In a newly published research article in Space: Science & Technology, an international team of researchers from the Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences; the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN); the China Academy of Space Technology; the National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences; the Yunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences; and the China University of Geosciences jointly presents a detailed account of the successful deployment of the INRRI laser retroreflector on the lunar farside by the Chang’e-6 mission.

This review highlights Anoectochilus roxburghii as a promising natural skincare ingredient with strong translational potential. Traditionally known as the “King of Medicine” and “Golden Herb,” A. roxburghii contains polysaccharides, flavonoids, and kinsenosides that may support antioxidant defense, anti-inflammatory regulation, skin barrier repair, and brightening effects. The article connects traditional medicinal value with modern cosmetic science, emphasizing topical, skin-relevant mechanisms rather than systemic pharmacological effects. It also discusses product development opportunities, including serums, masks, creams, and soothing formulations, while identifying key challenges such as extract standardization, clinical validation, safety assessment, and scalable industrial application.

An article in the Soil Science Society of America Journal proposes a classification framework to help scientists better understand lunar soils. This emerging science of “planetary pedology,” the study and classification of soils beyond Earth, could help future missions select the best sites for construction, resource extraction and potentially cultivation, thereby supporting long-term, sustainable human settlement on the Moon.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers successfully synthesized spherical Rh-Pd-Ir-Pt-Au HEA NPs with a mean diameter of approximately 10 nm in an aqueous mixed metal salt solution without any additional chemical reductants.

Atmospheric water vapor is vital to weather and climate research, yet estimating it from global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals depends on an intermediate temperature value that global models may not represent accurately at regional scales. In Geodesy and Geodynamics, researchers introduce three models calibrated for Iran using radiosonde observations and radio occultation profiles from multiple satellite missions. Models using measured surface temperature performed best with radiosonde data, while a surface-temperature-independent model proved more reliable for satellite profiles and cut errors in GNSS-derived precipitable water vapor by about half at test stations in Tehran and Tabriz.

The Natural Product Institute at the Gangneung Institute of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Oh Sang-Rok) has long conducted research leveraging natural-product-based core technologies to improve public quality of life. Building on this research foundation, a team led by Dr. Koo Song Yi, Senior Researcher at the Center for Natural Product Systems Biology, has developed a 3D food printing-based manufacturing technology for customized medi-foods. To address the mealtime challenges faced by dysphagia patients, the team engineered a composite ink for 3D printing that allows precise control of physical properties tailored to each patient's individual swallowing ability.

What if cancer screening no longer had to look for one cancer at a time? Cancer screening has long followed a one-organ-at-a-time model: mammography for breast cancer, colonoscopy for colorectal cancer, low-dose CT for lung cancer, and cervical testing for cervical cancer. These programs save lives, but they also leave gaps. Many cancers still lack routine screening, while patients often face multiple appointments, tests, and follow-up procedures.