Astronaut Astrophysics

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

NASA has selected four concept studies that may lead to experiments that will be set up by Orion
astronauts when they reach the lunar surface:

Two concept studies proposed separately by researchers at the University of Maryland at College Park and the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center are designed to determine the distance from Earth to the moon with submillimeter accuracy.

A scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory plans a radio-telescope array on the far side of the moon to study elementary particle acceleration in supernovae, quasars and the solar corona.


On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.


“Soft” x-ray emissions produced by interactions between the solar wind and Earth’s magnetic field and by our galaxy’s core are to be measured by a package developed by a Goddard investigator.

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe