lunar

SpaceX has a $4-billion contract to develop a “lunar lander” version of the Starship spacecraft that can return astronauts on the moon as part of its Artemis III mission scheduled for September 2026.

Still, there are technical challenges, with SpaceX yet to complete the $4-billion Starship lunar lander, which would have to be modified for Mars.

Russian and Soviet lunar landers used cork to help the rover have grip as it was descending to the surface, he added.

So, when Chandrayaan-3 was launched, it orbited the Earth several times before it was sling-shot into the lunar orbit, where it went around the Moon a few times before landing.

China has already selected its next group of astronauts and they will train for potential lunar missions as well as to crew the space station.