Tuesday / 8 Jan 2019

Space Cooperation Advocated For Benefit Of Mankind And Womankind

As Chang’e-4 And Yutu-2 Rover Explore Von Karman Crater On Far Side Of Moon, China Daily Editorial Describes “Exploring Outer Space For Benefit Of Mankind” And For Peaceful Purposes; Editor of NASA Watch Suggests Rules On Cooperation Can Be Softened; USA Offers To Aid China With Data From Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter; NASA Lunar Scientists Have Independently Pinpointed Chang’e-4 At 45.47084° S By 177.60563° E; Russia Provides Radioisotopes For Chang’e-4 Power Source; Sweden, Germany And Netherlands Also Contribute To Mission; China Invites International Partners For Upcoming Space Station

Credits: CNSA,NASA, Arizona State University

Friday / 12 Oct 2018

ispace Joins Draper And 2 Other Companies To Pursue NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services Contract

One Of Many Teams Competing On CLPS Contracts Releases Details On Moon Mission Planning: ispace Of Japan For Artemis-7 Lander Design, Draper Lab For Guidance & Nav System, General Atomics For Manufacturing & Testing, Spaceflight Industries To Broker USA Rocket Rideshare; Teams To Be Notified By End Of 2018 If Initial Proposals Qualify Them As Finalists; CLPS Contract Value Could Reach US$2.6B Total Over 10 Years For Multiple Providers; Public List Of CLPS ‘Interested Parties‘ Includes 29 Companies

Pictured: CLPS Interested Parties Point of Contacts for ispace, Draper, Spaceflight Industries; Credits: ispace, SEC, AIAA / UTU, KARI

Friday / 5 Oct 2018

IAC 2018 Generating ‘Moon Rush’ Of Mission Agreements, MoUs, Collaborations

International Astronautical Congress 69th General Assembly Providing Major Opportunities For Lunar Advances: Moon Express & Canadian Space Agency MoU Establishes Potential Collaboration On Moon Landers, Orbiters, Payloads; Blue Origin Signs Letter Of Letter With Germany Companies OHB & MT Aerospace; Astrobotic Announces Deal With Space Agencies Of Ecuador (EXA) & Colombia (AEC) For Lunar Exploration Campaign Using Multiple Peregrine Missions; Tech Development Competition 2024 “Moon Race” To Be Detailed Soon; NASA Declares Intent To Contribute Laser Retroreflector Array To Israel 2019 Moon Lander

Credits: Moon Express, Blue Origin, Astrobotic, EXA, AEC, NASA, SpaceIL, Moon Race / Airbus, et al,

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 Sep 2018

JAXA, ANA Holdings AVATAR X Program Aims For Remote Robotic Lunar Base Construction

JAXA And ANA Holdings Partner On AVATAR X Program To Develop Robotic Avatars To Remotely Build Lunar Camps, Support Long-Term Missions & Deep Space Exploration; Aims For Remote Lunar & Mars Construction, Space Station Operation & Maintenance, Space Entertainment & Public Travel; Consortium Phase Begins In 2018, Opening Construction Designs To Interested Space Industry Companies; Phase Two 2019 Building Of “AVATAR X Lab@OITA” In Oita, Japan To House Infrastructure, Telecommunication Hardware, Testing Facilities; Early 2020s Phase Three To Test In LEO, Leading To Final Phase On Moon, Beyond

Credits: JAXA, ANA Holdings, Inc.

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 31 Aug – 3 Sep 2018

Roscosmos, ESA Collaborate On Luna 27 Payload For Moon South Pole Resource Investigation

ESA Developing In-Situ Drill / Sample-Analysis Payload ‘PROSPECT’ To Reach Moon South Pole-Aitken Basin 2022-23 Aboard Roscosmos Luna 27 Lander; Design Phase Scheduled Early 2019; ProSEED Drill To Probe Lunar Ice Where Subsurface Temperatures Could Reach -200° C; ProSPA Onboard Laboratory To Heat Ice Sample To 1,000° C For Volatile Extraction; ESA May Participate On Luna 25 Lander Aiming For Boguslavsky Crater Near South Pole NET 2019-20

