Tuesday / 7 December 2021

Yutu-2 Moon Rover On Route to Investigate Unusual Rectangular Object within Von Karman Crater

The first mission to explore surface of the lunar far side, already traversing ~840m, soon reaching 3rd full year since landing 3 Jan 2019, has sighted a novel structure on 36th lunar day and is now in transit to it, ~80m distant from present location NW of Chang’e-4 lander, as reported by Andrew Jones via Our Space of China; While natural origin / geological formation is assumed, SETA advocates such as James Benford argue that lunar artifacts may be viable source of ET clues

Credits: CNSA

Tuesday / 6 July 2021

‘921 Rocket’ Could Carry China Taikonauts To Moon Surface By Mid-Decade

Crewed Launch Vehicle Being Developed By China Aerospace Science and Technology Codenamed 921, Reference To Chinese National Manned Space Program (Shenzhou) 1992 Founding Date, May Be More Timely Alternative Than Super Heavy Lift Vehicle Long March 9 To Achieve China Human Moon Landing; LM-9 Most Recent Design Iteration Calls For 10.6-m Diameter Core Stage With 16 YF-135 Engines Sans Auxiliary Boosters, Suggestive Of Reusability Goals; ‘921 Rocket’ Speculated To Be Designated Long March 5DY And Could Be Used To Ferry Crew To TLI With 2-Craft Configuration By 2025

Credits: CNSA, CASC

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 June 2021

Russia And China Solicit Global Partnership On International Lunar Research Station

Collaboration On Lunar Surface Missions 2021-25 Offered To World Space Community By ILRS Partners China And Russia, With Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin Telling State Media TASS “We Are Actively Negotiating With Many Participants”, Specifically ESA; ISRO Also Being Courted; Proposals Of Cooperation Opportunity Include Space Mission, Space System, Subsystem, Equipment, Ground & Application; Data Sharing / Analysis Available For CE-4, CE-6, Luna-25, Luna-27; Engineering And Mission Planning Coordination Possible For CE-7, CE-8, Luna-26, Luna-28; International / Independent Cooperation Could Accelerate Human Moon Landings This Decade

Credits: CNSA, Roscosmos

Friday / 11 June 2021

USA Bill May Authorize Second HLS; Russia, China Human-Rated Lunar Craft Progress

~US$10B Authorization For “Dissimilar Redundant” 2024 Human Landing System Award, Widely Speculated To Be In Response To Blue Origin GAO Protest Over Blue Moon Lander (L) Included In Innovation And Competition Act Containing NASA Authorization; Amended By Commerce Committee Chair Senator Maria Cantwell; Meanwhile Roscosmos Prime Contractor RSC Energia Continues Construction On 18 m3 Orel ‘Eagle’ (TR) And CNSA Contractor CASC Plans Next Test Of 13 m3 Next-Generation Crewed Spacecraft (BR) With Missions Slated For Late 2020s

Credits: Blue Origin, RSC Energia, CASC

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 12-15 Mar 2021

Two Major International Coalitions Of Earth Powers Forming To Advance Permanent Moon Activity

China And Russia To Collaborate On “Long-Term Autonomous” International Lunar Research Station “Open To All Interested Countries And International Partners” Per MoU; Timeframe And Location (Surface / Orbit) Not Designated; Artemis Accords Signatories Australia, Brazil*, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, UAE, UK, USA And Ukraine Advancing Gateway-Based Lunar Return Strategy With Human Landing System(s) To Be Selected Soon From SpaceX, Dynetics and Blue Origin Teams; Plan Hinges On SLS, Set For Final Hot Fire Test At Stennis Space Center 18 March And Transfer, If Test Successful, To KSC For Integration & Possible 2021 Launch

