Friday / 25 April 2025

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China National Space Agency Shares Moon ‘Wealth’ with International Scientists

Zhongde Shan, CNSA Director, announced 24 April, China Space Day that 7 applicants are awarded lunar regolith samples from Chang’E-5 for scientific research; awardees are Institute of Geophysics of Paris (France), University of Cologne (Germany), Osaka University (Japan), Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission of Pakistan, Open University of United Kingdom, Brown University of United States and Stony Brook University of State University of New York, with 5 signing “Lunar Sample Loan Agreement” that day; Shan emphasizes China lunar exploration program follows principles of equality, mutual benefit, peaceful use and cooperative success

Credits: CNSA, IPGP, U of Cologne, The Open U, Brown U, Osaka U, Stony Brook, SUPARCO; Dir. Zhongde photo courtesy Harbin U

Tuesday / 22 April 2025

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Now One Year Out: Artemis 2 Human Mission to Moon

Artemis 2 lunar flyby 10-day mission set for Apr 2026, though NASA is working for Feb; Will be first human Moon mission in 54 years, and will occur in 2026 – the 250th observation of USA Declaration of Independence; Orion solar panels now installed, SLS upper stage connected to interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS), return trajectory adapted to de-stress heat shield; ICPS will fire to reach HEO of 185×74,000km, where manual piloting mode and other systems are tested for 93.5 hours; Orion will make TLI burn to reach 7,400km beyond Moon far side ~370,000km from Earth before Earth-Moon gravity pulls craft back, entering atmosphere at 40,000kph, enduring heat ~2,760°C before splashdown

Credits: NASA

Friday / 18 April 2025

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Artemis Accords Continues Peaceful, Scientific Moon Cooperation Goal – Now with 54 Signatories

The Artemis Accords promote collaboration, ethical conduct and sustainable methods for space exploration, beginning with the Moon; 54th country, Bangladesh, signed Accords 8 Apr; not a treaty but a set of principles, areas of cooperation in the Accords include: Peaceful Purposes, Transparency, Emergency Assistance, Space Objects / Heritage / Resources / Activities, Scientific Data; as more nations join, it is hoped the influence of Accords will increase; China-led International Lunar Research Station project has 14+ national and private NGO signatories for robust, inclusive participation

Credits: NASA, ESA, Datawrapper

Tuesday / 15 April 2025

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New ispace-U.S. CEO Elizabeth Kryst Signs 2 Memorandums of Understanding

40th Space Symposium was backdrop for 2 announced collaborations; ispace-U.S. will work with Zeno Power, Tyler Bernstein Co-Founder / CEO, to develop technologies enabling survival of lunar night; demo mission planned NET 2027 with ispace APEX 1.0 next-generation lander (using Resilience-learned knowledge) and Zeno Power radioisotope power system (RPS) providing continuous, reliable heat / electricity via nuclear that solar panels cannot, during the 14-day lunar night at –173°C; ispace will work with Redwire (NYSE:RDW), President Mike Gold, 1 of 14 prime holders of CLPS IDIQ (indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity) contracts, worth US$2.6B, to pursue future CLPS contracts

Credit: ispace 

Friday / 11 April 2025

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NASA Expected to Choose 1 of 3 Lunar Terrain Vehicles (LTVs) This Year, Award US$4.6B

3 companies were tasked with building a Moon rover to support Artemis; Lunar Outpost Eagle seats 2 Astronauts in front, each wheel turns independently, screens show what several cameras see, there are tool and sample containers, it can be operated remotely; Astrolab / Venturi / Axiom LTV has 2 Astronauts standing at rear, storage containers for lunar samples; Intuitive Machines RACER holds 2 Astronauts, carries 400kg of cargo plus trailer with 800kg, offers remote control, engineered with 9 companies and input from Moonwalkers Charlie Duke and Harrison Schmitt

