Category Archives: Cislunar Space Development

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 June 2017

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ILOA Galaxy Forum China 2017 Precedes IAF Global Space Exploration Conference In Beijing

Astronomy From The Moon & International Human Moon Missions Focus Of 3-Hour 2-Part Program 5 June At BICC, On Eve Of GLEX 2017, Highlights Global Lunar Exploration Priorities; Organized By International Lunar Observatory Association Of Hawai`i; Part 1) Wang Jing Of NAOC On CE3 Lunar Ultra-Violet Telescope, Hakim Malasan Of ITB On Indonesia Future Astronomy, Steve Durst Of ILOA On Galaxy First Light Imaging; P2) Christian Lange Of CSA On Canadian Lunar Payloads & Technology, Guo Linli Of CAST On China Lunar Base Concept, Andrew Aldrin Of ShareSpace Foundation On USA / International Human Missions To The Moon

Credits: ILOA, NAOC, CNSA, CSA, ShareSpace, ESA, NASA

Memorial Day / Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 26-29 May 2017

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ISDC 2017 Accentuates American
Moon Mission Interests

Breakout Sessions With Lunar Focus At NSS ISDC 25-29 May In St. Louis MO Include Back To The Moon, Space Settlement, Living In Space, Space Business; Madhu Thangavelu, David Schrunk, William Gerstenmaier, Brad Blair, Peter Kokh, Henk Rogers, Dennis Wingo, Ben Bussey, Michael Laine & Others Will Cover All Aspects Of A Human Return To Moon, L1 & L2 Transportation Nodes, International Lunar Decade Declaration, Moon Mining, Lunar Base Planning Underway At NASA & Private Ventures Including Cislunar & Surface Architectures, Deep Space Gateway, SLS / Orion EM-1 Mission & CubeSats; New NASA Administrator May Also Be Announced (Perhaps Jim Bridenstine)

Credits: National Space Society, ISDC, NASA, et al

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 5-8 May 2017

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Latest NASA RFI Seeks Commercial Lunar Surface Cargo Transportation Services

Requesting Proposals For Lunar Services Starting 2018 Through Next Decade, Thomas Zurbuchen States NASA ‘Remains Committed To High-Priority Lunar Science & Investigating Potential Resources For Exploration’; SLS / Orion Circumlunar Flight 2019 & Humans To Mars 2030s Goal May Solidify Plans To Return USA To Moon; Enterprises Advancing Landers Include Moon Express With MX-1, Blue Origin Blue Moon Lander / New Armstrong Rocket, Astrobotic Peregrine & Griffin Landers; Others Planning For Moon Operations Include Bigelow Lunar Habitats / Cislunar Depot, Shackleton Energy Co. Mining Pursuits, ILOA Instruments / Human Service Mission, SpaceX Crew Dragon Lunar Tourism, Liftport Group Lunar Elevator

Credits: Moon Express, Blue Origin, SpaceX, Astrobotic, ILOA, Bigelow, Liftport Group, Golden Spike Company, Lunarcubes / Flexure Engineering

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 28 April – 1 May 2017

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China And ESA Discussing Permanent Human Moon Settlement

 China National Space Agency Secretary General Tian Yulong Confirms Talks With 22-Member States ESA On Potential International Moon Village; ESA Spokesman Pål Hvistendahl Notes China Advanced Moon Program, ESA Possible Analysis Of Lunar Samples From Chang’e-5 Mission, Plans For ESA Astronaut To Fly To China Space Station; ISS International Partners Developing Concept For Cislunar Orbiting Base; USA & Russia Aiming For Moon Surface Outposts; Human Multi World Species Status Most Likely To Be Regained And Sustained On Moon Through International Cooperation & Collaboration

Credits: ESA, CNSA, NAOC, CAS, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 21-24 April 2017

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LunarCubes Workshop 2017 Focuses On Concepts / Challenges And New Technologies / Solutions

Two Day Event With 8 Sessions At Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo CA, In Coordination With CubeSat Developers Workshop April 25-28, Will Feature Presentations By Pamela Clark (JPL), Tilak Hewagama (UMD), Jon Freeman (GRC), Nadeem Ghafoor (Canadensys), Others; Experts Will Design Compelling LunarCube Missions, Plan Engineering, Power, Thermal, Communication & Transportation Needs, And Share Their Areas Of Knowledge; 13 Secondary Payloads Are Being Developed For EM-1 Launch Sep 2018 Including 4 Lunar CubeSats; 1st Commercial Payload To The Moon, 4M Launched 2014, Could Serve As An Example For Lunar / Planetary CubeSat Missions

