![Luna](https://static.sky.it/editorialimages/f2b4806f2de6a589fcc6c0361fbfa4d9f5efed28/skytg24/it/scienze/2023/08/23/missioni-luna/hero_ipa_ansa_getty_luna.jpg?im=Resize,width=375)
L’India è il quarto Paese sulla Luna, ecco perché è ricominciata la corsa al satellite
Anche gli Stati Uniti insieme all’Europa e la Cina stanno programmando missioni lunari, mentre pochi giorni fa è fallito il tentativo russo di far atterrare una sonda. La possibile presenza di ghiaccio al Polo Sud lunare, unita all’esplorazione mineraria e ai progetti futuri per viaggiare verso Marte, sta alimentando un nuovo interesse nei confronti della Luna
![1619179455 People wave India's national flag as India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C screen) congratulates the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the successful lunar landing of Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the south pole of the Moon during a live stream of the event at the Nehru Science Centre in Mumbai on August 23, 2023. India on August 23, became the first nation to land a craft near the Moon's south pole, a historic triumph for the world's most populous nation and its ambitious, cut-price space programme. (Photo by Punit PARANJPE / AFP) (Photo by PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP via Getty Images)](https://static.sky.it/editorialimages/a0f8d8026fe07667f24421bb8ef4dd0b4783fb97/skytg24/it/scienze/2023/08/23/missioni-luna/01_getty_corsa_luna.jpg?im=Resize,width=335)
La nuova corsa alla Luna si è arricchita di un nuovo protagonista: l’India è infatti riuscita a far atterrare sul satellite il lander Vikram, che trasportava a bordo il rover Pragyan. La missione Chandrayaan-3 ha completato con successo l'atterraggio morbido nella regione del polo sud lunare, rendendo così l’India il quarto Paese sul suolo lunare dopo Unione Sovietica, Stati Uniti e Cina
India, la missione Chandrayaan-3 è atterrata sulla Luna![1618845174 School students look at a model of Chandrayaan-3's Lander Module (LM) named as Vikram, at a technical museum in Kolkata on August 23, 2023. India's bid to become the first nation to land a spacecraft on the Moon's south pole neared its conclusion on August 23, the latest lunar push that has drawn in the world's top powers and new players. (Photo by DIBYANGSHU SARKAR / AFP) (Photo by DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP via Getty Images)](https://static.sky.it/editorialimages/a9ced8e0284a156ceb47efccfdb9d207921f3ac5/skytg24/it/scienze/2023/08/23/missioni-luna/02_getty_corsa_luna.jpg?im=Resize,width=335)
La missione indiana è la prima ad atterrare nel polo sud lunare, una scelta non certo casuale: quella zona del satellite, infatti, è ritenuta potenzialmente ricca di ghiaccio d'acqua. Ed è proprio la possibile presenza di acqua allo stato solido ad aver attirato in questi anni l’attenzione non solo dell’India, ma anche di altri attori internazionali sia pubblici che privati
Luna, le prime immagini riprese dalla sonda indiana Chandrayaan-3![RUSSIA SPACE MOON MISSION epa10794400 A handout image made available by the Roscosmos State Space Corporation shows the Soyuz-2.1b rocket with the moon lander Luna 25 (Moon) automatic station as it takes off from a launch pad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, some 180 km north of Blagoveschensk, in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, 11 August 2023. The Soyuz rocket with the first lunar spacecraft in the history of modern Russia was launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. Luna-25 will be the first station in the world to land in the near-polar zone of the Moon, on difficult terrain. EPA/ROSCOSMOS STATE SPACE CORPORATION HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES](https://static.sky.it/editorialimages/c0d9ae6f6d216719faca3c50a8bf07c040376d4f/skytg24/it/scienze/2023/08/23/missioni-luna/03_ansa_corsa_luna.jpeg?im=Resize,width=335)
A testimoniare il riscoperto interesse per il satellite della Terra è stata anche la missione russa della sonda Luna-25, fallita dopo lo schianto della sonda stessa all'interno del cratere Pontecoulant G nell'emisfero sud della Luna. Si trattava della prima missione di Mosca diretta sulla Luna dal 1976, il cui fallimento è stato imputato dal direttore generale dell'agenzia spaziale russa Roscosmos, Yuri Borissov, proprio al fatto che la Russia "ha sospeso il suo programma di esplorazione lunare per quasi cinquant'anni"