Credits: Space.com/Future/Brett Tingley, Astrolab, Intuitive Machines 

Tuesday / 8 April 2025

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ispace-U.S. Calls Together Science Advisors for Lunar Exploration

Lunar exploration company ispace (ispace-U.S.) has formed U.S. Lunar Science Advisory Board (US LSAB) in conjunction with 1 Apr naming of new CEO Elizabeth Kryst; Chair is Alan Stern, former NASA Associate Administrator; Amanda Hendrix, Planetary Science Institute, who studies Moon composition and lunar resources; Philip Metzger, University of Central Florida, who does regolith research; Lisa Gaddis, LPI, has received many NASA awards, does lunar analysis and geology; Jack Burns, Professor Emeritus of both Astrophysics and Physics, served on numerous NASA committees; Clive Neal, Professor of Planetary Geology, has overseen lunar samples, helped train NASA Astronauts

Credit: ispace (Pictured CW from upper left: Metzger, Stern, Burns, Gaddis, Hendrix, Neal) 

Tuesday / 1 April 2025

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Moon Village Association and its Global Expert Group Emphasize International Cooperation and Sustainability

Moon Village Association (MVA) supports diverse projects in many fields, fosters communications and cooperation, advises UN COPUOS (Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space), had UN declare International Moon Day July 20 annually, Abu Dhabi hosting 2025 main event as well as NET Nov Workshop & Symposium; the Global Expert Group on Sustainable Lunar Activities (GEGSLA) sprang from MVA to advance peaceful lunar governance and sustainability, will have 10th operational meeting 22 May; other MVA projects include promoting innovation, coordination and standardization toward lunar positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services and a Lunar Governance Working Group

Credits: XTEND, MVA 

Friday / 28 March 2025

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Lunar Commercial Communications Now and in the Future

Astrobotic Griffin-1 Moon lander, NET late 2025, will carry a Stamper Technology NanoFiche device with movie Miracle on 34th Street, Long Now world language translator and portions of Lunar Codex, et al.; aiming for a multimillion-year archive of human achievement, the device is made to survive thermal, mechanical and radiation extremes; Intuitive Machines (IM) and Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) are using NASA awards from a US$4.82B fund to build lunar communications commercial services, IM working with York Space Systems to build relay satellites, and KSAT with CPI Vertex Antennentechnik to build 20-meter Earth antennas expected to be operational late this year

Credits: Astrobotic, Stamper Technology, IM, KSAT, NASA

Tuesday / 25 March 2025

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Artemis 2: On-Track to Bring Humans Closer to the Moon than We’ve Been in More Than 50 Years

NASA Astronauts Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen are training meticulously for a million-km, 10-day Moon flyby in Orion spacecraft, 1st crewed flight of the Artemis campaign, Artemis II; set to launch NET April 2026 via Space Launch System (SLS), Orion is now at Kennedy Space Center; also there, SLS now has its 64-meter core stage — largest component of the rocket — joined with stacked solid rocket boosters; crew are testing Orion life support, communications and navigation systems and speaking with its engineers

Credits: CSA, NASA

Friday / 21 March 2025

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Philosophy of Solar System Exploration: Moon and Then Mars

Pioneering thinkers Astronaut Suni Williams, Bhavya Lal of NASA / Rand, Ryan Faith of US House / SpaceNews and Brent Sherwood of AIAA, Blue Origin and NASA agree on fundamentals: Moon is the proving ground for Mars and the start of a multiplanetary legacy, priorities must be sustainability, collaboration, creativity, economic integration and innovations that benefit everyday life; collaboration internationally and public / private makes Moon / Mars and beyond accomplishment a shared human achievement; exploring allows philosophical musing on our purpose, learning how we solve problems of materials, chemicals, technology; Williams is honored by ISRO and her father’s village in India, as well as by friendly dolphins greeting her capsule at splashdown

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Credits: Suni Williams, Bhavya Lal, Ryan Faith, Brent Sherwood, ILOA, NASA, NASA/Don Pettit