Category Archives: ESA / Europe

Friday / 26 Feb 2021

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2 Lunar Cave Exploration SysNova Study Concepts To Be Developed By ESA Concurrent Design Facility

ESA Believes Lava Tube ‘Skylight’ Openings May Offer Valuable Science, Resource And Habitation Opportunities; 5 Studies Based On 3 Mission Scenarios (Surface Evaluation, Probe Lowering And Autonomous Rover) Considered – Winning Ideas From University Of Würzburg And University Of Oviedo-led Team Both Focused On Probing Entrance Of 65x90x40m Marius Hill Cavity – Daedalus Spherical LIDAR / Stereo Camera With Internal Locomotion And Crane Robot Rover Swarm Deployer With Wireless Power / Communications; Mission Concepts To Be Integrated With 2027 European Large Logistics Lander Under Development And Proposed Moonlight Cislunar Constellation

 Credits: ESA, University of Würzburg, University of Oviedo, University of Vigo, Alén Space

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 15-18 Jan 2021

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Europe Considers Place In Moon, Mars, Solar System Exploration

ESA Must Remain Relevant Amongst Spacefaring Powers USA, Rising China And India With Long Term Vision / Investment (ESA 2020 Budget = US$7.82B, NASA = $22.6B), Europe Human Landing On Moon By Decade End, Says ESA Director Of Human & Robotic Exploration David Parker At European Space Conference; MVA (Giuseppe Reibaldi, Aline Decadi) Promotes Women On The Moon Initiative; ILEWG (Bernard Foing) Advancing Lunar Exploration; Astronomy From The Moon Championed By Ian Crawford, Martin Elvis, Joseph Silk And John Zarnecki Of UK Royal Society

 

Credits: ESA, MVA, ILEWG, Royal Society

Friday / 7 February 2020

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SSTL Lunar Pathfinder Data Relay To Provide Communication With South Polar Region By 2022

UK Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) Building Lunar Pathfinder Data-Relay; 280-Kg Spacecraft Is Intended To Provide Affordable Communications With S-Band And UHF Links To Missions On Surface, And X-Band Link To Earth; Will Enable Lunar Polar And Farside Missions With An Alternative To Earth-Based Deep Space Networks; Planned For Launch In 2022, Lunar Pathfinder Will Operate In Elliptical Orbit For Long-Duration Line-Of-Sight Visibility Of South Polar Region And Aitken Basin; Sue Horne Of UK Space Agency Talks Of Communicating From Lunar Orbit To Surface

Credits: NASA, SSTL

Tuesday / 28 January 2020

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TRAILER Robotic System Under Development By ESA For South Poles Of Earth And Moon

ESA Technology Development Element Program Contracts With French COMEX Company And Vienna-Based Liquifer Systems Group, Directed By Barbara Imhof, To Develop TRAILER Robotic System; Two Robots, The Highly Mobile TRACTOR And Trailer Unit WAIN, Will Be Controllable From Earth Or Lunar Orbit; Rovers Will Be Tested In Antarctica By 2021 For Eventual Use In South Pole-Aitken Basin Of Moon; ESA Also Developing HERACLES Lander To Place Payloads Supporting Humans On Lunar Surface

Credits: Liquifer Systems, Moon Village Association,  ESA

New Year 2020 Edition
Fri-Tues / 20 Dec 2019 – 7 Jan 2020

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Artemis Moon Generation:
Multi-Partisan, International, Entrepreneurial

NASA Gains Funding In Bipartisan Budget For Space Launch System, Exploration Upper Stage, And Artemis Lunar Lander For First Women On The Moon In 2024; Private Companies Are Participating In Commercial Crew, Cargo, And Lunar Landers; Canada Supplying Robotic Arm For Lunar Orbit; JAXA Contributing Habitation Modules And Lunar Rover; ESA Partners Agree To Greatly Increased Budget And Providing Orion Service Modules For Artemis 1-4; Cooperation Possible From India, Russia, Crescent Moon Countries And Zhongguo (China)

Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA / CAS

Tuesday / 12 November 2019

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Broad International Support For Artemis At IAC

At 70th International Astronautical Committee Meeting In Washington DC, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine Reaffirms Commitment To International Cooperation For Artemis 2024 In Meetings With Heads Of Space Agencies; IAC Emphasizes International Cooperation For Independent Commercial Spaceflight; ISS Partners Canada And Japan Are Already Committed To Participating In Lunar Program; Europe And Russia Expected To Follow With ESA Seeking To Build Lunar Orbit Modules And Cargo Lander; International Cooperation Could Include India, China, Crescent Moon Countries And Africa

Credits: Boeing, NASA, Blue Origin

Friday / 20 Sep 2019

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ESA Seeks Ideas For Exploring Lunar Caves

ESA Open Space Innovation Platform Seeks Proposals For Exploring Lunar Caves; Lava Tubes On Moon, Similar To Those Found On Volcanic Islands Including Hawai’i, Are Sheltered From Space Radiation And Seen As Future Sites For Lunar Science And Settlement; Themes Of Proposals To Include Robotic Concepts For Cave Access Along Vertical Walls, Navigation In Horizontal Cave Segments, And Science Payloads; Proposals Are Due 27 September For Program Selection Closing 31 Oct

Credits: NASA, National Park Service

Tuesday / 27 Aug 2019

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BIG Challenge Seeks Ideas For Permanently-Shadowed Regions Of Lunar South Pole

NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate Is Sponsoring Breakthrough, Innovative & Game-Changing Idea Challenge; BIG Seeks Capabilities To Study Dark Permanently Shadowed Regions Of Moon; Craters And Caves In Lunar Polar Regions Have Remained Hidden For Billions Of Years; Proposals May Include Collecting Lunar Regolith, Transporting And Storing Water; Competition Is Open To Space Grant-Affiliated Universities; Separately ESA Open Space Innovation Platform Is Seeking Ideas For Detecting, Mapping And Exploring Permanently Shadowed Lunar Caves

Credits: NASA, JAXA

Friday / 26 July 2019

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Artemis Spacecraft, Service Module, And Habitability Module Making Progress Toward 2024 Human Lunar Landing  

Orion Is Ready For Integration Into Artemis-1 Mission Planned By 2021; Vice President Pence At KSC Unveils Spacecraft Accompanied By Buzz Aldrin And Rick Armstrong Before Visiting Launch Complex 39A; Northrop Grumman Is Awarded Contract To Develop Minimum Habitation Module Based Upon Cygnus Spacecraft; ESA Formally Agrees To Contribute Additional Orion Service Module For Artemis-3 Human Lunar Landing; White House Reaffirms Commitment To Send Next Man And First Woman To Moon In 5 Years

Credits: NASA

Tuesday / 14 May 2019

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European Lunar Symposium Draws NASA And International Scientists 

The 7th European Lunar Symposium Opens 21-23 May At Museum Of Science And Industry In Manchester UK; On Opening Day NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green (L) Will Talk About The Importance Of The Moon; Astronomer Tim O’Brien (R) Will Describe The 76-m Lovell Radio Telescope At Jodrell Bank And Its Historic Role Tracking Lunar Missions; On 23 May Emily Law Will Talk About Lunar Laser Retroreflectors; The Symposium Is Sponsored By ESA And The NASA-Created Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, A Worldwide Collaboration

Credits: NASA, Earth Science Information Partners, BBC