Sonda russa Luna-25, scoperto il luogo dello schianto nell'emisfero Sud![RUSSIA SPACE MOON MISSION epa10794199 A handout still image taken from a video made available by the Roscosmos State Space Corporation shows the Soyuz-2.1b rocket with the moon lander Luna 25 (Moon) automatic station preparing for take off from a launch pad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, some 180 km north of Blagoveschensk, in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, 11 August 2023. The Soyuz rocket with the first lunar spacecraft in the history of modern Russia was launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. Luna-25 will be the first station in the world to land in the near-polar zone of the Moon, on difficult terrain. EPA/ROSCOSMOS STATE SPACE CORPORATION/HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES](https://static.sky.it/editorialimages/aef31a9b064793c9d52dd040f2e17c76d629acab/skytg24/it/scienze/2023/08/23/missioni-luna/04_ansa_corsa_luna.jpeg?im=Resize,width=335)
L’allunaggio di Luna-25 avrebbe dovuto essere, nelle intenzioni di Mosca, il primo ad avvenire al Polo Sud lunare. Fino ad ora , infatti, le macchine erano atterrate nella zona equatoriale. Originariamente programmata per durare un anno, il compito della missione era quello di raccogliere e analizzare campioni di suolo in quell’area ancora inesplorata
Iscriviti alla nostra newsletter per restare sempre aggiornato su tutte le notizie![An image of the moon in the phase known as Waxing Gibbous](https://static.sky.it/editorialimages/a6bcfde4d9839f8f0e15ad3e9302813a2ea1452c/skytg24/it/scienze/2023/08/23/missioni-luna/05_ipa_corsa_luna.jpg?im=Resize,width=335)
Negli ultimi anni, insomma, la Luna è tornata ad essere al centro di molti interessi strategici. Si è persino tornati a parlare di una nuova ‘corsa alla Luna’, che vede in competizione soprattutto Stati Uniti e Cina ma anche la partecipazione di tanti altri attori, come Europa, Russia, India, Giappone ed Emirati Arabi e varie aziende private
![moon, 14.11.2016](https://static.sky.it/editorialimages/ee9544dfce8c3e8725b0e92bf1cb26acb0de6138/skytg24/it/scienze/2023/08/23/missioni-luna/06_ipa_corsa_luna.jpg?im=Resize,width=335)
Se però la sfida tra Stati Uniti e Urss era dettata - oltre che da interesse scientifico - anche da motivazioni di prestigio per i contendenti della Guerra Fredda, la nuova corsa alla Luna appare essere strategicamente diversa. Sono infatti due i focus principali delle nuove missioni dirette verso il satellite della Terra
![46634730 HEFEI, CHINA - APRIL 25, 2023 - A model of a future lunar scientific research station is displayed at the exhibition "China's Space Going Global" in Hefei, Anhui province, China, April 25, 2023. The station includes an energy center, a research station, an astronaut training center, and a space launch site. (Photo by CFOTO/Sipa USA)](https://static.sky.it/editorialimages/a142d80c431239fdac5ecb1c0545c3de8ca919e0/skytg24/it/scienze/2023/08/23/missioni-luna/07_ipa_corsa_luna.jpg?im=Resize,width=335)
Al centro delle attenzioni degli stati e delle aziende private ci sono infatti sia le possibili risorse minerarie esistenti, soprattutto nella sopracitata zona del Polo Sud, sia la possibilità di realizzare degli avamposti umani dove testare nuove tecnologie per poi puntare verso Marte e verso asteroidi da cui estrarre materiali preziosi
![Moon surface, lunar landscape](https://static.sky.it/editorialimages/8af067acf37fb5a99bacdbd298bd31ea988f164c/skytg24/it/scienze/2023/08/23/missioni-luna/08_ipa_corsa_luna.jpg?im=Resize,width=335)
Come sottolinea Reuters, l’eventuale presenza di acqua ghiacciata potrebbe rappresentare sia una fonte di liquidi per gli astronauti intenti a esplorare la Luna, sia una possibile fonte di idrogeno per produrre combustibile e ossigeno per supportare missioni verso Marte o attività di estrazione mineraria
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This image shows: The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission (left to right): NASA astronauts Christina Hammock Koch, Reid Wiseman (seated), Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) have revealed the four astronauts who will travel around the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for science and exploration through Artemis. The agencies revealed the crew members Monday during an event at Ellington Field near NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
They are NASA astronauts Christina Hammock Koch, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
“The Artemis II crew represents thousands of people working tirelessly to bring us to the stars. This is their crew, this is our crew, this is humanity's crew,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Hammock Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen, each has their own story, but, together, they represent our creed: E pluribus unum – out of many, one. Together, we are ushering in a new era of exploration for a new generation of star sailors and dreamers – the Artemis Generation.”
