Category Archives: Human Moon Missions

Tuesday / 27 Apr 2021

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Suit For Moon South Pole, Lunar Gateway, ISS To Be Developed For NASA By Industry

Commercial Crew-Style “Service-Based Model” To “Accelerate Industry And Our Artemis Exploration Plans” Per Deputy Associate Administrator For Advanced Exploration Systems Mark Kirasich; Design Cycle, Maintenance And Training To Be Managed By One Or More Partners With NASA Oversight; xEVA And Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) Programs To Continue Within NASA, Concurrent With Commercial Program – Providing Redundancy; Responses To Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services RFI 80JSC21XEVAS Due 29 April

Credits: NASA, Boeing, SpaceX, HI-SEAS

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 23-26 Apr 2021

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NASA Administrator Nominee Reaffirms USA Commitment To Artemis Human Lunar Landings, Competitive Contract Practices

In Testimony To Senate Commerce Committee Nominee Bill Nelson Pledges “Moon Should Be A Place That Is Not Militarized” Under Artemis Accords, Urges Cooperation Between Nations Participating In Lunar Activity; Committee Chair Maria Cantwell Advocates For “Dissimilar Redundancy” In Human Lander Program, Opening Possibility Of Future Additional Contracts; Nelson Insists “Timetable For 2024 Is Still There”, Implying That SpaceX Confidence In Keeping Schedule Deciding Factor In Award; Confirmation In Full Senate Expected 28 April

Credits: NASA, US Senate

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 Apr 2021

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Biden / Harris Administration To Continue Artemis Moon To Mars Objective As New NASA Leadership Forms

Former Senator And Payload Specialist Bill Nelson Expected To Be Confirmed As 14th NASA Administrator On 21 April, Former Space Shuttle Commander Pam Melroy Is Deputy Administrator Nominee; 2022 Discretionary Budget Request Includes US$24.7B For NASA – A 6.3% ($1.5B) Increase Over 2021, With $6.9B Dedicated To Artemis Program, A $325M Increase; Space Technology R&D Also Sees $325M Increase To $1.4B, Earth Science Increased $250M To $2.3B; In Addition To First Woman, Administrators Have New Goal To Send First Person Of Color To Moon, Possibly By 4 July 2026, Via $2.9B SpaceX Moonship

Credits: NASA OIG, SpaceX

Tuesday / 30 Mar 2021

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Artemis Program Human Landing System Award Expected Within Month, New Budget Within Week

HLS, The Human-Rated Lander System Planned To Ferry Humans From Lunar Orbit To/From Surface, Is On Track For One Or More Selections For Flight Demonstration, Per SpaceNews Coverage Of Comments Made By NASA MSFC Director (T) Jody Singer And Acting Administrator Steve Jurczyk Both Affirming Timeline And Opening Possibility Of Reducing SLS Launch Costs, Redirecting Saved Funds Towards HLS – Currently Funded ~US$850M With Projected ~$3.3B Required; FY2022 Biden / Harris Administration Budget To Focus On National Infrastructure, Space Advocates Urge Emphasis On Cislunar Infrastructure

Credits: NASA, Blue Origin

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 26-29 Mar 2021

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American Institute Of Aeronautics And Astronautics Hosts 3rd International Space Architecture Gathering On March 27

The Los Angeles-Las Vegas Section Of AIAA To Bring Space Architects From Around World Together (Virtually) This Saturday, With 19 Experts Speaking On Structure Design In Space And On / Around Other Worlds Such As Moon And Mars And Applicability Of Such Designs In Meeting Terrestrial Needs; Forum Will Feature An Opening Welcome From AIAA Executive Director (T) Dan Dumbacher, Moderation / Keynote From (B) Madhu Thangavelu Of USC And Talks From Professional And Academic Space Builders From Australia, Austria, California, Denmark, Florida, Hawaii, Italy, New York, North Dakota And Texas.

