Category Archives: Cislunar Space Development

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

Tuesday / 2 June 2020

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Europe Takes Steps Toward Robotic Moon Landings, Solicits Input

ESA Director General Jan Wörner Asks For Ideas On How To Utilize European Large Logistics Lander (EL3) In Development By European Exploration Envelope Programme, Part Of International HERACLES System In Which JAXA Contributes Lunar Descent Element, CSA/ASC Contributes Rover; Concepts Currently Under Consideration Per Wörner Include Astrophysical Observation, Cave/PSR Exploration, Cargo Supply, Human Support; EL3 Is Planned To Be Used Frequently For Global Lunar Build-out In Coming Decade, With 1.5-ton Capacity Launched Via Ariane 64; Ideas Submitted By 3 July To Be Considered

Credits: ESA, NASA, Arianespace

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 29 May – 1 June 2020

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 Asteroid Day TV Hosts Globally Accessible Video Content Over Next Month

In Celebration Of 6th Asteroid Day Luxembourg-Based Asteroid Foundation To Share Media From BBC, ESA, ESO, TED, Discovery And Others June 1 – July 4 Featuring 24-hour Live Broadcast On 30 June, Official Asteroid Day By UN Resolution; Asteroids Capture Interest Not Only For Scientific Knowledge And Planetary Security, But Also For Resource Extraction Which Could Fund Exploration; Lunar Outpost May Provide Superior Vantage Point For NEO Detection, Which Founders (L-R) Danica Remy, Rusty Schweickart, Brian May, Grigorij Richters Hope To Increase To 100,000/Year, ‘100X’ Petition Signed By 50,000+ Including 125+ Astronauts

Credits: Asteroid Day, NASA, ESO

Thursday / 28 May 2020

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Lunar Surface Science Workshop Carries On Virtually With Artemis Brainstorming

Interdisciplinary Science Exchange On Crew Conducted Moon Science Moves Online May 28-29, Originally Planned For April 28–30 In Denver; Sponsored By NASA Science Mission, Human Exploration And Operations Mission, And Space Technology Mission Directorates; Conference Seeks To Integrate Science Prerogatives Within Artemis Human Landings Starting In 2024; Primary Theme Of EVA Instrument Deployment Concepts Of Operation With Secondary Focus On EVA-Compatible Scientific Instrument Development; International Presenters Include James Carpenter Of ESA, (L-R) Masaki Fujimoto Of JAXA, Caroline-Emmanuelle Morisset Of CSA And Niki Werkheiser Of NASA

Credits: NASA, LPI, USRA, JAXA

Friday / 22 May 2020

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Small Student-Built Robotic Rover ‘Iris’ May Be First Ever From USA To Explore Moon

Carnegie Mellon University Developed Lunar Rover Iris, Named For 2 Onboard Video Cameras, Having Passed NASA Design Review Is Now Being Modified And Readied For Payload Integration On Peregrine Lander For July 2021 Launch; William ‘Red’ Whittaker, Professor Of CMU Robotics Institute And Astrobotic Founder Leads Team; R&D Funded By US$125,000 NASA Small Business Innovation Research Award; At ~ 2kg, Small / Inexpensive ‘CubeRover’ Class Planetary Surface Probes Reportedly To Be Marketed By Astrobotic For Future Missions

Credits: CMU, NASA, ASTROBOTIC

Tuesday / 12 May 2020

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Artemis Moon Technology Development / Education Supported By US$2.4M Funding

Artemis Student Challenges, A NASA Space Grant And STEM Engagement Initiative, Awards University Of California, San Diego And University Of Washington, Seattle Approximately $500K Each To Develop Lander, Exploration And Habitat Competitions; University Of Hawaii, Honolulu And University Of Colorado, Boulder Also Granted $500K Each From Artemis Core Technologies Awards For Development Of Orbital Cubesats And Lunasats To Be Deployed On Surface Of Moon In 2024 Via Great Lunar Expedition For Everyone Rideshare; University of Alabama, Huntsville And University Of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Receive $200K Each Through Artemis Teaching And Resource Availability

Credits: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 8-11 May 2020

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Roscosmos Contractor Signals Luna Program Readiness For 5 Moon Missions

In Videoconference With PM Putin, State-Owned Aerospace Company NPO Lavochkin Director Kolmykov States Luna-25 (Formerly Known As Luna-Glob) 1,750-kg Uncrewed Lander “In Assembly And First Trial Stages”, To Be Completed By March 2021, Launch To Boguslavsky Crater (72.9°S 43.3°E) On Soyuz-2-1b Fregat-M Expected 1 October 2021, Though Many Observers Skeptical; Lavochkin Is Also Manufacturer Of Upper Stage; 30-kg Payload On Luna-25 Consists Of 9 Instruments Including Mass-Spectrometer, Panoramic Imager, Laser Retroreflector; Luna-26-29 To See Large Rover And Sample Return

 

Credits: Roscosmos, Vladimir Kolmykov Via Twitter