Elon Musk's SpaceX will be building the lunar lander that will used as part of a planned mission to return to the moon in 2024, NASA announced today. As first reported by The Washington Post, Musk's company will receive a contract worth $2.89 billion to build the crewed lunar lander. It will cover an uncrewed flight and a single crewed landing.

.@NASA has selected @SpaceX to continue the development of its Human Landing System for the #Artemis program.

The Human Landing System will take astronauts from lunar orbit to the lunar surface and back. Read the full announcement: https://t.co/tkojemwUUr pic.twitter.com/bvOX6DQsXA — NASA’s Artemis Program (@NASAArtemis) April 16, 2021

It was something of an upset win for SpaceX, which beat out both Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and the Leidos subsidiary Dynetics for the contract. As CNBC notes, when the competition began in 2020, NASA initially handed out $967 million to the three companies, with SpaceX receiving the least amount of money. What's more, NASA was expected to choose two teams in order to keep the competition going. SpaceX will use a variation of its Starship rocket, which the company has been testing in Boca Chica, Texas. The mission will use NASA's Space Launch system to send four astronauts to the moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, with two of them transferring to SpaceX's lander. The mission is part of NASA's Artemis program, which seeks to land "the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/22/nasa-spacecraft-lands-on-an-asteroid"] “With this award, NASA and our partners will complete the first crewed demonstration mission to the surface of the Moon in the 21st century as the agency takes a step forward for women’s equality and long-term deep space exploration,” said , NASA’s associate administrator for Human Explorations and Operations Mission Directorate Kathy Lueders said in an official release. "This critical step puts humanity on a path to sustainable lunar exploration and keeps our eyes on missions farther into the solar system, including Mars.” This new contract is the latest in a string of successes for SpaceX, which successfully launched its first crewed flight into space last year. Meanwhile, Musk wants to to launch two remote-controlled cars into space for a race on the surface of the moon, which honestly sounds like a lot of fun. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Kat Bailey is a Senior Editor at IGN. She strongly recommends watching For All Mankind, which is a great show that's all about women going to the moon.  

Elon Musk's SpaceX will be building the lunar lander that will used as part of a planned mission to return to the moon in 2024, NASA announced today. As first reported by The Washington Post, Musk's company will receive a contract worth $2.89 billion to build the crewed lunar lander. It will cover an uncrewed flight and a single crewed landing.

.@NASA has selected @SpaceX to continue the development of its Human Landing System for the #Artemis program.

The Human Landing System will take astronauts from lunar orbit to the lunar surface and back. Read the full announcement: https://t.co/tkojemwUUr pic.twitter.com/bvOX6DQsXA — NASA’s Artemis Program (@NASAArtemis) April 16, 2021

It was something of an upset win for SpaceX, which beat out both Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and the Leidos subsidiary Dynetics for the contract. As CNBC notes, when the competition began in 2020, NASA initially handed out $967 million to the three companies, with SpaceX receiving the least amount of money. What's more, NASA was expected to choose two teams in order to keep the competition going. SpaceX will use a variation of its Starship rocket, which the company has been testing in Boca Chica, Texas. The mission will use NASA's Space Launch system to send four astronauts to the moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, with two of them transferring to SpaceX's lander. The mission is part of NASA's Artemis program, which seeks to land "the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/22/nasa-spacecraft-lands-on-an-asteroid"] “With this award, NASA and our partners will complete the first crewed demonstration mission to the surface of the Moon in the 21st century as the agency takes a step forward for women’s equality and long-term deep space exploration,” said , NASA’s associate administrator for Human Explorations and Operations Mission Directorate Kathy Lueders said in an official release. "This critical step puts humanity on a path to sustainable lunar exploration and keeps our eyes on missions farther into the solar system, including Mars.” This new contract is the latest in a string of successes for SpaceX, which successfully launched its first crewed flight into space last year. Meanwhile, Musk wants to to launch two remote-controlled cars into space for a race on the surface of the moon, which honestly sounds like a lot of fun. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Kat Bailey is a Senior Editor at IGN. She strongly recommends watching For All Mankind, which is a great show that's all about women going to the moon.  

