Category Archives: Human Moon Missions

Friday / 13 May 2022

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Nature Editors Urge Funding of USA-Led Artemis Program to Lead Worldwide Lunar Effort

US$93B expected cost of Artemis program through 2025 planned human landing is justified both by scientific goals (investigation of water ice & Earth-Moon system formation) and to be ‘a ray of light in dark times’ for humanity; Nature also reports NASA has ‘knowledge, stability and standing’ to manage 19-nation Artemis coalition, and will be issuing RFP for Artemis-3 geoscience soon; 2022 missions / payloads from Russia, Japan, South Korea, India, UAE possible; Open University planetary scientist Mahesh Anand tells Nature ‘This is just the beginning’

Credits: NASA

Tuesday / 10 May 2022

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SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell Predicts Human Mars Landing Within 2020s, Moon Landings Sooner

As SpaceX awaits final FAA Programmatic Environmental Assessment for Boca Chica launch, now due May 31, and NASA mega Moon rocket SLS inaugural Artemis 1 flight delayed until NET August due to obstructed helium check valve / hydrogen leak discovered during 1st WDR attempt, Gwynne Shotwell is steadfast in assessment that human landings on Mars “Will be in this decade”, adding “People on the Moon, sooner”; Accelerated timeline is 10+ years ahead of official NASA plan of Mars landings NET 2040, per Administrator Nelson statement in May

Credits: SpaceX, ESA, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 6-9 May 2022

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Analog Astronaut Conference Meets at Biosphere 2 as SIRIUS-21 Long Duration Simulation Ongoing

Preparatory ‘analog’ space missions, vital to understanding effects of long-term Moon habitation on human physiology / psychology, also advance techniques and technologies applicable to terrestrial stewardship as expressed by 2nd Analog Astronaut Conference themed “Learning from Space to Improve Earth and Humanity”; Gathering May 6-8 at UArizona Biosphere 2 features virtual keynote by (L-R) ‘Overview Effect’ writer Frank White, talks by professional Astronaut Nicole Stott, private Astronaut Sian Proctor, Grant Anderson (Paragon), Barbara Belvisi (Interstellar Lab); Meanwhile 6 international participants (TL) continue SIRIUS-21 in Moscow (3 Russia, 2 USA, 1 UAE); 240-day experiment runs until July

Credits: UArizona, RAS, Twitter, Analog Astronaut Conference

Friday / 6 May 2022

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Canada Celebrates Space / Moon with AstroFest in Montreal While Parliament Advances Cislunar Law

Astronaut David Saint-Jacques to speak on future of Canada Moon exploration activities as first Artemis program partner at Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, part of Space For Life Museum in Montreal 7 May; Canada to contribute Canadarm3 to Lunar Gateway, send Astronaut on Artemis 2 Moon orbit mission NET 2024; Lawmakers in Ottawa include language extending Canada legal jurisdiction to / from Gateway and lunar surface for both Canada citizenry and those of ‘Partner States’ in House of Commons bill

Credits: CSA-ASC, Ecosystem, Space For Life

Friday / 11 March 2022

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China Forging Ahead with Chang’e Lunar Exploration while Human Moon Landings with LM-5DY on Horizon

Chief Designer Wu Weiren (TL) proceeding with phase 4 of China Lunar Exploration Program including Chang’e-6 MSP 1-2kg sample return; Chang’e-7 polar exploration mission may involve relay satellite, orbiter, lander, rover, hopper and possible coordination with RSC Luna-Resource-1 orbiter (Luna-27); Chang’e-8 establishment of robotic lunar station with ISRU; LM-5DY development will make Human landings possible prior to 2030 possible per CALT Designer Jiang Jie (BL) speaking at National People’s Congress in Beijing; Jielong-3 / Smart Dragon-3 commercial-focused solid rocket to launch from Shandong China Eastern Seaport NET September

Credits: Xinhua, CGTN, People’s Daily Online, CNSA, MVA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 4-7 March 2022

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USA Policymakers Consider Firm Timeline, Cost Structure for Artemis III Human Moon Return — NLT 2026 July 4?

