Category Archives: Cislunar Space Development

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 February 2017

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2017 Student Moonbots Challenge Winner Could Send Video To Moon And Meet GLXP Winners In Person

Parallel International Competition To Google Lunar XPrize, Moonbots Challenge For Students Ages 8-17 To Detail What They’d Like To Leave On Moon As A Legacy, Build Robotic Lunar Rovers & Make STEM Video; Registrations Due 1 March; 5 Teams (Moon Express, SpaceIL, Synergy Moon, Team Indus, Team Hakuto) Will Attempt To Launch To Moon Before 2018, Land,Travel 500 Meters & Send High Res Video To Earth; Moonbot Grand Prize Winner Video Will Be Sent To Moon On Disc

Credits: Moonbots, GLXP

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 February 2017

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U.S. Administration Considers Accelerating 1st Human Moon Mission Of 21st Century To 2018

Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot Requesting Top Official For Human Spaceflight William Gerstenmaier To Explore Feasibility Of Sending Astronauts On EM-1 Flight 2018; Could Advance A Human Return To Moon, Landing 1st Woman On Moon, Reclaiming Multi World Species Status, First Missions To Mars & Beyond; Scott Pace Of Space Policy Institute At GWU Notes There May Be A Push For Significant Near-Term U.S. Accomplishments; Presidential Policy Advisor Bob Walker Believes There Is Possibility To Land Humans On Moon 2021-2025, Perhaps Using Commercial Companies & Technologies; Similar Goals Of Other Countries Could Catalyze International Collaboration For Human Lunar Missions / Settlement

Credits: NASA, ESA, Bigelow Aerospace

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 February 2017

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Europe And USA Closer To Returning Humans To Moon Via Orion / SLS In 2021

ESA Delivers Propulsion & Supply Module For Uncrewed Lunar 2018 Exploration Mission-1, Will Begin Developing Module With Airbus For 2021 Crewed Lunar Flight – Taking Humans Farther Than Any Apollo Mission; EM-1 Also Carrying 13 CubeSats, 4 Or More Will Focus On Moon Science & Observations; New U.S. Administration May Advance Human Moon Landing / Settlement Competencies & Technologies, Resource Extraction, Commercial Space Policies; Orion / SLS Has Potential To Carry Astronauts To Asteroids & Mars; SpaceX Planning Craft For Mars, Jupiter, Saturn Systems

Credits: NASA, ESA, Rad Sinyak

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 3-6 February 2017

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MoonWatcher Mission Proposes 24/7 Live Video Of Moon, Seeks US$150K Crowd Funding

Co-Founders Blair DeWitt (L) & Barret Schlegelmilch (R) Of MIT Aiming To Build MoonWatcher Satellite, Design State Of The Art Camera, And Launch To LEO Via Virgin Galactic LauncherOne Rocket Feb 2018 To Provide 1st Private Real-Time, Unobstructed View Of Lunar Surface; Plan To Report Latest Lunar News & Science; This Round Of Investment Ends March 12; Future Goals Would Be Fleet Of Lunar Cameras / Satellites; Potential To View Future Lunar Missions / Activities, Lunar Base Build Out, Meteor Showers, Surface Changes; Team Advisors Include Sean Casey, Matt Blasco, Dennis Williams

Credits: MoonWatcher, Virgin Galactic

Inauguration Month Edition
January 2017

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Human Moon Lander Imperative, 2020-2025:
To Enable 21st Century Solar System Complete

2018 SLS / Orion EM-1 First Mission Planned For Cislunar Capability Signals Opportunity For Human Lunar Lander Enterprise And Development; American Independents Such As Golden Spike, Astrobotic, Moon Express, Shackleton Energy, Canadensys, ILOA, As Well As Blue Origin, SpaceX, Bigelow Among Others, May Collaborate Through Public-Private Partnerships Bi-Nationally, Multi-Nationally With Canada, China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe, Japan, Russia, USA, And Other Nations Globally; American And International Space Community May Welcome Progressive, Constructive Initiatives From New U.S. President And Administration, While Remaining Vigilant Against Regression; New U.S. President Could Enable Humanity To Reestablish And Advance Itself As Multi World Species, With Women, Men On The Moon And 21st Century “Stretch Goal”

Credits: SPC, ILOA, NASA, Space Dev

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 6-9 January 2017

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China And India Next-Gen Moon Missions, Planning For Mars, Venus, Jupiter

