The LAMP spectrometer installed on board the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter station allowed scientists to study the range of substances contained in the atmosphere of the Moon. In particular, it was found that the lunar atmosphere contained helium and argon. The first analyses of the spectrum were made in 1972 as part of the LACE project that was executed by Apollo 17 mission. Forty years ago, Apollo... 

Astronaut Neil Armstrong, who in 1969 became the first person in the world to set foot on the Moon, died in the United States. In early August, 82-year-old Armstrong received surgery to reduce the clogging of coronary arteries. Today, the family of the legendary astronaut said that he died due to post-surgery complications. U.S. President Barack Obama made a statement in connection with astronaut’s... 

Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, pictured to the right of the gas giant in the Cassini spacecraft view. Scientists have discovered methane lakes in the tropical areas of Saturn’s moon Titan, one of which is about half the size of Utah’s Great Salt Lake, with a depth of at least one meter. The longstanding bodies of liquid were detected by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which has been... 

Stargazers will be treated to a rare glimpse of a “Supermoon” this weekend when our celestial neighbor strays closest to Earth. During the annual display, the moon appears to swell larger in size and wax in brightness. Scientists say that the moon will look 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than all the other full moons of 2012 and will be visible at its peak from 03:00 GMT on Sunday... 

The next generation Angara rocket being assembled. Russian probes will visit Mars, Jupiter and Venus, while Russian cosmonauts will set foot on the surface of the Moon – all by 2030. At least according to the plans of the country’s space agency. Space Development Strategies up to 2030, the official blueprint that for the country’s space industry in the coming years, was submitted to the government... 

China’s space agency has unveiled a unique detailed map illustrating the best view of the lunar surface ever seen by a Chinese spacecraft. The map is made up of high-resolution photos taken by China’s second lunar probe, Chang’e 2 orbiter, which have been stitched together into a complete view. “The Chang’e 2 lunar map is the highest-resolution view of the moon ever recorded,”... 

THE PURPOSE: NASA's "recommendations" of no-fly zones are for preserving and protecting Apollo missions' historical sites and artefacts. No-fly zones will come into effect on the moon for the very first time by the end of this month! Why, even buffer zones that spacecraft may have to avoid will come into existence. The reason: avoiding any spraying of rocket exhaust or dust onto certain... 

NASA's GRAIL-A lunar probe is lifted from its workstand and across the clean room towards the spacecraft adapter ring (L) where GRAIL-B is already secured at the Astrotech Space Operation in Titusville, Florida. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has delayed the launch of its moon probes due to a technical issue with the satellites’ launch vehicle. The agency’s... 

Scientists at Brown University found super-tiny melt inclusions in lunar soil samples that opened the door for measurements that revealed the magnitude of water inside the moon. There is water inside the moon so much, in fact, that in some places it rivals the amount of water found within Earth. The finding from a scientific team including Brown University comes from the first-ever measurements of... 

This stunning picture is the first image of Earth ever taken from another planet that shows our home as a planetary disc, with the Moon in the distance (click on the image to enlarge it) This stunning picture is the first image of Earth ever taken from another planet that shows our home as a planetary disc, with the Moon in the distance. Captured by Nasa’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as the spacecraft... 

A German moon shot could create jobs and spur technological development, a CDU politician says. Sending a spacecraft to the moon might seem like an ambitious goal for Germany. But a senior government minister has called for just such a mission, arguing that it would create much-needed jobs. Peter Hintze, the German government official responsible for aerospace and space travel, has called for Germany... 

The Saturn V carrying Apollo 11 lifts off from Cape Canaveral on July 16, 1969. Forty years ago Thursday, Apollo 11 blasted off on its 280,000-mile journey, fulfilling President Kennedy’s 1961 call to reach the moon by the end of the decade. To commemorate the anniversary, NASA released newly restored video footage of the Apollo 11 moon landings — but the fabled “lost” moon tapes...