Credits: NASA, CNSA, Roscosmos
* Has signaled intent to sign

Friday / 5 Mar 2021

China Advancing Lunar, Deep Space Plans With New Spacecraft

Currently The Only Country With Operations On Lunar Surface, China (Zhongguo) Is Augmenting Its Spacecraft Stable In Preparation For Major Robotic And Human Moon Missions; China Rocket Scientist And Member Of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Jiang Jie Tells State Media Super Heavy-Lift Launch And New Crew Vehicle Are Under Development By CASC (Rocket Building Subsidiary Of Prime Contractor CALT); SpaceNews Reports Likely SHLLV Specifications Of 4,140,000kg Launch Weight, 10m Diameter Core, 140,000kg Payload To LEO (Just 10,000kg Shy Of SpaceX Starship Projected Capacity), Kerosene-Fueled First Stage Making 4,448kN And LH2 / LOX Second Stage Producing 1957kN

Credits: CNSA, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 22-25 Jan 2021

‘Engage With China Through UN, Retain Space Council’ Say Prominent USA Scholars And Commercial Space Figures

As Chang’e-5 Begins Extended Solar Observation Mission With Bearing Toward Sun-Earth L1 Point, Princeton Professor Emerita Anne-Marie Slaughter (L) Makes Studied Argument For Broadly Inclusive, Multilateral Lunar Resources Treaty With Global Stakeholders Including China / Zhongguo, Suggests Implementation Via COPUOS / UNOOSA To Avoid “Race To Bottom” Competition For Strategic South Pole Territory, Water Ice And Rare Earth Elements; Mandy Vaughn (R) President Virgin Orbit Subsidiary VOX Space Promotes National Space Council Continuity, Voicing Opinion At NewSpace New Mexico Event NSC Critical For Interagency Cohesion

Credits: New America, NASA, NSSA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 Dec 2020

China / Zhongguo Becomes 3rd Nation To Achieve Lunar Sample Return, 2nd To Do So Robotically

Chang’e-5 / Phase 3 Of CLEP Achieves Successful Transport Of 2kg Surface Regolith + 0.5kg Subsurface (1.8m Depth) From Oceanus Procellarum To Inner Mongolia Via High Speed Skip Retry; Recovered From Remote Tundra By Team Outfitted With 4kg Exoskeleton Suits, Providing 10% Strength Assist, And Joined By Curious Rabbit; First Samples Procured Since 170g From Luna 24 To Be Followed By Commercial / National Robotic And Human Efforts; International Collaboration On Analysis Invited, Chang’e-6/7/8 And Phase 4 Lunar Research Base Build-Out To Commence, Per Deputy Commander Wu Yanhua

Credits: CNSA, Xinhua

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 9-12 Oct 2020

China (Zhongguo) Set To Conduct First Lunar Sample Return Of The Modern Era

Wenchang SLC On Hainan Island Is Center Of Preparatory Activity For 24 Nov Chang’e-5 Launch: Testing, Assembly, LM-5 Launch Vehicle Integration; Built By CAST For CNSA, Chang’e-5 23-Day Mission Comprised Of Orbiter, Lander, Ascender And Returner; 2 Kilograms Of Regolith To Be Collected By Lander Via Robotic Drill / Scoop Near Dense Mons Rümker Volcanic Structures, Within Oceanus Procellarum; 4-Spacecraft Mission Begins Phase 3 Of China Lunar Exploration Program, And Signals Level Of Technical Sophistication Necessary For Future Crewed Lunar Missions / Deep Space Exploration

Credits: CNSA, CAST, China Daily

Friday / 9 Oct 2020

European Space Agency Selects 5 Lunar Cave Study Proposals For Advancement

Collaborative ESA Initiative Open Space Innovation Platform Has Narrowed Contestants From  September RFP To Become SysNova Studies, From Which ESA Will Formulate Mission To Explore Cave Structures / Lava Tubes Under Moon Surface, Determining Habitability Prospects; Plans Include Lowering Of Spherical LIDAR Probe (University Of Würzburg), Tethering A Small Rover (German Research Center For Artificial Intelligence), Utilizing A Swarm Of Hopping Probes (University Of Manchester), Deployment Of Gravimeter-Equipped Rover Around Depressions (Canadensys Aerospace Corp) And Suspension Of Wireless Power Charging Via Crane Into Exploration Site (University Of Oviedo)

Credits: ESA, Canadensys, DFKI, University of Manchester