Lunar and Planetary Science at the NSSDCA

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What's New in Lunar & Planetary Science

The Psyche mission is now scheduled to launch on 12 October at 14:38 UT (10:38 a.m. EDT).

The OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule landed successfully on 24 September at 14:52 UT (10:52 a.m. EDT). It was picked up by helicopter and transported to a temporary clean room, and then flown to Johnson Space Center in Houston. More....

The JAXA (Japan) Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission launched on September 6 at 23:42:11 UT (7:42:11 p.m. EDT) and successfully separated 47 minutes later to begin its roughly 5 month journey to the lunar surface.

This Day in Planetary and Lunar Exploration History

1942: Germany successfully launches first full-range A-4 (V-2) rocket, to 85 km from Peenemunde.
1962: Launch of Mercury Atlas 8, Wally Schirra becomes the third American to orbit Earth.
2018: JAXA Hayabusa2 mission successfully deploys the MASCOT lander on asteroid Ryugu.
2018: The Parker Solar Probe makes its first Venus flyby.