A major feature of the Moon's gravitational field is the presence of mascons, which are large positive gravity anomalies associated with some of the giant impact basins. These anomalies significantly influence the orbit of spacecraft around the Moon, and an accurate gravitational model is necessary in the planning of both crewed and uncrewed ...

1 day ago · The New Shepard mission is far from the first to carry scientific payloads to the edge of space, but it was the first to mimic the moon's gravity. The gravitational pull of the lunar surface is ...

1 day ago · The old saying — “Practice makes perfect!” — applies to the Moon too. On Tuesday, NASA gave 17 technologies, instruments, and experiments the chance to practice being on the Moon… without actually going there. Instead, it was a flight test aboard a vehicle adapted to simulate lunar gravity for approximately two minutes.

2 days ago · Another one, called the Lunar-g Combustion Investigation, studied "how materials catch fire in the moon's gravity compared to Earth's," Blue Origin wrote. "The findings will help NASA and its ...

3 days ago · Since 2011, the induction of lunar and Martian gravity in Earth-bound models can be realized in parabolic flight by adjusting the injection angle to 40° for lunar and 30° for Martian gravity ...

Aug 2, 2024 · Like other rocky bodies in the solar system, including Earth, the Moon has both a bumpy surface and a lumpy interior. Spacecraft in orbit around the Moon experience slight variations in gravity caused by both of these irregularities. This free-air gravity map highlights these deviations.

Jan 24, 2025 · Researchers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center are assessing a technology designed to move lunar regolith particles using dynamic electric fields generated by placing alternating high voltage on electrodes of the conveyor surface rather than conventional rotating or vibrating actuation.

Jan 11, 2024 · The orbit changes over the course of the year so the distance from the Moon to Earth roughly ranges from 357,000 km to 407,000 km, giving velocities ranging from 1.100 to 0.966 km/s. Lunar Atmosphere

The acceleration due to gravity on the surface of the Moon is approximately 1.625 m/s2, about 16.6% that on Earth's surface or 0.166 ɡ. Over the entire surface,...

Sep 12, 2024 · On September 10, 2011, 13 years ago this month, NASA launched a mission designed to answer some of those lingering questions about variations in the lunar gravity field and the Moon’s internal structure. The mission is known as GRAIL, an acronym for the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory.