Category Archives: Cislunar Space Development

Tuesday / 1 Sep 2020

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“Lunar Cruiser” Moniker For Moon Surface Transport Announced By Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency And Toyota

A Lunar Vehicle Capable Of Both Autonomous And Crewed Function, Powered By Hybrid Hydrogen Fuel Cells / Solar Panel, Receives Nickname Homage To Venerable ‘Land Cruiser’ Line Of Off-Road Vehicles Said To Ensure Occupants ‘Come Back Alive’; The 6-wheeled, 6-meter Long Vessel Is To Contain 42.67 Meter2 Pressurized Crew Cabin And Have Range Of ~10,000-km, About The Circumference Of The Moon; Lunar Cruiser Considered Focal Point For Team Japan Study Meeting, A 100+ Strong Association Of Japan Enterprises With Goal Of Lunar Society Actualization

Credits: JAXA, Toyota, Team Japan Study Meeting

Friday / 17 July 2020

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NASA JPL Miniaturized Payload Concept Contest Advances Lunar Exploration Technology

Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative Awards US$160K Through ‘Honey I Shrunk The Payload’ Competition; Design Parameters Constrain Surface Probes To Mass Of 0.4kg, Physical Dimensions Of 100mm x 100mm x 50mm; 14 International Teams And Individuals Selected From 132 Entries; Team Sun Slicers Led By Phil Jobson Takes Lunar Environment Category 1st Place ($30K) For XRAY Spectrometer, Puli Space Technologies Led By (L-R) David Lucsanyi And Tibor Pacher Wins 1st In Resource Potential Category For Lunar Water Snooper ($30K); Crowdsourcing Platform HeroX, Created By Peter Diamandis, Utilized Throughout Contest

Credits: NASA, Puli Space Technologies, Team Sun Slicers, HeroX, Team Stardust, Monash Nova Rover Team

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 July 2020

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USA And Japan Sign Joint Exploration Declaration Of Intent On Artemis

NASA Administrator Bridenstine Signs JEDI With Koichi Hagiuda, Japan Minister Of Education, Culture, Sports, Science And Technology; Specific Commitments Yet To Be Formalized, JAXA Will Likely Collaborate On International Habitation Module, Energy And Gas Storage On Gateway; Also Will Contribute Mission Data From 2022 Smart Lander For Investigating Moon And Offer Next Generation Cargo Capacity Via Uncrewed HTV-X Powered By H3 Rocket In 2022; Crewed Rover Being Developed In Conjunction With Toyota Motor Company For 2029

Credits: NASA, JAXA, Toyota

Friday / 10 July 2020

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NASA Supports Advanced Lunar Resource Extraction / Exploration Technologies With ~US$17M

4 Enterprises Nurtured By Phase 1 & 2 SBIR/STTR Grants Chosen To Further Refine Technologies Deemed Vital For Artemis Mission Success: Informatic Health And Spacecraft Diagnostics Systems By Qualtech Systems (CT), Regolith Refining Machinery For ISRU By Pioneer Astronautics (CO), Protoinnovations (PA) Tasked With Rover Traction Control, Fibertek (VA) To Develop Cis-Lunar Laser Communication; Post-Phase 2 Awards Range $2.5M – $5M, Designed As Final Stage Of Incubation Prior To Commercialization; Administrator Bridenstine Seeks $25.2B Appropriation From Congress To Fund Agency

Credits: NASA, Qualtech , Pioneer Astronautics, Protoinnovations, Fibertek

Friday / 26 June 2020

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India To Strengthen Its NewSpace Industry Through IN-SPACe Dept, May Accelerate Cislunar Startups

 Indian Space Promotion & Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe),To Be Established Within 3-6 Months And Regulate / Support Local Industry Partners To Provide Services For ISRO, A Regime Proven By USA / NASA Most Recently Through Commercial Crew, CLPS And Artemis Program; India Estimated To Work With ~150 Private Companies Currently, NASA >375; With Human Spaceflight And Chandryaan-3 Plans On Horizon, Groups Including Team Indus & Earth2Orbit Could Reap Benefits And Advance India Lunar, Deep Space Programs Via Low-Cost, Sustainable Methods

