Moon Landing

A moon lander has reached lunar orbit, heading for an attempt at the first US touchdown on Earth's nearest celestial neighbour in more than 50 years.

The launch further enhances the country's space credentials, following the historic "pinpoint" moon landing of Japan's SLIM spacecraft last month.

Only five countries have scored a successful lunar landing and no private business has done it yet. 

Japan's space agency says it hopes a shift in the sunlight's angle will hit the solar panels of its 'Moon sniper' in a way that can restore its functions.

Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology aims to be the first private company to successfully land on the Moon, something only four countries have accomplished.

Two private companies in the US are attempting the country's first Moon landing since its Apollo program ended more than five decades ago.

The Moon used to be cool, then not so much. But after the discovery of water at the Lunar poles, a new race is on to claim the caps as a potential fuel source for deeper space exploration. India, China, USA and Russia are all planning missions to Moontarctica to stake their claim. The 100-year-old work of a scientist is to thank for many of the discoveries powering modern space travel, even though he was dismissed in his own time. In this episode of ‘If You’re Listening’ Matt Bevan looks at the past, present and future of space exploration.

When Robert Goddard thought he'd figured out how to get humans into space in 1920, the press called his ideas "absurd". Now, his ideas about rocket propulsion will help us create a petrol station on the Moon.

Dubbed the "moon sniper", Japan aims to land the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon within 100 metres of its target site on the lunar surface — significantly more precise than the usual landing range of several kilometres. 

India becomes the first country to land near the Moon's south pole, just days after a Russian spacecraft crashed trying to reach the area.

The race to land on the Moon has started again, with countries like India and Russia eyeing its resources. Here's what we know about past landings, and what future missions will focus on.

India launched a Moon rocket for less than the cost of a Hollywood space film and it's sent back new pictures of the far side of the lunar surface as it looks for a safe place to land. 

India's space agency releases images of the Moon as its craft approaches the lunar south pole, a previously unexplored region where Russia is trying to land first.

India aims to become just the fourth nation, along with the United States, the former Soviet Union and China, to land spacecraft on the Moon as it tests technology it hopes to use in future interplanetary missions.

The capsule is returning to Earth after sailing within 130km of the lunar surface, taking the closest photos of the Moon from a 'human-rated' spacecraft since Apollo.

NASA's next-generation rocket has launched to the moon, and Astrophysicist Dr Sara Webb says it marks a "brand-new era" in civilisation.

British mogul Richard Branson has one-upped rival Jeff Bezos, announcing he will blast into space as many as nine days ahead of the Amazon founder.

A Chinese lunar capsule returns to Earth with the first fresh samples of rock and debris from the Moon in more than 40 years.

Images released by China's space agency appear to show the communist country's flag flying on the moon shortly before a probe sent to collect lunar rocks launched its return mission to Earth.

The telecommunications dish in Carnarvon that transferred data for NASA's first Moon landing 50 years ago, and subsequent others, faces an uncertain future.

At nearly 60, the iconic telescope that brought the Moon just a bit closer to the world is recognised for the role it has played in Australia's history.

Experience Neil Armstrong's first steps on the Moon's surface and the first hours of exploration, using raw archive footage from that historic day 50 years ago.

While dishes at Parkes and Honeysuckle Creek take the credit for beaming the vision of the first steps on the Moon to the world, staff known as 'Creekers' at Cooby Creek in Queensland say it was their work that made the whole project possible.

This teenager was a self-confessed space nut who wrote letters to astronauts. Then, after the Moon landing, Neil Armstrong sent a reply.

Space travel is the pinnacle of scientific know-how and yet many astronauts from the Apollo missions suffered existential crises upon returning to Earth, and some found solace in religion, writes Simon Smart.