Black Panther 2 director, Ryan Coogler, has penned an op-ed to explain why the movie will film in Georgia despite Senate Bill 202 and its effects on voters in the state. Coogler wrote a guest column on Deadline saying that he was profoundly disappointed to learn of SB202's passing in Georgia. The director explains that before turning his concern into action, he spoke with voting rights activists in the state and in doing so, has decided that Black Panther 2 will film in Georgia, where most Marvel movies are filmed these days. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true"] "Having now spoken with voting rights activists in the state, I have come to understand that many of the people employed by my film, including all the local vendors and businesses we engage, are the very same people who will bear the brunt of SB202," Coogler writes. "For those reasons, I will not be engaging in a boycott of Georgia. Coogler says that instead, he'll be "using (his) voice to emphasize the effects of SB202, its shameful roots in Jim Crow, and doing all (he) can to support organizations fighting voter suppression here in the state." The director then lists all of the things SB202 will do including shortening the absentee ballot request period, banning mobile voting, and criminalizing handing out water and snacks to voters in line, amongst many other things. SB202 was born out of the events following the 2020 presidential election, wherein former president, Donald Trump, made unfounded claims that voter fraud in Georgia is what led to President Joe Biden's win. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/12/the-mcus-infinity-saga-ranked"] Coogler continues in his column by listing some of the things H.R.1, otherwise known as the For the People Act, will reform in regards to voting rights. H.R.1 would "take aim at barriers to voting, like burdensome systems and limited voting hours," and more, according to Coogler. The act was already passed by the U.S. House, but must now be passed by the Senate to take effect. "Our film is staying in Georgia," Coogler writes. "Additionally, I have made personal commitment to raise awareness about ways to help overturn this harmful bill, and continue to get educated on this matter from people on the ground. I will encourage everyone working with me to tap in with the local community directly affected by Senate Bill 202 and to leverage their influence and resources to aid in the fight for this particular and essential pillar of democracy." You can read Coogler's column in full at Deadline. This op-ed from the Black Panther 2 director comes just days after Will Smith and director Antoine Fuqua announced that they would stop filming their upcoming thriller, Emancipation, in Georgia due to SB202. For more about Black Panther 2, read about how one of the film's producers ruled out a Chadwick Boseman cameo and then check out this story about how Coogler says Boseman wouldn't have wanted them to stop making Black Panther movies. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Black Panther 2 director, Ryan Coogler, has penned an op-ed to explain why the movie will film in Georgia despite Senate Bill 202 and its effects on voters in the state. Coogler wrote a guest column on Deadline saying that he was profoundly disappointed to learn of SB202's passing in Georgia. The director explains that before turning his concern into action, he spoke with voting rights activists in the state and in doing so, has decided that Black Panther 2 will film in Georgia, where most Marvel movies are filmed these days. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true"] "Having now spoken with voting rights activists in the state, I have come to understand that many of the people employed by my film, including all the local vendors and businesses we engage, are the very same people who will bear the brunt of SB202," Coogler writes. "For those reasons, I will not be engaging in a boycott of Georgia. Coogler says that instead, he'll be "using (his) voice to emphasize the effects of SB202, its shameful roots in Jim Crow, and doing all (he) can to support organizations fighting voter suppression here in the state." The director then lists all of the things SB202 will do including shortening the absentee ballot request period, banning mobile voting, and criminalizing handing out water and snacks to voters in line, amongst many other things. SB202 was born out of the events following the 2020 presidential election, wherein former president, Donald Trump, made unfounded claims that voter fraud in Georgia is what led to President Joe Biden's win. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/12/the-mcus-infinity-saga-ranked"] Coogler continues in his column by listing some of the things H.R.1, otherwise known as the For the People Act, will reform in regards to voting rights. H.R.1 would "take aim at barriers to voting, like burdensome systems and limited voting hours," and more, according to Coogler. The act was already passed by the U.S. House, but must now be passed by the Senate to take effect. "Our film is staying in Georgia," Coogler writes. "Additionally, I have made personal commitment to raise awareness about ways to help overturn this harmful bill, and continue to get educated on this matter from people on the ground. I will encourage everyone working with me to tap in with the local community directly affected by Senate Bill 202 and to leverage their influence and resources to aid in the fight for this particular and essential pillar of democracy." You can read Coogler's column in full at Deadline. This op-ed from the Black Panther 2 director comes just days after Will Smith and director Antoine Fuqua announced that they would stop filming their upcoming thriller, Emancipation, in Georgia due to SB202. For more about Black Panther 2, read about how one of the film's producers ruled out a Chadwick Boseman cameo and then check out this story about how Coogler says Boseman wouldn't have wanted them to stop making Black Panther movies. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Scientists have created embryos that are a mix of human and monkey cells, with the aim of understanding more about how cells communicate with each other. Professor Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte teamed up with a group of scientists to conduct an unprecedented experiment that saw stem cells from humans injected into embryos from macaque monkeys for the very first time. The lab-grown embryos were then studied for 19 days, with scientists reporting activity after just one day as they detected human cells growing in 132 of the embryos. NPR reported on the major scientific breakthrough, which provides important insights into how animal cells and human cells develop and communicate with one another. The purpose of the experiment was to help researchers to understand the evolution of the cells and determine whether there could be a way to grow organs for transplantation, given that the demand for organs so often exceeds the supply. [caption id="attachment_2501372" align="alignnone" width="720"] Image credit: Weizhi Ji/Kunming University of Science and Technology[/caption] The study provided the group with a better understanding of early human development, which could eventually lead to further advancements in medical science as scientists strive to find new ways to produce organs for transplants. Insoo Hyun, a bioethicist who supported the study, underscored the importance of the research by highlighting the deaths that occur year on year due to organ shortages. It isn't the first time that human cells have been implanted into other animals, typically human cells have been injected into sheep and pig embryos, but, in this case, monkeys were used because they are more closely related to humans in terms of genetics. However, this particular mixed-species embryo has sparked an ethical debate amongst scientists who have raised concerns about the experiment. Kristin Matthews, a fellow for science and technology at Rice University's Baker Institute, summarised some of the issues that had arisen within the science community about the foundations of the study. "I think the public is going to be concerned," she said. "And I am as well, that we're just kind of pushing forward with science without having a proper conversation about what we should or should not do." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-sci-fi-movies&captions=true"] "Should it be regulated as human because it has a significant proportion of human cells in it? Or should it be regulated just as an animal? Or something else?" Matthews quizzed further, as she reflected on where the research could potentially lead us to in the future. "At what point are you taking something and using it for organs when it actually is starting to think and have logic?" Belmonte acknowledged the ethical concerns but stressed that his team had only intended to create the embryo for research. "Our goal is not to generate any new organism, any monster," he explained. "And we are not doing anything like that. We are trying to understand how cells from different organisms communicate with one another." If you're wondering which side of the debate social media falls on, it seems that a large number of people are in the same thought pool: that Planet of the Apes could be about to become a reality. Many on Twitter have jokingly expressed their concern over the possibility of the fictional narrative coming to life, particularly the part about intelligent apes rising up against humans. "Almost a good idea for a movie... could call it Planet of the Apes," one person tweeted, as another quipped: "Well, in the original and most recent iterations of the Planet of the Apes films, it all got started with a global pandemic." The Walking Dead Twitter account took the opportunity to assure its followers that "we'll have Planet of the Apes before we have a zombie apocalypse." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/03/28/elon-musk-wants-to-put-a-chip-in-your-brain-ign-daily-fix"] It remains to be seen, however, what might happen when a monkey is given a chance to play a video game in its own mind. Elon Musk might have the answer for us soon, as he claims one of his companies has implanted a device into a monkey's brain in the hopes of making it play "mind pong" with another cyborg monkey to test a technology that could potentially treat brain and spinal injuries. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Scientists have created embryos that are a mix of human and monkey cells, with the aim of understanding more about how cells communicate with each other. Professor Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte teamed up with a group of scientists to conduct an unprecedented experiment that saw stem cells from humans injected into embryos from macaque monkeys for the very first time. The lab-grown embryos were then studied for 19 days, with scientists reporting activity after just one day as they detected human cells growing in 132 of the embryos. NPR reported on the major scientific breakthrough, which provides important insights into how animal cells and human cells develop and communicate with one another. The purpose of the experiment was to help researchers to understand the evolution of the cells and determine whether there could be a way to grow organs for transplantation, given that the demand for organs so often exceeds the supply. [caption id="attachment_2501372" align="alignnone" width="720"] Image credit: Weizhi Ji/Kunming University of Science and Technology[/caption] The study provided the group with a better understanding of early human development, which could eventually lead to further advancements in medical science as scientists strive to find new ways to produce organs for transplants. Insoo Hyun, a bioethicist who supported the study, underscored the importance of the research by highlighting the deaths that occur year on year due to organ shortages. It isn't the first time that human cells have been implanted into other animals, typically human cells have been injected into sheep and pig embryos, but, in this case, monkeys were used because they are more closely related to humans in terms of genetics. However, this particular mixed-species embryo has sparked an ethical debate amongst scientists who have raised concerns about the experiment. Kristin Matthews, a fellow for science and technology at Rice University's Baker Institute, summarised some of the issues that had arisen within the science community about the foundations of the study. "I think the public is going to be concerned," she said. "And I am as well, that we're just kind of pushing forward with science without having a proper conversation about what we should or should not do." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-sci-fi-movies&captions=true"] "Should it be regulated as human because it has a significant proportion of human cells in it? Or should it be regulated just as an animal? Or something else?" Matthews quizzed further, as she reflected on where the research could potentially lead us to in the future. "At what point are you taking something and using it for organs when it actually is starting to think and have logic?" Belmonte acknowledged the ethical concerns but stressed that his team had only intended to create the embryo for research. "Our goal is not to generate any new organism, any monster," he explained. "And we are not doing anything like that. We are trying to understand how cells from different organisms communicate with one another." If you're wondering which side of the debate social media falls on, it seems that a large number of people are in the same thought pool: that Planet of the Apes could be about to become a reality. Many on Twitter have jokingly expressed their concern over the possibility of the fictional narrative coming to life, particularly the part about intelligent apes rising up against humans. "Almost a good idea for a movie... could call it Planet of the Apes," one person tweeted, as another quipped: "Well, in the original and most recent iterations of the Planet of the Apes films, it all got started with a global pandemic." The Walking Dead Twitter account took the opportunity to assure its followers that "we'll have Planet of the Apes before we have a zombie apocalypse." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/03/28/elon-musk-wants-to-put-a-chip-in-your-brain-ign-daily-fix"] It remains to be seen, however, what might happen when a monkey is given a chance to play a video game in its own mind. Elon Musk might have the answer for us soon, as he claims one of his companies has implanted a device into a monkey's brain in the hopes of making it play "mind pong" with another cyborg monkey to test a technology that could potentially treat brain and spinal injuries. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