China CE-5 Sample Return Mission To Launch Late 2017; CE-4 Orbiter To Support Moon South Pole / Far Side Aitken Basin Lander & Rover Mission Launching 2018; Chief Lunar Scientist Ouyang Ziyuan Says Precise Lunar Digital Map And 4.36 x 2.2 Meter Drawing To Be Finished 2018, Released 2020; First China Mars Probe Expected 2020, Jupiter Exploration To Follow; India Chandrayaan-2 Moon Orbiter, Lander & Rover Likely 2018 For Polar Mission To Study Atmosphere, Temperature, Plasma Environment; ISRO Associate Director M. N. Rao Says Its Planning Cost Effective Jupiter & Venus Missions, Analyzing Satellites & Rockets Needed; Mars Orbiter 2 To Launch 2018; Team Indus To Launch Two Lunar Rovers On PSLV Late 2017

Credits: ISRO, CAS, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 December 2016

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GLXP Teams Must Provide Launch Contract Before 2017 To Stay In Competition: 4 Verified, 1 Newly Contracted

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Nearing 1-Year Mark To Claim US$20M First Place Prize, GLXP Teams Have Until 31 Dec 2016 To Contract With Launch Provider; Israel SpaceIL With Hopper Lander Has Verified SpaceX Launch, USA Moon Express Hopper Lander Verified Contract With Rocket Lab (And Has FAA Approval For Mission), USA Synergy Moon Lander & 2 Rovers Verified With Interorbital, India Team Indus Lander & Rover Verified With ISRO PSLV; Germany Part Time Scientists Lander & 2 Rovers SpaceX Contract Via Spaceflight Industries Not Yet Verified; USA Astrobotic Lander (With Andy Rover) – Carrying Japan Hakuto 2 Rovers & Chile AngelicvM Uni Rover – Still Planning SpaceX Launch

Credits: Moon Express, Astrobotic, Hakuto, SpaceIL, Part Time Scientists, Synergy Moon, Team Indus, AngelicvM, GLXP

Weekend Edition
Thu-Mon / 24-28 November 2016

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USA Lunar Transport Enterprises Submitting RFI Proposals For NASA Payload Delivery 2017-2020

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Seeking To Address Strategic Knowledge Gaps In Lunar Resource Potential, Lunar Environment & Its Effects On Humans, NASA Asks USA Commercial Lunar Cargo Transportation Service Providers To Propose (By 9 December) Payload Delivery Options Available In 2017-2020; Moon Express Announces It Will Give US$500,000 For Each NASA Payload On First Three MX-1 Missions ($1.5M Total) Under Lunar Scout Program; Astrobotic Proposes Dollar For Dollar Matching Program (Up To US$12M) – For Every NASA Payload Selected To Fly On Astrobotic 1st Mission 2017, It Will Provide Second Mission In 2021 At No Charge

Credits: Moon Express, Astrobotic

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 November 2016

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Japan Epsilon Launch Set For 20 Dec, Intended To Carry SLIM Lander To Moon 2018-19

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The 2nd JAXA Epsilon Rocket Launch Planned 20 Dec Lofting ERG Satellite Should Further Qualify Technology Enabling 1st JAXA Lunar Landing With Smart Lander For Investigating Moon (SLIM); Epsilon Launch Estimated At US$38M (Half Cost Of Predecessor M-5), Uses H-2A Solid Booster, M-5 Second & Third Stages; SLIM To Test Technologies For SELENE-2 (Lander & Rover) And Future Human Missions; JAXA, ISAS, Lunar & Planetary Laboratory ‘Workshop On Planetary Science Enabled By Epsilon Class Missions’ 15-16 Nov Establishing Potential International Collaborations & Inputs For SLIM, Penetrator Probe For Moon Or Airless Bodies, DESTINY+ For Meteor Shower Study

Pictured: ISAS Associate Professor Shinichiro Tokudome (responsible for developing Epsilon propulsion systems & integration)

Credits: JAXA, ISAS

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 11-14 November 2016

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India Chandrayaan-2 Landing Tests Underway For 2017-18 Lunar Mission, Possibly To Moon South Pole

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ISRO Performing Chandrayaan-2 Ground & Aerial Tests At Challakere “Science City” Site With 10 Craters Simulating Lunar Surface ~400 km From Bengaluru; ISRO Satellite Center & Chandrayaan-1 Project Director M. Annadurai States Sensors, Avionics, Electronics, Lander Legs, 8 Throttleable Engines To Be Tested Through March 2017, Followed By Full Combined Test; GSLV Mk 2 To Launch Orbiter Carrying 1,250 kg Lander & Rover End 2017 Or Early 2018; India 2nd Moon Mission, Chandrayaan-2 Destination May Be Moon South Pole / Malapert Mountain, Which Could Make India 1st To Land In & Explore New Frontier

Credits: ISRO, The Hindu