Space photos from 5 recent moon-landing missions show how tiny engineering errors can cause big problems, like crashing or landing sideways

Tech Insider
gold moon lander upside down on grey lunar surface beside image of a new crater on the moon with white disturbed regolith around it
While Japan's moon-landing error caused its robot to land upside-down (left), Israeli nonprofit SpaceIL's error caused its lander to crash (right).

JAXA/Takara Tomy/Sony Group Corporation/Doshisha University; NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University; Business Insider

Astronauts explain why no human has visited the moon in 50 years — and the reasons why are depressing

Tech Insider : Politics, Politics
flag moon buzz aldrin apollo 11 astronaut planting nasa 371257main_Flag_full
Apollo 11 astronauts planted a flag on the moon on July 20, 1969.

NASA

Former SpaceX engineers explain how the US's first moon landing mission in decades may have gone wrong and how to prevent similar anomalies

Tech Insider
ULA rocket taking off into space with a giant billowing cloud of gas underneath it.
Astrobotic's Peregrine Lunar Lander launched on a United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket.

CHANDAN KHANNA/Getty Images

Russia dominated the first space race, but now it can't even land on the moon. Photos show the US and China are way ahead.

Tech Insider
split image shows orange rocket beside a rover on the moon and the lunar surface with a crater
NASA's Space Launch System (left) is its new moon rocket. China's Yutu 2 rover (middle) explores the far side of the moon. Russia's Luna-25 lander just crashed (right).

NASA/Steve Seipel; China National Space Administration; NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Arizona State University; Insider

How India landed on the moon and flew to Mars at a fraction of the cost of NASA and Russia missions

Tech Insider
the moon giant grey cratered sphere in space with three green dollar signs overlaid on it
Getting to the moon is expensive, but India managed to do it on a budget.

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Arizona State University; Insider

Why Russia and India both crashed near the moon's south pole before India nailed the first soft landing there

Tech Insider
surface of moon grey rocky cratered with luna 25 spacecraft piece visible in upper left corner
The lunar south pole region on the far side of the moon, captured by Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft before its failed attempt to land.

Centre for Operation of Space Ground-Based Infrastructure-Roscosmos State Space Corporation via AP

India wants to fly its own astronauts to the moon, after becoming the first nation to land near the lunar south pole

Tech Insider
A 3D reconstitution of the India moon lander is seen descending on the moon.
A still from a livestream shows a 3D reconstitution of India's historic moon landing.

ISRO

Subscribe to moon-missions