Category Archives: Artemis Program

Tuesday / 27 Sep 2022

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ESA to Send 2 Astronauts to Lunar Gateway, 1 to Moon Surface with NASA / Artemis Program by End of NLT 2029

Joint Statement on Lunar Cooperation Activities, signed by ESA Director Aschbacher / NASA Administrator Nelson, outlines Europe contributions – Service Module for Orion, I-HAB and ESPRIT modules for Gateway; At least 3 seats for ESA Astronauts secured in exchange: 2 Astronauts on orbital missions, likely Artemis 4 (NET 2027) & Artemis 5 (NET 2028), 1 on later surface mission TBD; Candidates for Europe Moon Astronauts include Samantha Cristoforetti (IT), Thomas Pesquet (FR), Tim Peake (UK), Alexander Gerst (DE), Matthias Maurer (DE), Luca Parmitano (IT) and Andreas Mogensen (DK)

Pictured (L-R): ESA Director Josef Aschbacher, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson; Credits: ESA, NASA, Twitter

Friday / 23 Sep 2022

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Artemis and Starship: Mega Rockets Intended for Human Moon Exploration Advance Towards Flight

NASA to update on cryogenic tanking test which saw 7% hydrogen leak from 20-cm seal largely mitigated by reducing fueling pressure at 23 Sep press briefing; Next launch opportunity 27 Sep pending weather & flight termination system battery waiver; Starship ‘Ship 24’ and Super Heavy ‘B7’ prototypes to undergo full stack WDR / hot fire testing at SpaceX Starbase in TX, from which possible October or likely November orbital test launch is to occur, with B7 splashing down in Gulf of Mexico and Ship 24 soft landing in Pacific 100-km NW of Kauaʻi

Credits: NASA, SpaceX

Friday / 16 Sep 2022

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Capstone Team Working “Around the Clock” to Restore Spacecraft to Nominal Operational State

Advanced Space, Terran Orbital, and NASA focused on correcting anomalous behavior of ~US$30M Capstone, currently deemed stable, on trajectory to achieve lunar Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit and in communication with Deep Space Network, however still tumbling in safe mode after losing attitude control and comms in event associated with 8 Sep Trajectory Correction Maneuver 3; Sufficient solar power being generated to heat 8-thruster hydrazine propulsion system built by Stellar Exploration; Recovery operation may be possible, utilizing thrusters if 5° C thermal stability is achieved for 12 hours

Credits: NASA, Advanced Space

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 9-12 Sep 2022

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2022/3 Moon Missions Approach as Capstone & Danuri Near Lunar Orbit, Artemis Team Working to Launch

NASA Capstone on route to 3,000 x 70,000-km near rectilinear halo orbit 13 Nov; Danuri not far behind on similar low-energy ballistic lunar transfer, to reach orbital insertion 16 Dec; Artemis 1 may launch 23 or 27 Sep if LH2 leak is remedied on launchpad, JAXA 6U Omotenashi semi-hard impactor is 1 of 10 CubeSat rideshares; ispace Nov launch of Hakuto-R / Rashid rover, also to 3-month low-energy trajectory, landing in equatorial Lacus Somniorum; Astrobotic Peregrine lander slated to launch before EOY; Intuitive Machines Nova-C lander striving for NET Jan 2023 launch; ISRO Chandrayaan 3 targeting Q1 2023; Roscosmos Luna-25 pushed to NET 2023; JAXA SLIM slated for NET March 2023

Credits: NASA, KARI, Advanced Space

Friday / 9 Sept 2022

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National Space Council, Chaired by VP Kamala Harris, Convening at Johnson Space Center

Modernization of “outdated” commercial space regulation to be discussed at 2nd Biden-Harris administration meeting of the National Space Council 9 Sep, in furtherance of United States Space Priorities Framework; VP Harris was on-site for 1st Artemis launch attempt at KSC 29 Aug, declaring the “return on an investment… being able to put human beings on the Moon where they can work and live — it’s going to be immense”, while assuring public “our commitment to the Artemis Program remains firm” via Twitter; NSC meeting to include tour of JSC facilities