The upcoming HBO Max Batman spinoff series, Gotham PD, will reportedly focus on James Gordon, forgoing using the Gotham Central comic by Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker as inspiration.

Brubaker, who co-wrote the 2002 police procedural comic Gotham Central, recently appeared on Kevin Smith’s Fatman Beyond podcast and shared what he knew about the upcoming HBO Max series, Batman News reports.

“I was like ‘maybe they’re really going to make Gotham Central this time,’ and so I reached out to a producer who works for Matt Reeves and he says, ‘no, that’s not really Gotham Central.’” Brubaker said. “They’re making sure that they don’t call it Gotham Central and it’s more of a spinoff from the movie. It’s like the James Gordon show.”

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/23/the-batman-trailer-dc-fandome-official-footage"]

The Gotham PD series will serve as a prequel to director Matt Reeves’s 2022 Batman film (starring Robert Pattinson), set during the first year of the Dark Knight’s career as a hero. Reeves is currently producing the series, which has struggled to hold onto a showrunner. Current showrunner, Joe Barton, previously created and wrote an eight-episode crime thriller Giri/Haji for BBC Two and Netflix. He also wrote 2017’s supernatural horror film The Ritual.

Brubaker’s comments suggest that Jeffrey Wright, who plays Gordon in Reeves’ Batman, may play the officer again in the spinoff series, but no casting information has been announced as of yet.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dc-extended-universe-every-upcoming-movie&captions=true"]

Further details about the Gotham PD spinoff remain scarce, with no release date announced, and Reeves’ Batman film suffering delays due to COVID-19.

Having trouble keeping track of the DC Universe and all its HBO adaptations? Here's every upcoming DC cinematic universe movie or show coming in the future.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/dork knight for IGN.

The upcoming HBO Max Batman spinoff series, Gotham PD, will reportedly focus on James Gordon, forgoing using the Gotham Central comic by Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker as inspiration.

Brubaker, who co-wrote the 2002 police procedural comic Gotham Central, recently appeared on Kevin Smith’s Fatman Beyond podcast and shared what he knew about the upcoming HBO Max series, Batman News reports.

