What's New in Lunar & Planetary Science
The NASA Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), also named Danuri, launched successfully on 04 August at 23:08 UT (7:08 p.m. ET) on a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral. It will use a low-energy lunar transfer trajectory to reach the Moon and go into orbit on 16 December 2022.
The James Webb Space Telescope released its first science images and data on July 12. For more, see the NASA Press Release and the Webb First Images site.
The CAPSTONE lunar mission launched on 28 June at 09:55 UT (5:55 a.m. EDT). For more, see the NASA Press Release.
This Day in Planetary and Lunar Exploration History
- 1959
- Explorer 6 takes the first image of Earth ever from orbit, from 27000 km over Mexico.
- 1966
- Lunar Orbiter 1 becomes first U.S. spacecraft to orbit the Moon.
- 1969
- Zond 7 returns to Earth and lands in Kazakhstan after circling the Moon.
Flight Mission Information
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- NASA Official: Dr. David R. Williams
- Curator: Dr. David R. Williams
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- Last updated: 30 November 2018