Category Archives: China

Friday / 9 Oct 2020

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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

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 Sep 2020

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Asia Lunar Exploration: Ongoing And Near Future

ISRO Second Soft Landing Attempt Slated For Early 2021 (Chandrayaan-3), During Which 350-kg Capacity Lander Technology Will Be Validated For Collaborative LUPEX Mission With Japan NET 2023; JAXA To Contribute H3 Launch Vehicle / Rover And Precision Landing Technology Trialed During 2022 SLIM; Meanwhile On Lunar Near / Far Sides CSNA Craft Continue Observations – CE-3 Operational ~7 Years, Returning Astronomical Observations / Data From Mare Imbrium; CE-4 Lander And Rover Hibernate On Far Side, Anticipate Reactivation For 23rd Lunar Day (644 Earth Days) On 8 Oct, Yutu-2 Has Traversed 547.17 m; CE-5 Sample Return LM-5 Launch Expected From Wenchang SLC On Hainan 24 Nov

 

Credits: CNSA, JAXA, ISRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 Aug 2020

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USA, China On Fast Track For Human Moon Missions Through Sustained Science, Exploration Programs

NASA LRO Surpasses 5 Years In Polar Mapping Orbit Collecting Data For Landings; Part Of Extensive Artemis SPD-1 To Achieve Humans At Moon South Pole (MSP) 2024, CLPS Program To See 1st Commercial Landings [Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines] Second Half Of 2021, Masten To MSP 2022, VIPER MSP 2023, PRIME-1 & 19D Contracts Upcoming; China / Zhongguo Chang’e-4 Operating On Farside, CE-5 Sample Return Launching 24 Nov, CE-6 Payloads Being Selected, CE-7 Collaboration With Russia Developing, CE-8 In 2027 May Be Final Robotic Landing Before Crew

Credits: NASA, CNSA, NAOC-CAS

Friday / 15 May 2020

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2020 Q4 Moon Landings: China Chang’e-5 Sample Return On Track, India Chandryaan-3 May Still Be Possible

China Lunar Exploration Program Pushes Forward With CE-5 Launch Planned Late 2020, Return To Earth With Up To 2-kg Sample From Mons Rümker Within 1 Month; Recent Successful Long March 5 Launch From Wenchang Site 19°N At Hainan Vital For Program; India Accelerated Chandrayaan-3 Plans To Achieve Moon Landing Near South Pole Before 2021 Could Be Possible, Potentially With Lower Cost, Depending On Health Concern Delay — Ad Astra Per Aspera

Pictured: CLEP Chief Scientist Ouyang Ziyuan, ISRO Chair K. Sivan
Credits: CNSA, NOAC-CAS, ISRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 1-4 May 2020

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Artemis And Chang’e: Two Mythological Women Lead Humanity Forward, Upward

China Chang’e Program Of 4 Successful Missions To Date, 1st To Land On Moon This Century & 1st On Lunar Far Side, Prepares For Sample Return CE-5 Dec 2020, Continues CE-4 Astrophysics From Surface & Communications From Cislunar Space, Could See 2-4 More Missions Before Human Landings; USA 21st Century Artemis Program Est. 2017 Extends Its Branches Through Multiple Infrastructure Contracts (SLS, Orion, CLPS, VIPER, PRISM) To Realize First Women And Next Men On Moon – At Unexplored Moon South Pole 2024

 

Credits: NASA, CNSA, NAOC-CAS, CLEP

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 21-24 Feb 2020

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USA, PRC Lunar Probes Break Records Operating From Orbit And On Surface

Chang’e-4 Yutu-2 Operates During 15th Lunar Day In South Pole-Aitken Basin, Longest Duration Of Any Rover In Moon History; Completes Over 367 Meters Travel And Discovers Younger Rocks In 3.6-Billion Year Old Von Karman Crater On Far Side; Netherlands-China Low Frequency Explorer Operates Aboard Queqiao Orbiter, Gathering Astronomy Data In 21 Cm Range; Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, In Orbit Since September 2009, Scouting Landing Sites For Artemis Human Lunar Landings

Credits: NASA, CLEP, CNSA

New Year 2020 Edition
Fri-Tues / 20 Dec 2019 – 7 Jan 2020

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Artemis Moon Generation:
Multi-Partisan, International, Entrepreneurial

NASA Gains Funding In Bipartisan Budget For Space Launch System, Exploration Upper Stage, And Artemis Lunar Lander For First Women On The Moon In 2024; Private Companies Are Participating In Commercial Crew, Cargo, And Lunar Landers; Canada Supplying Robotic Arm For Lunar Orbit; JAXA Contributing Habitation Modules And Lunar Rover; ESA Partners Agree To Greatly Increased Budget And Providing Orion Service Modules For Artemis 1-4; Cooperation Possible From India, Russia, Crescent Moon Countries And Zhongguo (China)

Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA / CAS

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 6-9 Dec 2019

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China (Zhongguo) Long March 5 Flight To Support Moon, Mars, Human Spaceflight Ambitions

 Long March 5 Critical Return To Flight Counting Down To 27 December 2019 Launch From Wenchang Spaceport On Hainan Island; Long March 5 Planned To Launch Chang’e-5 Lunar Sample Return And 2020 Mars Mission; Moon Samples To Be Analyzed At Special Facility Headed By China Lunar Exploration Program Chief Scientist Ouyang Ziyuan; China Plans 30 Orbital Launches In 2020; Space Station Modules, CE-6, CE-7 And CE-8 Planned To Be Launched By Long March Variants Starting In 2021

Credits: CAST, Shanghai Institute of Technology

Thanksgiving Weekend Edition
Thu-Mon / 28 Nov – 2 Dec 2019

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 Moonworker Buzz Aldrin Advocates For USA-Led International Human Moon Landings With China Cooperation

Apollo 11 Buzz Aldrin Envisions Human Return To Moon, Multi-World Species Success Via Cooperation With Major Spacefaring Power China (Zhongguo) And Nominal Or No Gateway To Facilitate Surface Exploration / Lunar Base; Stresses Importance Of Advanced Cycling Transportation System “Buzzcraft” To Land On Moon, Get To Mars ASAP; Proposed Multi-National, Public-Private-Independent Organization ‘Space Exploration Alliance’ Including China, Others For Sustainable Space Exploration Plan For 2020s Decade

Credits: CNSA, NASA

Tuesday / 5 November 2019

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China Considers US$10 Trillion Earth-Moon / Cislunar Economic Zone

With Chang’e-4 Operating On Lunar Surface And Chang’e-5 Slated For Launch In 2020 On Long March 5, China Is Considering Establishing A Cislunar Space Economic Zone; Bao Weimin (R) Of China Aerospace Science And Technology Corporation Reveals Decades-Long Plan At Seminar On Space Economy; Key Technologies Would Be Finished By 2030 Including Long March 9 Heavy Lift Booster, And Regular Transportation To Moon Established By 2040; Earth-Moon Region Could Potentially Generate US$10T In Commerce By 2050

Credits: CAST, CNSA, Hong Kong Polytechnic University