Science Times: Why Everyone Wants to Go Back to the Moon

Plus: Lunar archaeology and the new moon landing hoax conspiracy theorists

View in Browser | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. Tuesday, July 16, 2019 NYTimes.com/Science »

American Astronauts:1, Soviet Robots: 0 Three days before Apollo 11 lifted off, the Soviet Union launched a robotic probe, Luna 15. It was racing to the moon to beat the Americans back to Earth with lunar samples. This feat was unlikely to upstage American astronauts walking on the moon. But Luna 15 was on the minds of the crew.  On day two, Buzz Aldrin asked mission control for an update. And during a lull on day three, NASA held a news conference on what it knew. Frank Borman, the Apollo 8 commander, told reporters that after contacting a Soviet counterpart, he received a telegram at home about the probe's orbit, an unusual display of openness from America's rival. But the precise goal of Luna 15 remained a mystery at the time. "We can only guesstimate what the Russians are doing," said Christopher Kraft, the NASA flight operations director. Technical snags bedeviled Luna 15. It was unable to attempt a landing until just before Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left the moon, and it crashed. The Soviets eventually collected samples from the moon, and Luna 24 in August 1976 was the last probe from Earth to complete such a mission. Michael Roston

Why Everyone Wants to Go Back to the Moon JPL/NASA By KENNETH CHANG Something of a new lunar race is underway, but the motivations differ from what put men on its surface 50 years ago.

NASA Should Neil Armstrong's Bootprints Be on the Moon Forever? By NADIA DRAKE With renewed interest in the moon, some say it's time to consider whether, and how, to preserve humanity's lunar heritage. JSC/NASA Critic's Notebook They Kinda Want to Believe Apollo 11 Was Maybe a Hoax By AMANDA HESS Conspiracy theories were once deadly serious. On the internet, skepticism about the moon landing shows how the mood has shifted. Mike Lemanski The Moon Is a Hazardous Place to Live By SHANNON HALL If we get back to the lunar surface, astronauts will have to contend with much more than perilous rocket flights and the vacuum of space. NASA To Make It to the Moon, Women Have to Escape Earth's Gender Bias By MARY ROBINETTE KOWAL The Apollo program was designed by men, for men. But NASA can learn from its failures as it aims to send women to the moon and beyond. Mike Lemanski How Was the Moon Made? We Won't Know Until We Go Back By REBECCA BOYLE The closer scientists look at theories of how the moon formed, the more questions they find. NASA The Astronaut Identity Crisis By DAVID W. BROWN With the private sector moving aggressively into space, NASA is no longer the only game in town for would-be space travelers. Neon CNN Films 8 Great T.V. Shows, Movies and Podcasts About Apollo 11 and the Moon By MEKADO MURPHY As the 50th anniversary of the moon landing approaches, these movies, television shows and podcasts help shine a light on the story. Jameson Simpson Your Guide to Eclipses, Supermoons and More Lunar Events By NICHOLAS ST. FLEUR Eclipses, supermoons and other astronomical highlights to look forward to, years into the future.

ONE GIANT LEAP: THE APOLLO 11 MOON LANDING, 50 YEARS ON On July 21, The New York Times presents the reading of a short play by Tony Award-winning author J.T. Rogers. Commissioned specifically for this event, the play weaves together transcripts of the Apollo 11 mission, Times coverage from the period and excerpts from interviews with the men and women who made it happen. Following the reading, Michael Barbaro of "The Daily" will host an onstage conversation with Michael Collins, command module pilot on Apollo 11, Peggy Whitson, the first female commander of the International Space Station, and Poppy Northcutt, the first female engineer to work in NASA's mission control, starting with Apollo 8. Tickets $50–$200. For more information, see https://timesevents.nytimes.com/onegiantleap.

ADVERTISEMENT

EMAIL US Let us know how we're doing at sciencenewsletter@nytimes.com.

ADVERTISEMENT

NEED HELP? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

FOLLOW SCIENCE FACEBOOK @nytscience nytimes Get more NYTimes.com newsletters » | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps. Subscribe »

ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Science Times newsletter. Unsubscribe | Manage Subscriptions | Change Your Email | Privacy Policy | Contact | Advertise Copyright 2019 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018