USA, China, Canada and India Crewed Moon Missions on Horizon
As 2023 second half begins, NASA seeking ≤ 60 kg lunar surface science payloads under Artemis III Deployed Instruments (A3DI) Program, with Step-1 proposals due 30 June, Step-2 due 31 Aug; CNSA Chang’E-7 team evaluating international payload proposals, expert review due 1 July, final tech confirmation 1 Sep; CMSE working to land Taikonauts via LM-9 / 10 in 2020s, build ILRS with construction starting NET 2026; Astronaut Jeremy Hansen, set to be first Canadian to fly by Moon NET Nov 2024, celebrates Canada Day 1 July; ISRO Chandrayaan-3 launching 13 July at 14:30 IST, human landings may be accelerated via Artemis / USA-India partnership
CSA-ASC funding 5 companies to advance Lunar Surface Exploration Initiative with 7 studies (~US$200K/ea, $1.4M total) on agricultural science, avionics/comms, mining/ISRU, power; Canadensys (Bolton ON) to study lunar greenhouse, modular rover concepts; MDA (Brampton ON) to study nuclear power generation, autonomous robots / rovers; MPB Communications (Pointe-Claire QC) to study Earth-Moon optical comms, Canadian Space Mining Corporation (Toronto ON) to study lunar prospecting; Honeywell Ltd. of Canada (Ottawa ON) to study Moon surface / orbit communication network
ispace Of Japan, Under CLPS-like Contract From JAXA, To Carry Small (80mm Diameter, 250g Mass) 2-wheeled Spherical Rover To Moon; Hakuto-R Mission 1 Is Slated To Launch To Lacus Somniorum (37.56°N / 30.8°E), Possibly In Competition With USA Enterprises Astrobotic And Intuitive Machines For Historic First Private Landing On Another World; ispace Is Also Scheduled In 2022 To Deliver 10kg Rashid Rover For UAE Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, Instruments From Mission Control Space Services, Canadensys And NGC Of Canada Through US$124M Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program; CSA-ASC / NASA Rover By 2026
Canadian Space Society (Société Spatiale Canadienne) Is Premier Space Advocacy Organization Of Canada With Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg Chapters; Canadian Space Summit 2020 Continues Mission To Inform, Educate, Engage And Shape Policy In Advancement of Human Activity In Space With Theme ‘To Lunar And Beyond’; Keynote Speakers Include (L-R) Parshati Patel Of Institute For Earth And Space Exploration, Former UN COPUOS Chair David Kendall, Kate Howells Of Planetary Society And IIAS Space Medicine Director Shawna Pandya; Montreal Student Space Associations To Give “180-Seconds To A Degree” Award Selected From Submissions Due 21 Nov
Canadian Space Agency LEAP Offering Capability Demonstration Funds From US$115M / 5-year Allocation; Projects Intended To Display Canada-Produced Technology Useful To International Artemis Partnership; $1.9M Already Granted To Canadensys Aerospace Of Ontario For Development And Deployment Of 360° Panoramic Lunar Surface Imager, $644,000 Awarded To NGC Aerospace For GNSS-style Moon Network Which Will Aid Precision Landing, Both Are Expected To Launch NLT April 2024; Upcoming LEAP Cycles 3 And 4 (Due 26 Feb And 27 Aug 2021, Respectively) Are To Distribute Up To $3.1M/Each