Credits: OHB, NASA, ASU, UCLA, Morehead State University, Canadensys

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 April 2017

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Russia Collaborating With ESA For Luna-25 High-Res Cameras And Future Moon South Pole Missions

Roscosmos And ESA Formulate Agreement On Moon South Pole Luna-25 Lander, Europe To Provide High-Res Landing Camera System To Aid Touchdown In Boguslavsky Crater 2018-19; The Two Agencies Also Set To Cooperate On Luna-27 (Moon South Pole Lander 2021), Luna-28 (Moon South Pole Sample Return 2023), ExoMars Lander / Rover 2020; Russia Aiming To Put Humans On Moon 2029, Start Lunar Base 2030-2035; Developing New Angara Rocket & Federatsiya Crewed Spacecraft For Lunar Missions

Credits: Roscosmos, ESA, NASA, LROC, Ivanov et al., 2015

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 March 2017

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Cislunar Outpost Imperative And Moon Base Plans Increasing

Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA Human Exploration & Operations Associate Administrator Speaks On Plans For Cislunar Outpost To Support Future Crews Working On / Around Moon As A Step Toward Humans To Mars 2030s; Decisions To Be Made Within Months For SLS / Orion Payloads & Clearer Mission Plans For EM-1-3 To Be Formulated, Perhaps With Humans Aboard 2018 EM-1 Flight; Proposals Made By Bigelow For Cislunar Refueling Depots By 2020, SpaceX 2018 Circumlunar Trip For 2 Customers, Blue Origin 2020 Moon South Pole Cargo Deliveries

Credits: Bigelow, Robert Bigelow, SpaceX, Elon Musk, NASA, Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 March 2017

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Human Moon Mission Planning Advances In USA, China, Russia

US Gov Surveying Feasibility Of Human Moon Flyby Sep 2018 On Orion / SLS / EM-1, Private Venture SpaceX Plans 2018 Circumlunar Trip For 2 Tourists, Blue Origin Proposes 2020 Moon South Pole Cargo Deliveries To Start Permanent Human Settlement; China Chief Lunar Exploration Designer Hu Hao Announces Success Of CE-5 Sample Return Launching Nov 2017 Will Pave Way For Human Landing Mission Which ‘Should Be Carried Out ASAP’; Russia Begins Selection Of 6-8 Cosmonauts For Federatsiya Spacecraft Intended To Fly To Moon, First Uncrewed Test Flight Planned 2021 On New Angara Rocket

Credits: NASA, CNSA, Roscosmos, SpaceX, Blue Origin

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 March 2017

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Blue Origin Proposes 2020 Plan To Start Permanent Moon South Pole, Human Settlement

Jeff Bezos Circulating 7-Page White Paper To NASA Leadership & U.S. Administration Transition Team Detailing Plan To Develop Blue Moon Lunar Lander / Cargo Craft, Amazon-Like Delivery Service Starting July 2020 To Enable Future Human Settlements Near Shackleton Crater Where Ice, Hydrogen & Constant Solar Power Are Available; Wants To ‘Partner With NASA To Achieve This Challenging, Worthy, Exciting Objective’; SpaceX, Moon Express, Astrobotic, Shackleton Energy, Golden Spike, Commercial Ventures Planning Moon Services; Robert Bigleow States “Mars Is Premature At This Time. The Moon Is Not”

Credits: Blue Origin, ESA, NASA, LRO, Bigelow Aerospace

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 3-6 March 2017

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SpaceX And NASA May Return Humans To Moon Before 50th Apollo 11 Observation

Elon Musk Announces Ambitious Plans To Send 2 Commercial Tourists On 1-Week Circumlunar Trip Late 2018 In Crew Dragon Capsule Via Falcon Heavy Rocket; NASA, Originally Planning Uncrewed Circumlunar SLS / Orion EM-1 Flight 30 Sep 2018, Is Being Requested To Study Feasibility Of Redesigning Mission To Include Astronauts; U.S. President Trump States “American Footprints On Distant Worlds Are Not Too Big A Dream”; USA Could Claim First Human Return To Moon & First Woman To Moon With Energetic Timeline

Credits: SpaceX, NASA