Imaged: Centennial Challenge Winner for a 3D-Printed Habitat, Mars Ice House
Credits: NASA, USC, AIAA

Friday / 5 Mar 2021

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China Advancing Lunar, Deep Space Plans With New Spacecraft

Currently The Only Country With Operations On Lunar Surface, China (Zhongguo) Is Augmenting Its Spacecraft Stable In Preparation For Major Robotic And Human Moon Missions; China Rocket Scientist And Member Of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Jiang Jie Tells State Media Super Heavy-Lift Launch And New Crew Vehicle Are Under Development By CASC (Rocket Building Subsidiary Of Prime Contractor CALT); SpaceNews Reports Likely SHLLV Specifications Of 4,140,000kg Launch Weight, 10m Diameter Core, 140,000kg Payload To LEO (Just 10,000kg Shy Of SpaceX Starship Projected Capacity), Kerosene-Fueled First Stage Making 4,448kN And LH2 / LOX Second Stage Producing 1957kN

Credits: CNSA, NASA

Friday / 5 Feb 2021

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Artemis Human Moon Landing Program Endorsed By White House, Legislators, NASA Acting Administrator

Political Consensus For NASA-led Return To Moon Emerging As White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki (C) Assures Press That Biden / Harris Administration Is Committed To Partnering With “Industry And International Partners To Send… Another Man And A Woman To The Moon” And That Congressional Support For Artemis Is “Broad And Bicameral”; Comments Come As 11 Senators Sign Letter Urging Executive Backing For Human Landing Systems – Key To Boots On Lunar Ground; NASA Leader Steve Jurczyk (R) Indicates Artemis 1 To Launch Q4; CLPS On Track To Support Human Missions

Credits: NASA, White House, Wikipedia

Tuesday / 2 Feb 2021

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Human Landing System Awards Now Expected 30 April Amid Leadership Transition

3 USA Companies Competing To Build Human Landers To Carry Artemis Team To Moon Surface Have 10-Month Base Period Extended NLT 30 April, 1 Year After NASA Announcement Of Fixed Price Contracts To Blue Origin (With Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Draper), Dynetics (With Sierra Nevada Corporation, Paragon) And SpaceX Via Next Space Technologies For Exploration Partnerships Totaling US$967M; Funding Needed To Build 2 Winning Designs Projected $3.2B, Current Funding Appropriations Remain Around $850M; Space Advocates Urge Biden / Harris Administration To Prioritize First Woman On Moon / Lunar Exploration

Credits: NASA, Blue Origin, SpaceX, Dynetics

Friday / 29 Jan 2021

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Selection Underway For Artemis Moon Base Site: Within 6° Of South Pole, Access To Sunlight, Water, Flat Area / Elevation

Moon South Pole Human Landing And 3 CLPS 2022-23 Mission Site Locations Being Narrowed Down – Which Will Significantly Impact Lunar Base Plans; Using Data From LRO, International Missions & VR Simulations, Experts Search For Optimal Site Perhaps Near ‘Peak Of Eternal Light’ Illuminating Areas For >200 Earth Days, On Crater Ridge To Allow Travel Into PSRs (Reaching -248° Celsius) For Ancient Ice Deposits Or Near Micro Cold Traps, Flat Surface To Establish Base Camp ~1km Away, Achieve Science Goals Including Quiet Platform For Radio Observation; Of Strong Interest Are Malapert, Shackleton, De Gerlache, Leibnitz

Credits: LPI, NASA, ILOA Hawai’i

Tuesday / 26 Jan 2021

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Blue Origin Nears Crewed Capability With Suborbital New Shepard, Advancing Orbital / Lunar Craft

Washington-Based Blue Origin Progresses “Opening Space To All” Goal With New Shepard Suborbital Spacecraft, “Getting Really Close To Flying Humans” On 11-Minute Suborbital Tourism Flights, Declares Director Of Astronaut And Orbital Sales Ariane Cornell After Mission NS-14 Lofting Mannequin Skywalker Test Dummy 105,938 Meters Via BE-3 Liquid Oxygen / Hydrogen Engines, Also Intended For Use On Lunar Lander Blue Moon, Should It Be Selected By NASA For Artemis Program; BE-4 Liquefied Natural Gas Engines Are To Power 7-m Diameter New Glenn Launch System With Flight Expected This Year, Both Being Manufactured In Huntsville Facility

Credits: Blue Origin, Youtube