When will we land on the moon again?
Dear reader, In this issue, the moon is the focus of our considerations. The occasion is, of course, the 50th anniversary of the moon landing: On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot in the dust of the moon. With pioneering work, the Apollo 11 crew inspired many of today's generation of explorers to become scientists or engineers. However, towards the end of NASA's Apollo program, public interest waned. Nobody has been on our satellite since 1972.
But in recent years, Earth's moon has gained more and more attention. In addition to Russia and the USA, new nations are now vying for their place on our companion: China, India and Israel are sending out their probes, sometimes more, sometimes less successfully. New rovers are making their rounds on the moon, and even the far side has recently been explored. Private companies are also getting into the space business, making plans to fly to the moon and even colonize it.
"Stars and Space" has this in store for you for this year's anniversary of the moon landing: Radio veteran Harro Zimmer reports as a contemporary witness on the lesser-known activities after Apollo 11 and tells many anecdotes. In his contribution, space expert Eugen Reichl focuses on the present and future of the moon. You will learn all the essentials about the future space plans for our satellite.
Moon fans will find enclosed with this issue a decorative and very informative poster showing the front and back of the moon as recorded by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The colorful display makes the ups and downs of the lunar landscape visible for the first time. You can also get it at www.sterne-und-weltraum.de free access to the moon articles and the interview with Buzz Aldrin from SuW issue 7/2009.
Hush into the magazine! Yours
Andreas Müller