The crew assignments are as follows: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist 1 Christina Hammock Koch, and Mission Specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen. They will work as a team to execute an ambitious set of demonstrations during the flight test.
The approximately 10-day Artemis II flight test will launch on the agency’s powerful Space Launch System rocket, prove the Orion spacecraft’s life-support systems, and validate the capabilities and techniques needed for humans to live and work in deep space.
“We are going back to the Moon and Canada is at the center of this exciting journey,” said the Honorable François-Philippe Champagne, the minister responsible for the Canadian Space Agency. “Thanks to our longstanding collaboration with NASA, a Canadian astronaut will fly on this historic mission. On behalf of all Canadians, I want to congratulate Jeremy for being at the forefront of one of the most ambitious human endeavors ever undertaken. Canada’s participation in the Artemis program is not only a defining chapter of our history in space, but also a testament to the friendship and close partnership between our two nations.”
The flight, set to build upon the successful uncrewed Artemis I mission completed in December, will set the stage for the first woman and first person of colour on the Moon through the Artemis program, paving the way for future for long-term human exploration missions to the Moon, and eventually Mars. This is the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration approach.
“For the first time in more than 50 years, these individuals – the Artemis II crew – will be the first humans to fly to the vicinity of the Moon. Among the crew are the first woman, first person of color, and first Canadian on a lunar mission, and all four astronauts will represent the best of humanity as they explore for the benefit of all,” said Director Vanessa Wyche, NASA Johnson. “This mission paves the way for the expansion of human deep space exploration and presents new opportunities for scientific discoveries, commercial, industry and academic partnerships and the Artemis Generation.”
This will be Wiseman’s second trip into space, serving previously as a flight engineer aboard the International Station for Expedition 41 from May through November 2014. Wiseman has logged more than 165 days in space, including almost 13 hours as lead spacewalker during two trips outside the orbital complex. Prior to his assignment, Wiseman served as chief of the Astronaut Office from December 2020 until November 2022.
The mission will be Glover’s second spaceflight, serving previously as pilot on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1, which landed May 2, 2021, after 168 days in space. As a flight engineer aboard the space station for Expedition 64, he contributed to scientific investigations, technology demonstrations, and participated in four spacewalks.
Koch also will be making her second flight into space on the Artemis II mission. She served as flight engineer aboard the space station for Expedition 59, 60, and 61. Koch set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with a total of 328 days in space and participated in the first all-female spacewalks.
Representing Canada, Hansen is making his first flight to space. A colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces and former fighter pilot, Hansen holds a Bachelor of Science in space science from Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, and a Master of Science in physics from the same institution in 2000, with a research focus on Wide Field of View Satellite Tracking. He was one of two recruits selected by CSA in May 2009 through the third Canadian Astronaut Recruitment Campaign and has served as Capcom in NASA's Mission Control Center at Johnson and, in 2017, became the first Canadian to be entrusted with leading a NASA astronaut class, leading the training of astronaut candidates from the United States and Canada.
“I could not be prouder that these brave four will kickstart our journeys to the Moon and beyond,” said Director of Flight Operations Norm Knight, NASA Johnson. “They represent exactly what an astronaut corps should be: a mix of highly capable and accomplished individuals with the skills and determination to take on any trial as a team. The Artemis II mission will be challenging, and we’ll test our limits as we prepare to put future astronauts on the Moon. With Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy at the controls, I have no doubt we’re ready to face every challenge that comes our way.”
Through Artemis missions, NASA will use innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the Moon. Then, we will use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.
Where: Houston, Texas, United States
When: 03 Apr 2023
Credit: NASA/INSTARimages
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Gli Stati Uniti invece, in collaborazione con l’Europa, sono al lavoro con il programma spaziale Artemis: dopo il successo del primo lancio, a fine 2024 è prevista la prima missione del progetto con equipaggio. Gli astronauti non toccheranno però il suolo lunare, limitandosi a sorvolare il satellite e tornare poi sulla Terra. (In foto: gli astronauti selezionati per la missione Artemis II)
Spazio, studio Usa: su Nettuno sono scomparse per la prima volta le nuvole