Category Archives: Cislunar Space Development

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 Sep 2018

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JAXA, ANA Holdings AVATAR X Program Aims For Remote Robotic Lunar Base Construction

JAXA And ANA Holdings Partner On AVATAR X Program To Develop Robotic Avatars To Remotely Build Lunar Camps, Support Long-Term Missions & Deep Space Exploration; Aims For Remote Lunar & Mars Construction, Space Station Operation & Maintenance, Space Entertainment & Public Travel; Consortium Phase Begins In 2018, Opening Construction Designs To Interested Space Industry Companies; Phase Two 2019 Building Of “AVATAR X Lab@OITA” In Oita, Japan To House Infrastructure, Telecommunication Hardware, Testing Facilities; Early 2020s Phase Three To Test In LEO, Leading To Final Phase On Moon, Beyond

Credits: JAXA, ANA Holdings, Inc.

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 31 Aug – 3 Sep 2018

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Roscosmos, ESA Collaborate On Luna 27 Payload For Moon South Pole Resource Investigation

ESA Developing In-Situ Drill / Sample-Analysis Payload ‘PROSPECT’ To Reach Moon South Pole-Aitken Basin 2022-23 Aboard Roscosmos Luna 27 Lander; Design Phase Scheduled Early 2019; ProSEED Drill To Probe Lunar Ice Where Subsurface Temperatures Could Reach -200° C; ProSPA Onboard Laboratory To Heat Ice Sample To 1,000° C For Volatile Extraction; ESA May Participate On Luna 25 Lander Aiming For Boguslavsky Crater Near South Pole NET 2019-20

Credits: Roscosmos, ESA, NASA, L. David

Friday / 31 Aug 2018

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Ad Astra — Paul Spudis Vision Of The Moon
“It’s Close, It’s Interesting & It’s Useful”

Dedicated Scientist And Lunar Visionary Paul Spudis Passes On, Leaving Decades Of Vital Moon Research And Inspiring Advocacy For A Human Lunar Return; Spudis Emphasis On Value Of Moon, Human Spaceflight, Solar System Exploration Speaks To Latest USA National Space Program Goals To Create Permanent & Sustainable American-International Human Lunar Presence, Explore South / North Poles & Far Side, Utilize Resources, Conduct Varied Science Experiments; Lunar Community Sends Their Ad Luna, Ad Astra, And Aloha To Spudis

Credits: LPI, NASA, LRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 Aug 2018

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IAU 30th General Assembly Spotlights Lunar,
Space Observatory Research

IAU To Host 30th General Assembly In Vienna 20-31 August With Special Focus On Lunar Contributions; Noah Brosch, Who Works On Lunar Ultraviolet Cosmic Imager, To Present UV Astronomy After Hubble, Possibly From Moon; Poster Presentations Include Steve Durst On ILOA Astronomy From The Moon, Xuelei Chen On Low Frequency Imaging From Lunar Orbit Interferometer, Yan Su On China CE-4 Lunar Lander Radio Spectrometer, Weimin Zheng On VLBI Applications In Tracking Lunar Probes, Among Others  

Credits: IAU, ESO, NASA, Planetary Society, CNSA, NAOC-CAS, CAST

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 20-23 July 2018

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Space Day 20 July 2018 Points To
Apollo 11 Mission 50th Observation,
Rise Of Lunar Enterprise

Apollo 11 Landing 49th Anniversary Honored This Year As Global Entities / Enterprises Plan Latest Moonrush With New Urgency: USA Allocates Resources To Return Humans To Moon 2020s With Long-Term Sustainability Goals, Leads Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway Development, Signs Collaboration Agreements With ESA, Israel, UAE; China Likely To Boost Space / Lunar Investment And Commerce In Response To New Trade Barriers, With Expected Innovation, Cooperation On New Frontiers; New Robust Lunar Programs / Partnerships Manifested By India, Japan, Russia, S Korea

Credits: NASA, White House, ESA, JAXA, CNSA (Pictured: Jim Bridenstine, Jan Woerner, Buzz Aldrin, President Trump)