Pictured: ISRO Chairman K Sivan, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh

Credits: ISRO, Team Indus, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Press Information Bureau, USA DoD

Tuesday / 23 June 2020

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Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) Competition Advances Artemis Lunar Exploration / Commerce

University Teams From Across USA Compete In NASA National Institute Of Aerospace Administered RASC-AL; Space Ideas Judged By Professionals From SpaceX, NASA, Blue Origin, Aerojet Rocketdyne; University Of Puerto Rico Wins South Pole Multi-Purpose Rover Category / Overall First Place With EMPRESS: Exploration Multi-Purpose Rover For Expanding Surface Science – Continuing Winning Streak From 2019; Commercial Cislunar Space Development Is New Category For 2020, Won By University Of Texas For Lunar Engraver; Top 2 Teams Secure Place At AIAA Hosted ASCEND 2020 Nov 16-18

Credits: NASA, NIA, UPR, UT, GIT, UM

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 June 2020

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Africa Rising: Second Largest Continent Increasingly Focused On Space, Moon

African Space Industry Report Estimates Continental Space Industry Valuation Equals US$7B, Expected To Reach $10B By 2024; (T-B) Space Agency Directors Solomon Tessema Of Ethiopia, Valanathan Munsami Of South Africa And Ahmad Shaba Of Nigeria Optimistic On Pan-Africa Cooperation Through Recently Established African Space Agency, Headquartered In Egypt; Proposal Made During MVA General Assembly 19 June To Hold 2022 Moon Village Workshop & Symposium In Africa; Capetown-Based Satellite Engineering Space Advisory Company Contributed Digital Controller To NCLE, Currently Conducting Astronomy From The Moon

 

Credits: NASA, ASA, ESSTI, AGEOS, TSA, SASA, NSRDA, ESA, KSA, ZNGSA, GGPEN, GSSTC, LCRSSS, NRSC

Friday / 12 June 2020

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Artemis Awards Astrobotic US$199.5M For Moon South Pole 2023 VIPER Launch, 19D CLPS Task Order Could Be Announced In Summer

Under Task Order 20A Astrobotic Griffin Lander With 500-kg Capacity To Deliver JSC-built, 450-kg Remotely Controlled Vehicle For 20-km Mission Over 100-Earth Days To Seek Water Ice At Moon South Pole, Vital Resource For Both Human Sustenance And Separating Into Oxygen / Hydrogen For Fuel, Launch Provider Unannounced; ULA Vulcan Planning To Lift Smaller Peregrine Lander To Lunar Surface NET July 2021 On Maiden Flight

Credits:  Astrobotic Technology

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 5-8 June 2020

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First Black American On the Moon Could Be Artemis Program Next Significant Announcement

While USA Continues Celebration Of National Return To Human Spaceflight — NASA Artemis Program, Administrator Jim Bridenstine And USA Government Officials Should Consider The Apollo 11 Pledge For Posterity ‘In Peace For All’ And Select Candidates For First Black American On The Moon, Perhaps Along With First Woman On The Moon 2024; Human Moon Landings Can Serve As Transformative Focal Point Of 21st Century Call For Equality Rising

 

Credits: NASA, Houston Public Media

Friday / 5 June 2020

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Moon ‘Ice Favorability Index’ Created By UCF Benefits Moon Prospecting Mission Planning, Ice Formation Studies

Supported By NASA SSERVI & Center For Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science At UCF, Team Led By Kevin Cannon Creates Geological Model Of Lunar Poles, PSR / Craters And Most Likely Areas Of Ice To Determine Distribution “At Meter To Hundred-Meter Scales Relevant For Mining Operations”; Vital For Surviving Off-Earth, 1st Direct Evidence Of Water Vapor At Moon Shown By Apollo 14 In 1975 Inspiring Countless Prospecting, Science Plans; CLPS Missions Could Launch To Moon South Pole 2022, Chang’e-6 Sample Return 2021-23, Volatiles Rover 2023, 1st Human Mission 2024-25

Credits: K. Cannon via Twitter, ESA, NASA