“I was like ‘maybe they’re really going to make Gotham Central this time,’ and so I reached out to a producer who works for Matt Reeves and he says, ‘no, that’s not really Gotham Central.’” Brubaker said. “They’re making sure that they don’t call it Gotham Central and it’s more of a spinoff from the movie. It’s like the James Gordon show.”

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/23/the-batman-trailer-dc-fandome-official-footage"]

The Gotham PD series will serve as a prequel to director Matt Reeves’s 2022 Batman film (starring Robert Pattinson), set during the first year of the Dark Knight’s career as a hero. Reeves is currently producing the series, which has struggled to hold onto a showrunner. Current showrunner, Joe Barton, previously created and wrote an eight-episode crime thriller Giri/Haji for BBC Two and Netflix. He also wrote 2017’s supernatural horror film The Ritual.

Brubaker’s comments suggest that Jeffrey Wright, who plays Gordon in Reeves’ Batman, may play the officer again in the spinoff series, but no casting information has been announced as of yet.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dc-extended-universe-every-upcoming-movie&captions=true"]

Further details about the Gotham PD spinoff remain scarce, with no release date announced, and Reeves’ Batman film suffering delays due to COVID-19.

Having trouble keeping track of the DC Universe and all its HBO adaptations? Here's every upcoming DC cinematic universe movie or show coming in the future.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/dork knight for IGN.

Mario Kart 8, which includes the Wii U original and Nintendo Switch's Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, has become the best-selling racing game in US history. As reported by The NPD Group's Mat Piscatella, Mario Kart 8 has finally surpassed Mario Kart Wii, which was released in 2008. While we don't know the exact sales numbers in the US, Mario Kart 8 was originally released on the Wii U in 2014 and has sold 8.45 million units globally as of September 30, 2020. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was released on the Switch in 2017 and has, as of December 31, 2020, sold 33.41 million units globally. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/04/20/mario-kart-8-deluxe-review"] Mario Kart Wii, on the other hand, has sold 37.38 million units as of September 30, 2020. While both Mario Kart 8s have sold more than Mario Kart Wii at 41.86 million units globally, this is one of the first confirmations that Mario Kart 8 has surpassed Mario Kart Wii in the US. Fun Fact: Mario Kart 8, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Mario Kart Wii's combined sales of 79.24 million units still don't quite reach Wii Sports' 82.90 million units sold as of September 30, 2020. Even More Fun Fact: Wii Sports sits at fourth place in the list of best-selling video games of all-time behind Grand Theft Auto V's 140 million+, Minecraft's 200 million+, and Tetris' 500 million+. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=top-10-best-selling-video-games-of-all-time&captions=true"] Piscatella shared this news as part of The NPD Group's breakdown of March 2021's video game sales, which also revealed that the PS5 has now become the fastest-selling console in U.S. history in both unit and dollar sales. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Mario Kart 8, which includes the Wii U original and Nintendo Switch's Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, has become the best-selling racing game in US history. As reported by The NPD Group's Mat Piscatella, Mario Kart 8 has finally surpassed Mario Kart Wii, which was released in 2008. While we don't know the exact sales numbers in the US, Mario Kart 8 was originally released on the Wii U in 2014 and has sold 8.45 million units globally as of September 30, 2020. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was released on the Switch in 2017 and has, as of December 31, 2020, sold 33.41 million units globally. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/04/20/mario-kart-8-deluxe-review"] Mario Kart Wii, on the other hand, has sold 37.38 million units as of September 30, 2020. While both Mario Kart 8s have sold more than Mario Kart Wii at 41.86 million units globally, this is one of the first confirmations that Mario Kart 8 has surpassed Mario Kart Wii in the US. Fun Fact: Mario Kart 8, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Mario Kart Wii's combined sales of 79.24 million units still don't quite reach Wii Sports' 82.90 million units sold as of September 30, 2020. Even More Fun Fact: Wii Sports sits at fourth place in the list of best-selling video games of all-time behind Grand Theft Auto V's 140 million+, Minecraft's 200 million+, and Tetris' 500 million+. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=top-10-best-selling-video-games-of-all-time&captions=true"] Piscatella shared this news as part of The NPD Group's breakdown of March 2021's video game sales, which also revealed that the PS5 has now become the fastest-selling console in U.S. history in both unit and dollar sales. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.