2026 is realistic goal for First Woman on the Moon near MSP, per NASA IG Paul Martin speaking to congressional Space and Aeronautics subcommittee hearing on Artemis Initiative crewed lunar landings; Originally slated for 2028, then accelerated to 2024 goal under previous administration, ‘technical risk’ now points to NLT 4 July 2026, which would appropriately coincide with USA Quarter-millennial; SLS launches anticipated to cost US$4.1B/ea, while total development spending to reach $93B through 2025 (total Apollo spending ~$257B inflation adjusted); Artemis organizational management, xEMU / flight suits, mobile SLS launchers, Orion, Astronaut Corps among areas of testimony focus; RFI for NASA Consolidated Applications and Platform Services cost reductions due 10 March

Credits: NASA

Friday / 25 February 2022

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Phase 2 of ‘Watts on the Moon’ Opens 3-Segment, 30-Month, US$4.5M Challenge to Enable Lunar Surface Power Transmission & Energy Storage

Running on HeroX crowdsourcing platform, NASA Centennial Challenges calls for USA team proposals for energy infrastructure concepts supporting long-term Moon operations; Open 23 Feb 2022 with competition end scheduled 11 Sep 2024, 285 teams with 3.3K innovators registered so far; Phase 1 winners (21 May 2021, totaling 500K) were Astrobotic, Astrolight, KC Space Pirates, Michigan Tech University, UC Santa Barbara, Skycorp, Team FuelPod; International missions planned near Boguslawsky, Nobile, Shackleton Rim, Malapert Mountain, Haworth Crater, Simpelius N to help determine solar illumination & resources for crew landing projected 2025 / Artemis 3

Credits: NASA, HeroX

Tuesday / 8 February 2022

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Shadowy Lunar South Pole Conditions Being Replicated for NASA Training Regimen in Texas

NASA Johnson Space Center shares Astronaut training exercise “simulating a Moonwalk” within specially outfitted 23,000,000-liter diving tank (62m X 31m x 12m) of Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, located within Sonny Carter Training Facility near Ellington Field / Houston Spaceport; Light containment used to replicate low angle of Sun relative to horizon in polar Moon regions (same effect is likely cause of water accumulation in cold traps / PSRs); Conditions pose novel challenge to Artemis astronauts set to explore area starting NET 2025

 

Credits: NASA, ESA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 4-7 Feb 2022

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Elon Musk to Give Update on Starship, Variant of which is to Land Humans on Moon During Artemis 3

Artemis SLS / Orion rollout now expected mid-March, while progress update on Starship prototype ‘Serial No. 20’ / SN20 to be given 10 Feb at 20:00 CST from Starbase TX; Expected topics include Raptor 2 engines (~230t thrust vs ~185 of Raptor 1) recently subjected to destructive testing, Moonship HLS variant, and orbital test flight landing 100km from Kauaʻi; FAA environmental assessment, “the schedule driver” of launch per Musk; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service contention that launch activity is deleterious to Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge may trigger full EIS review

 

Credits: SpaceX, NASA

Friday / 21 January 2022

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USSF Eyes Cislunar Space — Moon Usage May Follow 7th Continent Antarctica

Air Force Magazine reports USSF Chief of Space Operations John Raymond (T) references need for “safe, secure, stable” cislunar space at Center for Strategic and International Studies online meeting; Military leader urges USA “compete in all areas of the domain, not just in LEO, MEO, GEO” with China; Outer Space Institute co-founders Aaron Boley (L), Michael Byers (R) writing in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists counter that Air Force Research Laboratory’s Cislunar Highway Patrol System and Defense Deep Space Sentinel may contravene Outer Space Treaty Article IV, similar to Antarctic Treaty limiting exploration to peaceful means

Credits: NASA, Advanced Space, AFRL, OSI