the Moon

SpaceX is targeting Sept. 28 for the first-ever orbital flight of its Starship megarocket, with the launch available to watch live. Starship is the most powerful rocket ever built and is central to NASA's plans to return astronauts to the Moon. The historic debut attempt is drawing broad attention from space fans and industry watchers worldwide.

A new study found that Earth microbes can survive conditions simulating the ocean of Enceladus, Saturn's icy moon. Researchers exposed microorganisms to the moon's known conditions, including its salty, alkaline water, and found they persisted. The finding suggests life could plausibly exist in the subsurface ocean beneath Enceladus's ice shell, strengthening the case for future missions to sample plumes that erupt from the moon's south pole.

NASA has announced a strategy for establishing a permanent moon base, with an estimated price tag of $20 billion. The plan outlines infrastructure for sustained human presence on the lunar surface, building on the Artemis programme. Coverage is focused on what the base would involve, how it would be funded, and what it means for future crewed missions to the Moon and eventually Mars.

SpaceX is preparing its Starship rocket for another test flight, with the 14th flight attempt expected to be the vehicle's first full orbital mission. The program has been conducting iterative test launches from Texas, progressively extending the rocket's capabilities. Interest is high because an orbital flight would mark a major milestone for the vehicle that SpaceX intends to use for Moon and Mars missions.

SpaceX is preparing for the first orbital test flight of its Starship rocket, the vehicle the company is counting on for future missions to the Moon and Mars. The launch is a major milestone for the program, with attention focused on whether the giant rocket can reach orbit on its debut attempt.

New research suggests icy moons in the outer solar system, such as those orbiting Jupiter and Saturn, could retain their subsurface liquid oceans even if their outer ice shells are shattered by giant impacts. If impacts like those that formed some of the moon's craters did not destroy interior oceans, this raises the chances that oceans on worlds like Europa and Enceladus are more resilient than thought, keeping interest high in future missions to icy bodies.

SpaceX is preparing another Starship test flight, scheduled to launch Monday. Coverage highlights that this test differs from previous attempts, though details on what specifically has changed are limited. Starship launches routinely draw broad attention as the program advances toward orbital capability and future missions to the Moon and Mars.

SpaceX is reportedly targeting an aggressive launch cadence for its Starship program, with three flights planned within roughly five weeks. Space commentators note the schedule would mark a major step up in testing pace for the vehicle, which SpaceX needs to fly repeatedly to prove reusability and meet timelines for NASA's Moon landings. Observers are weighing whether the company can realistically achieve such a rapid turnaround between launches.

A new report on lunar science is circulating with the framing that Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon' has taken on a whole new meaning, linking the moon to quantum physics and astrophysics findings. The science news item, published via ScienceDaily, is tagged with quantum mechanics and physics topics, suggesting fresh research about the moon's far side or quantum-related lunar phenomena. Specific details of the findings remain sparse in the circulating discussion.