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When astronaut Frank Rubio launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in September 2022, he was scheduled to return back to Earth in six months’ time. Rubio’s ride to his home planet, however, suffered a malfunction that left him stranded in low Earth orbit.
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More than 50 years ago, the Apollo program was crafted as a result of rising political tensions between two competing nations. As a new group of countries and emerging space companies set their eyes on the Moon once more, they aren’t going back for national pride but rather to further their space ambitions beyond the…