Microgravity, plants, worms, and butterflies: How space agriculture is taking off
Cutting-edge research in botany and biology is conducted aboard the International Space Station to support future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Analysis of the composition of soil from the far side of the Moon collected by China in 2024 revealed differences between the two sides of the object
A Chinese probe returned soil samples from the far side of the Moon to Earth for the first time on June 25, 2024. The Chang’e-6 probe landed on June 25, 2024, at 2:07 PM local time (8:07 AM Moscow time). The landing occurred “exactly at the designated location”—in Siziwang Banner in the northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Xinhua reported. Zhang Kejian, head of the China National Space Administration, declared the mission a “complete success.”
Satellites in Earth orbit monitor soil moisture, water availability, river flow, and the global water cycle
The primary objective of the SMAP mission is to assess the moisture content of the surface soil layer and its state (frozen or thawed). Another pioneering reconnaissance mission of the European Space Agency, the HydroGNSS satellites, has become an important step in expanding global understanding of water availability and the impact of climate change on the global water cycle. The SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) satellite allows for the assessment of river discharge, defined as the volume of water flowing per second at a given point along the river.