Pictured: VP Harris, Astronauts Shannon Walker, Joe Acaba; Credits: NASA, White House

Labor Day Weekend Edition
Fri-Tues / 2-6 Sep 2022

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Artemis 1 Launch Now Set for Saturday 3 September with Next Window Opening on 5 Sep

With predicted weather conditions 60% favorable, leaky propellant lines replaced / retorqued and faulty RS-25 engine temperature sensor identified, NASA is “Go” for launch of flagship Artemis 1 (SLS + Orion); Engine bleed cooldown schedule modified 30-45 minutes earlier than originally planned; 2-hour launch window opens 14:17 at KSC, ~400k spectators expected to view historic launch nearby while space / Moon explorers around the world will witness launch on NASA Live and track 37-day mission with Artemis Real-time Orbit Website (AROW)

Pictured: SLS Chief Engineer John Blevins; Credits: NASA, @NASA_Orion

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 26-29 Aug 2022

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Artemis 1 Launch to Open Next Generation of Moon Exploration, Test Human Lunar Return Technologies, Deliver 10 Deep Space CubeSats

NASA Space Launch System / Orion set to launch NET 29 August 08:33-10:33 EDT – putting mission on 42-day route to ~100-km Moon flyby / 70,000-km Distant Retrograde Orbit; Alternate launch dates 2 or 5 September; SLS will be 3rd lunar launch of 2022, after CAPSTONE and Danuri, possibly followed by landings of ispace, Luna-25, Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines; Most powerful rocket built will provide ~39,000 kN (8.8M lbs) of lift-off thrust and help re-establish humans as Multi World Species, utilizing Luna as next big step into Galaxy; Millions online, >100,000 in-person expected to watch live

Credits: NASA

Friday / 26 Aug 2022

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Space Frontier Foundation (SFF) NewSpace 2022 Awards Ceremony is Opportunity to Advance Lunar Initiatives

Cofounder Rick Tumlinson with Chair Kim Macharia to preside over SFF-organized NewSpace awards ceremony 26 August in Seattle, home to Boeing engineering team behind SLS, launching Artemis 1 to Moon NET 29 Aug; Next generation of space entrepreneurs will set sights to Moon as destination and platform for deep space, asteroid, Mars and Beyond ventures with Artemis-era synergy

Credits: SFF, NASA, Twitter, SPC / ILOA

Wednesday / 24 Aug 2022

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Several Lunar Businesses to Participate During NewSpace 2022 Conference in Seattle

Space Frontier Foundation continues annual NewSpace series with 49 speakers including dynamic Moon businesses & ventures: Gateway Habitation and Logistics Outpost contractor Paragon Space CEO (L-R) Grant Anderson; Xcraft interplanetary / lunar orbital vehicle builder Xplore of Seattle WA COO Lisa Rich; Breaking Ground trust lunar regolith contracted customer Orbit Fab CEO Daniel Faber; Ardoride spacecraft builder Momentus CTO Rob Schwarz (launching to Moon orbit NET 2024 with Qosmosys); Blue Origin, continuing to advance Blue Moon lander and lunar-hardened technology, will be represented by private Astronaut / keynote speaker Audrey Powers

Credits: SFF, Northrop Grumman

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 Aug 2022

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Artemis Program Getting New Director as Critics Sound Alarm on Need for Organizational Coherency

As directed by congress in NASA Authorization Act of 2022, the agency is to appoint Director of Moon to Mars office, responsible for development of “an integrated master plan, integrated master schedule, and integrated risk management procedures” and reporting to Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Administrator (T-B) Jim Free; Executive restructure comes amid stern warnings from prominent space community members to Politico, including NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel Chair Patricia Sanders and AIAA Director Daniel Dumbacher; VP Kamala Harris to discuss “new rules framework” at National Space Council meeting 9 Sep

Credits: NASA