NASA's VIPER—short for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover—recently completed another successful round of rigorous tests of the agency's first robotic moon rover's ability to drive off the Astrobotic Griffin lunar lander and onto the lunar surface. Called an egress, this hours-long operation is one of the most critical and trickiest parts of VIPER's 100-day mission. It could be even trickier if VIPER's off-ramps onto the moon are super steep or tilted due to uneven terrain.

For years, small groups of astronomy enthusiasts have traveled the globe chasing the rare solar eclipse. They have embarked on cruises to the middle of the ocean, taken flights into the eclipse's path and even traveled to Antarctica. In August 2017, millions across the U.S. witnessed a total solar eclipse visible from Oregon to South Carolina, with a partial eclipse visible to the rest of the continental U.S.

The interest in astronomical events that this eclipse sparked will likely return with two eclipses visible in the U.S. during the next year—the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023, and the total eclipse on April 8, 2024. But astro-tourism—traveling to national parks, observatories or other natural, dark-sky locations to view astronomical events—isn't limited just to chasing eclipses.

According to a recent study, 80% of Americans and one-third of the planet's population can no longer see the Milky Way from their homes because of light pollution.