dust ejecta created during launch and landing. SEArch+'s design offers multiple strategies for dust mitigation and dust collection in printability, form, and function."