Friday / 20 July 2018

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Apollo 11 49th Landing Observation And Buzz Aldrin’s Vision Of Moon / Mars Future

Space Exploration Day / First Footsteps Taken On Another World By Neil Armstrong And Buzz Aldrin Commemorated Today For Historic Impact & Perpetual Motivation To Surpass And Explore Beyond; Moonworker Buzz Aldrin Developing Human SpaceFlight Institute In Houston, Publishing To The Moon & Back Co-Authored By Marianne Dyson 16 Oct, And Advocating For ‘The Next Eagle Landing’ To Involve International Cooperation, Including China, To Develop A Path To Mars As Next Stepping Stone Into Solar System

Credits: NASA, GSFC

Friday / 13 July 2018

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China, Russia Boost Moon / Space Partnerships, Plan Potential Operation Center On Hainan Island

Building Upon Roscosmos And CNSA MoU, 2018-2022 Bilateral Cooperation Program Outlining Projects, Contracts, Schedule For Moon / Space Exploration Taking Shape Through International Joint Working Group Sessions; Governor Shen Xiaoming (L), Of China Southernmost Province Hainan Island ‘China’s Hawaii’, Discusses Open Invitation To Russia, And Regional Readiness To Devote Land & Resources To Create Russia-China Center Focusing On Cosmonautics And Space, Potentially Utilizing CNSA Wenchang Satellite Launch Center At 19° N 

Also Pictured: Russia President Vladimir Putin and China General Secretary Xi Jinping

Credits: CCTV, CNTV, CNSA, PRC, Hainan.gov, Russia Presidential Executive Office, Kremlin.ru

Friday / 6 July 2018

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Blue Origin Working ‘Step By Step’ Toward Human Moon / Solar System Expansion

Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin CEO, Vision Of ‘Trillions Of People Living & Working In Space’ Reinforced By Comments From Business Director A.C. Charania At SFF NewSpace 2018 Conference Outlining Company’s Blue Moon Lander Plans To Support People On Moon Surface NLT 2023; Committed To Long-Term Commercial Partnership With NASA And International Collaboration, Blue Origin Currently Developing Descent Stage To Land ‘Multi-Metric Tons’ Of Cargo On Moon Surface (Preferably Poles) To Enable Sustainable Settlement, And Scientific & ISRU Investigations

Credits: A.C. Charania (B) and Jeff Bezos (T) via Twitter, Blue Origin

Wednesday / 4 July 2018

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NASA Soliciting Bids On Lunar Orbiting Platform-Gateway Space Station Aiming For 2022 Operation

Procurement Request From NASA Is Asking USA Industry For Proposals On “Spaceflight Demonstration Of A Power And Propulsion Element”, Which Could Be Used As The 1st Element Of The Gateway Space Station — Proposals Due November; NASA Expects The New Station To Cost US$2.7B; Matt Siegler (Bottom) Of Planetary Science Institute Says Gateway Is Too Far From Moon And Is Really A Symbol For USA Leadership In Space; NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (Top) Stresses: “We Are Going To The Surface Of The Moon. The Gateway Does Not Compete With This”

Credits: NASA, PSI

Friday / 29 June 2018

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Buzz Aldrin Vision For Human SpaceFlight Institute, Lunar Gateway, Global / China Space Collaboration

Iconic Astronaut Dr. Buzz Aldrin Launching Houston-Based Human SpaceFlight Institute To Pioneer Research For Future Human Space Systems / Missions, Host Workshops & Internships – Will Announce High-Level Strategic Partners Oct 2018; Aldrin Advocates For Return To Moon Surface, Sees Lunar Gateway As Major Opportunity To Work With China, Advance Fuel / Power Tech, Build Deep Space Infrastructures Or Multiple Gateways To Reach Mars & Beyond; Inspiring Announcements Anticipated For 49th And 50th Observation Of Apollo 11 On 20 July

Credits: NASA, Buzz Aldrin via Twitter