Breaking News Special New Year Edition
Thursday / 1 January 2015

Moon-Based Telescope Observation
Of M101 Spiral Is First Galaxy Imaged From The Moon

m101GalaxyFromMoon1214Great Astronomy From The Moon Potential Confirmed By China Chang’e-3 Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope LUT Observations On 2 December At Beginning Of Lunar Day 13; Iconic 2014 Photo To Be Refined Further By NAOC Astronomers In Beijing, In Collaboration With ILOA And UHH, CFHT Lunar Astronomy Team On Hawai`i Island USA, Introducing Bright, Robust New Year 2015

Image Credit: National Astronomical Observatories of China & International Lunar Observatory Association; University of Hawaii Hilo, Canada France Hawaii Telescope

Friday / 12 December 2014

China Chang’e-4 Mission To
Moon South Pole?

Chang'e-4 MSP

Building Upon Success Of Chang’e-3 Mission, Backup Craft Chang’e-4 Could Be Launched 2015-2016 To Potentially Ignite The Race To New Frontier Of Exploration – Moon South Pole; With Other Nations / Private & Public Ventures Considering South Pole For Scientific Research, Resources Mapping & Mining, And Human Base Build Out, Chang’e-4 Could Provide Valuable Data As 1st Mission To Lunar Pole For Landing, Communications & Solar Power Technologies

Image Credit: CNSA, CCTV, NASA

Thursday / 11 December 2014

China Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope Continues To Prove Value Of Astronomy From Moon

LUT1214

Now In Lunar Day 13, Approaching 1    Year Of Operations On Moon, Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT) On Chang’e-3 Lander Still Providing Unprecedented Opportunities For Astronomical Observations; 150-mm Telescope Is First Long-Term Observatory To Take Advantage Of Thin Atmosphere, Slow Rotation Of Moon Which Allows Long-Duration Uninterrupted Observations Of Variable Stars, Galaxies, etc.; Attempting To Image Galaxy M101 As Part Of Collaboration / MOU With ILOA, ILOA Will Subsequently Provide Observation Time To NAOC / CNSA On Its Upcoming ILO-X Precursor & ILO-1 Polar Missions

Image Credit: NAOC, CNSA, ILOA

Tuesday / 9 December 2014

China Super-Heavy Launch Vehicle Will Enhance Human Moon Mission Capability

LongMarch9-Moon

China Academy Of Launch Vehicle Technology Head Li Tongyu Confirms Work Is Underway To Define Technological Feasibility & Requirements Of Long March-9 (LM-9) Super-Heavy Rocket; New Rocket Will Facilitate Human Moon Missions & Deep Space Exploration; Projected To Have 8-10-m Diameter, Launch Weight Of 3,000 Metric Tons, Max Payload Capacity Of 130 Metric Tons (Equal To NASA SLS); 1st Launch Of Long March-9 Expected In 2028; Currrent Rocket – LM-5 Can Facilitate Human Moon Mission Now, Yet Would Require 4 Launches As Opposed To 1 LM-9 Launch

Image Credit: CALT, CNSA

Tuesday / 2 December 2014

China Places Lunar Orbiter Service Module At L2

ChinaServiceL2

Service Module Of Chang’e-5 Test Probe Successfully Arrives At The Earth-Moon 2nd Lagrange Point, 421,000 Km From Earth & 63,000 Km From Moon; Based On Design Of Chang’e-2 & 3, The Service Module Will Eventually Be Moved To Lunar Orbit To Verify Chang’e-5 Tasks Related To Flight Control Technology; State Administration Of Science, Technology & Industry For National Defense Reports That All Experiments Are Going Well

Image Credit: CNSA, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 21-24 November 2014

ILOA Progressing With 4 Moon Missions,
International / Private / Public Collaboration

ILOA 4 Moon Missions 2015

ILOA Board of Directors Annual Meeting On Hawai`i Prepares For 2015 Advances With ILO-X Joint Venture Partner Moon Express Inc, ILO-1 Partner Canadensys Aerospace Corp, ILO Human Service Mission Partner Golden Spike Company, And ILOA / CNSA, NAOC Chang’e 3,4 / ISRO IIA Chandrayaan-2 Moon South Pole Collaboration: ILOA Principal Operating Partnerships (POP) Considered With Canada, China, Southeast Asia; Galaxy 21st Century Education Enabling New Solar System Vision

Image Credit: ILOA, ME, NAOC, GSC, ISRO

Wednesday / 12 November 2014

China: Space Dominance Or Key International Partner?

ChinaDominantCooperate

Noting Ambitious Series Of Lunar Missions – Chang’e-2 Elaborate Post-Moon Trajectory, Chang’e-3 Expansive Payload Capacity, Chang’e-5 Plans For Lunar Orbit Rendezvous – Paul Spudis Speculates That China Is Moving Ahead With Cislunar Space Dominance / Permanence / Control; Xu Dazhe, Head Of CNSA & China State Administration Of Science Technology & Industry For National Defense Says Country Welcomes International Colleagues To Join China Lunar Exploration Program; Buzz Aldrin Declares Cooperation With China Is Most Important Priority To Ensure USA Success In Space

Image Credit: Xinhua / Gin Ying, spudislunarresources.com, ama2007.com

Tuesday / 4 November 2014

China Becomes 3rd Nation To Conduct
Round Trip Moon Mission

Xiaofei

Continuing Its Methodical Approach To Lunar Development, China Successfully Recovers Chang’e-5 Test Probe ‘Xiaofei’ After Its 840,000-km Journey & Landing In Inner Mongolia; Probe Was Intact, Though Charred From Reentry Heat; Host Platform Dodged Earth And Headed Back Out Into Space To Continue Operations After Releasing Reentry Test Probe; Next Mission, Chang’e-4 Lander May Become First Craft To Soft Land On Lunar South Pole, Will Help Prove Systems Required For More Ambitious Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission, NET 2017

Image Credit: Xinhua

Wednesday / 29 October 2014

China Test Moon Mission Returning To Earth

Chang'e5T1cominghome

Chang’e-5 T1 Probe Departing Gravitational Sphere Of Moon, After Briefly Orbitting Moon At ~60,000 Km Altitude, Craft Makes Adjustments For Transfer Back To Terrestrial Orbit; Four-Day Trip Back To Earth Will Set Up Earth Reentry Demonstration On 31 October, Will Then Maneuver To Skip Off Edge Of Earth Atmosphere To Slow From 11.2 Km/sec Before Landing In Inner Mongolia With Parachute Assist; Lunar Rendezvous Allowed For Stunning Photo Of Moon And Earth

Image Credit: CNSA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 October 2014

China Moon Missions Opening Path To Human Exploration Of Lunar South Pole

ChinaSouthPoleMoon1014

Chang’e-5-T1 Mission Successfully Enters Circumlunar Course, Set To Obtain Experimental Data, Validate ‘Skip-Reentry’ Technique & Technologies In Preparation For 2017 Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission, Land In Inner Mongolia Around 1 Nov; China Officials Report Next Moon Lander Chang’e-4 Also Set To Advance Technologies For Sample Return Mission While Accomplishing New Feat – South Pole Landing Would Achieve Both Of These Objectives While Helping To Open Up Promising New Frontier To Eventual Human Settlement

Image Credit: Xinhua, NASA