Category Archives: Cislunar Space Development

Tuesday / 30 July 2019

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We Could Land On The Moon In Less Than Two Years, Says SpaceX CEO Elon Musk

In Wide-Ranging Interview July 12 With TIME Magazine, Musk, Founder Of The Only Launch Provider To Innovate Reusable Rockets, Makes Bold Statements On Moon Exploration And Settlement Timeline, Indicating That SpaceX Could Send Crewed Lunar Mission Within 4 Years, Uncrewed Within 2; Musk Emphasizes The Need For Permanent Antarctica-Style Science Base; Says ‘Overarching Philosophy’ Depends On Expanding Consciousness, Enlightenment, Sustainability, And ‘Making Life Multi-Planetary’

Credits: NASA, SpaceX

Tuesday / 23 July 2019

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Purdue Engineering Initiative In Cislunar Space Launching 50 Years After Apollo 11

New Program Intended To Spur Economic Development In Space Around Earth And Moon; Initiative Will Focus On Infrastructure, Communication, Policy And Educational Requirements Of Commercial And Public Cislunar Space Activities; Purdue University Is Known As The “Cradle Of Astronauts”, Alma Mater To 25 Spacefarers Including First Moon Explorer Neil Armstrong; Engineering Dean Mung Chiang (C) Says Initiative Will “Contribute To Critical Dimensions Of The Next 50 Years Of Small Steps And Giant Leaps In Space”

Also Pictured: Program Chair Dan Dumbacher (R), Co-chair David Spencer(L); Credits: NASA, Purdue

Tuesday / 18 June 2019

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NASA Head Bridenstine At Paris Airshow To Discuss International Cooperation In Artemis Program

Following Public Comments Encouraging International Public And Independent / Commercial Lunar Efforts To ‘Plug Into Architecture’ Of Human Lunar Landing Program Artemis, Jim Bridenstine Has Indicated That He Will Be Speaking To Media; Meeting With Various Heads Of National Space Programs At 53rd International Paris Air Show To Discuss Partnerships To Further 2024 Moon Initiative

Credits: NASA, IPAS

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 June 2019

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Next Decade Of Space Weather Favorable For Exploration Of Moon And Beyond

Study Conducted By Irina Kitiashvili Of NASA Ames Research Center Indicates Upcoming 11 Year Solar Cycle Least Active In 2 Centuries, Solar Sunspots At 2025 Maximum Estimated 30-50% Less Frequent Than 2013 Solar Maximum, Reducing Risk Of Deleterious Solar Storm Radiation For Artemis Mission Instrumentation And Astronauts, Including First Women On The Moon

Credits: NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, ESA

Friday / 14 June 2019

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Moon Maps, Composition Analyses Advance With Future Artemis Payloads, Current LRO, Past Missions Data

In Support Of First Planned Human Moon Landings 2024 & Potential Lunar Base, Projected Late 2020 Uncrewed Artemis 1 First Flight Of SLS Will Carry 6 Secondary Payloads To Study Lunar Ice, Hydrogen, Radiation, Spectroscopy, Thermography, Test Cislunar Propulsion Methods; LRO Reaching 10 Full Years / Entering 11th Year At Moon Next Week, Remains In Polar Mapping Orbit Since 2015; LRO Combined Data With 2011-12 GRAIL Mission Shows Potential Metal Deposit 5x Size Of Hawai’i Island Beneath South Pole-Aitken Basin

Credits: NASA, LRO, GRAIL, JPL, SPC, ILOA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 June 2019

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New Form Of Public / Private Collaboration Key To Realization Of Artemis Program?

Wealthiest Individual Jeff Bezos Says ‘Civilization Needs Moon’ And Space Habitation Critical To ‘Save Earth’, Hours Before NASA Administrator Bridenstine Declares 2024 Lunar Landing ‘Off The Table’ If Additional US$1.6B Congressional Funding Fails To Materialize; Given Existential Motivation For Humanization Of Space, New Form Of Public / Private Partnership Could Realize Artemis Moon Mission If Political Will Falters

Credits: NASA, Twitter

Friday / 31 May 2019

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Artemis / NASA ‘Astronomy From The Moon’ Commitment Could Gain AAS Support

American Astronomical Society President Megan Donahue States Organization Decides Against Taking Official Position On Artemis So Far, And Voices Concerns Over Potential Budgetary Shifts, Transfer Authority & Undefined Science Program; Astronautic Return To Moon Should Include New Astronomy Opportunities From New Frontier Of Moon South Pole Such As That Of ILOA; Identifying Artemis Program 2024+ Astronomy & Science Instruments To Be Positioned, Enhanced By Humans On Stable Lunar Platform May Inspire Approval From More Communities

Credits: AAS, NASA, Bill Ingalls, International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA)

Friday / 10 May 2019

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Chang’e-4 Lunar Far Side Missions Continue On Surface, NCLE Astronomy Payload At L2 Likely Collecting Data

Von Kármán Crater Inhabitants Chang’e-4 Lander And Yutu-2 Rover Operating Nominally In Lunar Day 5, Are Estimated To Enter Hibernation 11 May, Before Sunset 12 May At ‘Statio Tianhe’; Low Frequency Spectrometer And Lunar Lander Neutrons & Dosimetry Experiments Running On Lander; Official Confirmation Awaited For NCLE Low-Frequency Astronomy Payload Aboard Queqiao Satellite, Which Now Should Be Observing Cosmic ‘Dark Ages’ And Solar System According To Timeline Since Rover Exceeded Its Lifetime Of 3 Months

Credits: CNSA, CLEP, Radboud Univ., ISIS, ASTRON, NASA, et al

Wednesday / 1 May 2019

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Lunar Exploration Is Topic Of Panel Discussion Held By Purdue University President

In Context Of USA Human Moon Landing 2024 Initiative, Former Governor Of Indiana Mitch Daniels Hosts Speakers On Future Of Space Exploration At Purdue, Alma Mater Of Neil Armstrong; NASA Associate Administrator Of Human Exploration Bill Gerstenmaier Says “Not Back To The Moon But Forward To The Moon”, Director Of Cornell Center For Astrophysics And Planetary Science Jonathan Lunine States “The Moon Is The Crossroads And The Touchstone”

 

Credits: NASA, ML Dittmar Via Twitter, Purdue University, Carl Sagan Institute

Wednesday / 13 Mar 2019

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Administrator Of NASA Jim Bridenstine Declares: Commercial Delivery Missions To The Moon [To Begin] As Early As This Year

 The First CLPS Mission Could Occur As Soon As October 2019; NASA May Begin Preparing The Surface Of The Moon For Human Landing As Early As 2020; Proposals For Human-Rated Landers Due 25 March; Would Be Supported By ‘Funding’; Bridenstine Characterizes FY2020 NASA Budget Proposal Of US$21B As One Of The Strongest On Record – $363M To Support Commercial Development Of A Large Lunar Lander To Carry Cargo And Then Astronauts To The Surface Of The Moon

Credits: NASA/Joel Kowsky