Credits: Roscosmos, ESA, NASA, L. David

Friday / 10 Aug 2018

For All Moonkind, Preserving The Past For The Future, May Become Observer To UN COPUOS

Nonprofit Organization ‘For All Moonkind’ Recommended By UNOOSA To UN General Assembly To Be Granted Status Of Observer To COPUOS, Which Would Allow For Participation In International Discussions On All Space Topics; The Team Of Volunteer Space Lawyers & Policymakers Is Working To Create Protocols To Identify & Protect Universal Lunar / Space Heritage Sites, While Planning For Development; Status With UN Committee Could Help Advance Vital Issues Of Property Rights And Resource Extraction

Pictured: For All Moonkind Founders: Michelle and Tim Hanlon; Credits: For All Moonkind, NASA, UNOOSA, COPUOS, M. and T. Hanlon via Twitter

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 20-23 July 2018

Space Day 20 July 2018 Points To
Apollo 11 Mission 50th Observation,
Rise Of Lunar Enterprise

Apollo 11 Landing 49th Anniversary Honored This Year As Global Entities / Enterprises Plan Latest Moonrush With New Urgency: USA Allocates Resources To Return Humans To Moon 2020s With Long-Term Sustainability Goals, Leads Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway Development, Signs Collaboration Agreements With ESA, Israel, UAE; China Likely To Boost Space / Lunar Investment And Commerce In Response To New Trade Barriers, With Expected Innovation, Cooperation On New Frontiers; New Robust Lunar Programs / Partnerships Manifested By India, Japan, Russia, S Korea

Credits: NASA, White House, ESA, JAXA, CNSA (Pictured: Jim Bridenstine, Jan Woerner, Buzz Aldrin, President Trump)

Friday / 20 July 2018

Apollo 11 49th Landing Observation And Buzz Aldrin’s Vision Of Moon / Mars Future

Space Exploration Day / First Footsteps Taken On Another World By Neil Armstrong And Buzz Aldrin Commemorated Today For Historic Impact & Perpetual Motivation To Surpass And Explore Beyond; Moonworker Buzz Aldrin Developing Human SpaceFlight Institute In Houston, Publishing To The Moon & Back Co-Authored By Marianne Dyson 16 Oct, And Advocating For ‘The Next Eagle Landing’ To Involve International Cooperation, Including China, To Develop A Path To Mars As Next Stepping Stone Into Solar System

Credits: NASA, GSFC

Friday / 13 July 2018

China, Russia Boost Moon / Space Partnerships, Plan Potential Operation Center On Hainan Island

Building Upon Roscosmos And CNSA MoU, 2018-2022 Bilateral Cooperation Program Outlining Projects, Contracts, Schedule For Moon / Space Exploration Taking Shape Through International Joint Working Group Sessions; Governor Shen Xiaoming (L), Of China Southernmost Province Hainan Island ‘China’s Hawaii’, Discusses Open Invitation To Russia, And Regional Readiness To Devote Land & Resources To Create Russia-China Center Focusing On Cosmonautics And Space, Potentially Utilizing CNSA Wenchang Satellite Launch Center At 19° N 

Also Pictured: Russia President Vladimir Putin and China General Secretary Xi Jinping

Credits: CCTV, CNTV, CNSA, PRC, Hainan.gov, Russia Presidential Executive Office, Kremlin.ru

Friday / 29 June 2018

Buzz Aldrin Vision For Human SpaceFlight Institute, Lunar Gateway, Global / China Space Collaboration

Iconic Astronaut Dr. Buzz Aldrin Launching Houston-Based Human SpaceFlight Institute To Pioneer Research For Future Human Space Systems / Missions, Host Workshops & Internships – Will Announce High-Level Strategic Partners Oct 2018; Aldrin Advocates For Return To Moon Surface, Sees Lunar Gateway As Major Opportunity To Work With China, Advance Fuel / Power Tech, Build Deep Space Infrastructures Or Multiple Gateways To Reach Mars & Beyond; Inspiring Announcements Anticipated For 49th And 50th Observation Of Apollo 11 On 20 July

Credits: NASA, Buzz Aldrin via Twitter