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SNAPSHOT: Lunar Missions

The first attempted lunar mission was the Soviet Union’s Luna 1 impactor, which launched Jan. 2, 1959, and passed within only 5,995 kilometers of the Moon at its closest point. The Space Race brought a large wave of lunar activity in the 1960s, but there have only been a few missions in the decades since.

ISS Damage Triggers Apparent Détente Between United States, Russian Federation

Trouble on the International Space Station (ISS) may have thawed relations between Russia and the United States. The two nations overcame tensions in January for a Moscow summit on resolving problems aboard a Soyuz spacecraft to bring home astronauts who were scheduled to fly aboard the capsule damaged by a micrometeorite.

Orbital Launch Activity Grows at Record Pace in 2022

pace launch activity continued to grow rapidly in 2022, reaching a new high of 186 orbital launch attempts. Last year was filled with successes and had three fewer failures than 2021, even with 41 more attempts.

Space launch activity continued to grow rapidly in 2022, reaching a new high of 186 orbital launch attempts. Last year was filled with successes and had three fewer failures than 2021, even with 41 more attempts.