Friday / 29 October 2021

Global Networking Forums at IAC Consider Sustainable Moon Logistics, Enterprise, Communication

Lunar exploration thought leaders are meeting at International Astronautical Congress 2021 in Dubai; ‘Towards Sustainable Lunar Activities’, presented by Moon Village Association / moderated by physicist (clockwise from TL) John Mankins will feature panelists including Mike Gold of Redwire and Romanian Astronaut Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu; ESA plan for cislunar communications will be discussed during ‘Moonlight: Connecting Earth with the Moon’ with panelists Nelly Offord (SSTL), Dan Hendrickson (Astrobotic); ‘Building the Lunar Ecosystem Today’ has focus on lunar economy

Credits: IAC

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 15-18 Oct 2021

Model Based on 6 Decades of Space Age Extrapolates Exploration Timeframe for Solar System & Beyond

Extending Artemis missions series into long-term trend, researchers Jonathan Jiang, Kristen Fahy (JPL) and Philip Rosen project future robotic and human landings on celestial objects beyond cislunar space based on algorithm combining historical data with exponential transistor increase (Moore’s Law) as computational power indicator; Forecasts include launches of human landing missions to Mars (2038), Main Asteroid Belt (2064), Jovian Moons (2076), Saturn System (2086), Tau Ceti (2270) and Trappist-1 (2290) star systems; Robotic mission halfway to Galaxy Center (4 kpc) predicted to launch by 2043

Credits: NASA, Lockheed Martin, Pablo Carlos Budassi

Friday / 1 October 2021

NASA warns lawsuit over Human Landing System award threatens to derail human Moon landings

Agency Report issued in response to HLS protest, newly released to The Verge via FOIA request, show NASA warns cancellation of the Artemis program may result from litigious proceedings, stating “once-in-a-generation momentum” risks “goal of returning the United States to the Moon”; US$146M NextSTEP N award to be shared by Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin Northrop Grumman, SpaceX and Dynetics to support human missions after Artemis 3; Lunar Exploration Transportation Services contracts or self-financing are routes forward for lunar lander companies wishing to participate on Artemis team

Credits: NASA

Tuesday / 21 September 2021

NASA ‘Plant the Moon Challenge’ Engages Students in Lunar Agriculture Experimentation

Conducted by Institute Of Competition Sciences, NASA SSERVI and UCF Exolith Laboratory with support from SC, FL, MN, ID, VA, NM Space Grant Consortiums, Plant the Moon and Plant Mars Challenges looking forward to the technologies and practices needed to sustain human life off Earth; Lunar regolith simulant being shipped to students nationwide, mentored by Science Advisory Board including (L-R) Nanoracks Chief Innovation Officer Michael Lewis, Scientist Chris McKay, Exolith Lab Chief Scientist Zoe Landsman; Opening Symposium 22 Sep

 

Credits: NASA, ICS, Exolith Lab, Nanoracks

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 27-30 Aug 2021

Artemis Program Poised to Lead Humanity Back to Moon and into Solar System

International Artemis coalition is on track per NASA Administrator Nelson, echoing JFK “We can do hard things”, reiterating 2021 Artemis I timetable uncrewed SLS launch / Orion distant retrograde orbit; Artemis II launching NET September 2023 with first crewed mission beyond LEO since Apollo 17, with 4-member crew including Canadian Astronaut to fly 8,889 km past Moon during 8-day trip; Artemis III 4-member Orion crew + 2-member surface team including first woman on Moon surface; NASA NextSTEP now soliciting commercial HLS for ongoing long duration surface operation

 

Credits: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 20-23 Aug 2021

Lunar Momentum of Space Agencies and Independent Initiatives Builds Globally

12U lunar pathfinder Capstone to launch from Māhia Peninsula Q4 on Electron; KSC integrating 13 6U cislunar payloads on Artemis 1 Orion Stage Adapter including BioSentinel astrobiology experiment ahead of 22 Nov flight; First element of human-rated Artemis 2, Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage at CCSFS, mission scheduled for Sep 2023; 2024 human surface return / first woman on Moon effort Artemis 3 striving to overcome spacesuit, HLS legal delays; Roscosmos Luna-25 pushed to May 2022; 120-m Starship preps for first orbit as 20 #dearMoon finalists compete for 2023 circumlunar flight

Credits: NASA, Boeing, SpaceX, Roscosmos, et al

Tuesday / 17 August 2021

Lunar Surface Science Workshop Session 10 Upcoming 18-19 Aug

Fundamental and Applied Lunar Surface Research in Physical Sciences is focus of LSSW 10, with plenary talks including Artemis update from (L-R) Julie Robinson, NASA HEOMD Chief Scientist; A.V. Zakharov, Astronomer with Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences to present on Luna-25 instrument PmL, planned to conduct Lunar Near-Surface Dusty Plasma Investigations; S. Bandyopadhyay to expound on NIAC-awarded farside Lunar Crater Radio Telescope (LCRT) concept, C.J. Collins invited to speak on Instrumenting the Moon as a Spherical Gravitational Wave Detector

Credits: LPI, NASA, Russian Academy of Sciences

SpaceWeek Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 July 2021

Moon South Pole Malapert Mt. Next Goal for Space Billionaire Pioneers, Russia?

Critical to reclaim July 20 Apollo 11 Multi World Species existence is establishment of human base / operating center – likely at Moon South Pole, and most intriguingly perhaps is Malapert Mountain; 5-km peak (86°S, 0°) offers near-continuous line-of-sight for Earth observations and communications, ~85% illumination, more moderate thermal environment, shadowed cold-traps, shielded flank for radio astronomy; While Roscosmos Luna-25 aims for Boguslawsky 1 Oct, SpaceX plans Human lunar lander, Blue Origin Blue Moon cargo deliveries – unique real estate of Malapert high-ground for commerce, ISRU, observation, science, education should be utilized

Credits: Virtual Moon, NASA, GSFC, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Roscosmos, Lockheed Martin, ILOA

Friday / 9 July 2021

Moon Society Advancing Multi World Civilization

2021 Lunar Development Conference 9-10 July To Be Streamed Live And Recorded / Uploaded To YouTube; Moon Society Celebrates 21 Years Advocating For Human Moon Settlement And ISRU With Motto Ad Luna! (To The Moon!); Artemis Project Plan For Commercial Moonbase Establishment (Not To Be Confused With NASA-led Artemis Program) Created By Lunar Resources Company, Acquired By Moon Society; Discussions Feature (T-B) Pete Worden Of Breakthrough Initiatives, Space Policy Expert Namrata Goswami, Space Educator Andy Aldrin, NSS President Michelle Hanlon, MVA North America Coordinator Madhu Thangavelu

Credits: The Moon Society, NASA, Twitter, Moon Express

Tuesday / 6 July 2021

‘921 Rocket’ Could Carry China Taikonauts To Moon Surface By Mid-Decade

Crewed Launch Vehicle Being Developed By China Aerospace Science and Technology Codenamed 921, Reference To Chinese National Manned Space Program (Shenzhou) 1992 Founding Date, May Be More Timely Alternative Than Super Heavy Lift Vehicle Long March 9 To Achieve China Human Moon Landing; LM-9 Most Recent Design Iteration Calls For 10.6-m Diameter Core Stage With 16 YF-135 Engines Sans Auxiliary Boosters, Suggestive Of Reusability Goals; ‘921 Rocket’ Speculated To Be Designated Long March 5DY And Could Be Used To Ferry Crew To TLI With 2-Craft Configuration By 2025

Credits: CNSA, CASC