Category Archives: Japan

Friday / 25 Aug 2023

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JAXA Counting Down to Launch of Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM)

SLIM set to lift off on H-2A rocket with XRISM rideshare from Tanegashima Space Center 26 August 09:34 JST (00:34 UTC) for 4–6-month journey to landing site at 13.2°S, 25.2°E, an area east of Shioli, a 270-m diameter crater emanating distinctive bright rays (itself within 98-km Cyrillus crater, west of Mare Nectaris); 200-kg (dry) SLIM will take fuel-efficient route to lunar orbit taking ~3-4 months, followed by ~1 month in lunar orbit prior to surface descent; Primary mission objective is validation of vision-based navigation system with <100m accuracy; JAXA will stream launch with live coverage starting 09:00 JST (00:00 UTC)

Tuesday / 8 Aug 2023

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Chandrayaan-3 Tightening Orbit Around Moon Ahead of Landing Attempt as Luna-25 and SLIM Launches Approach

ISRO Moon lander Chandrayaan-3 now in an elliptical 170 km x 4313 km lunar orbit as ISTRAC controllers at Mission Operations Complex (MOX) in Bengaluru prepare to execute orbital reduction maneuver 2 of 5, planned for 9 Aug 13:00-14:00 IST (07:30-08:30 UTC) to bring craft into circular, polar 100-km orbit ahead of 23 August landing; Luna-25 rollout set for 8 Aug, with previously reported 10 Aug 2:10:57 MSK (23:10:57 UTC) launch now officially declared by Roscosmos; JAXA SLIM to follow 26 Aug 09:34:57 JST (00:34:57 UTC)

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 4-7 August 2023

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August Moon Landings by Russia, India, Launch by Japan, Raise Major Challenges for USA

As Roscosmos readies Luna-25 / Soyuz-2.1b rocket at Vostochny Cosmodrome for launch to Moon from Site 1S reportedly set for 11 Aug 2:10 MSK (backup launch 12 Aug 2:35 MSK, landing NET 20 Aug), ISRO preps for 5 Aug 19:00 IST lunar orbit insertion / 23 Aug landing of Chandrayaan-3, and JAXA planning SLIM lander launch via H-2A on 26 Aug 09:34 JST, 21st Century USA Moon landings remain unrealized; Impact on USA world standing and space leadership may be profound if CLPS robotic landers / Artemis human Moon return are further delayed

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 28-31 July 2023

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India Chandrayaan-3 Successful TLI Will Propel Craft to Join USA, PRC, S Korea in Cislunar Space; Soon Followed by Russia, Japan

Rounding out July ‘International Space / Moon Month’ is TransLunar Injection (18:30-19:30 UTC 31 July / 00:00-01:00 IST 1 August) planned for Chandrayaan-3, setting it on course for lunar orbit, lander / propulsion-module separation 17 Aug, lunar touchdown 23 Aug; Luna-25 and SLIM landers may be on track for NET 10 Aug and 26 Aug respectively, while commercial Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines hope for 2023 launches; Continually operating are: landers CE-3 & CE-4, rover Yutu-2, and orbiters LRO, ARTEMIS P1 & P2, CE-4 Queqiao, Chandrayaan-2, CE-5-T1 Service Module, CAPSTONE & Danuri

Credits: NASA, CNSA, KARI, ISRO, Advanced Space

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 21-24 July 2023

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India, Russia and Japan Landers to Summer on Moon as USA Commercial Outfits Aim for Autumn / Winter

Chandrayaan-3 lander (449 kg dry) on track for 5th / final Earth orbit raising maneuver to be performed by ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network from Bengaluru 25 July between 14:00–15:00 IST, followed by lunar transfer 31 July and landing on lunar surface 23 August 17:47 IST; Roscosmos Luna-25 (800 kg) set for 11 Aug launch with Moon landing NET 20 Aug, being promoted with ‘Sonota’ mascot; JAXA SLIM (190 kg) to launch 26 Aug, demonstrate computer vision-based precision landing system; CLPS providers Intuitive Machines and Astrobotic preparing for Q4 launches

Credits: ISRO, Roscosmos, JAXA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 July 2023

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India Moon Lander Launch Leads Wave of Back-to-Back-to-Back National Missions Headed to Moon

ISRO ~US$75M Chandrayaan-3 on Earth Centric Phase 1 of Moon transit, in which 5 orbital raising maneuvers are set to occur prior to Lunar Transfer Phase 2 and Moon Centric Phase 3-10 with lander & rover landing at MSP region (69.367°S, 32.348°E) NET 23 Aug and Propulsion Module placed in 100-km circular orbit; Roscosmos to launch Luna-25 on 11 Aug at 23:10 UTC with direct TLI route, possibly reaching MSP region landing site (69.545°S, 43.544°E) before Chandrayaan-3; JAXA Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) “Moon Sniper” launching with XRISM space telescope 26 Aug at 00:34:57 UTC

Credits: ISRO, JAXA, Roscosmos

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 9-12 June 2023

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National Moon Missions Around World Making Final Preparations for Launch / Lunar Surface Landing Attempts

ULA Vulcan Centaur on track to launch Astrobotic Peregrine NET July following nominal static-fire test of BE-4 methalox first stage engines, upper stage anomaly investigation ongoing, flight qualification 98% done; ISRO targeting 1-week launch window starting 12 July for Chandrayaan-3; Roscosmos set to launch Luna-25 on 11 Aug; JAXA SLIM to launch NET September, with video updates to be released as completed lander is transferred JAXA Space Exploration Center (Sagamihara Campus) to Tanegashima Space Center; Intuitive Machines making significant testing progress, on track for 2023 Nova-C launch

Credits: Intuitive Machines, JAXA

Tuesday / 2 May 2023

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Streak of Moon Lander Crashes Prompts Questioning

As ispace works to determine root cause of fueling-related M1 crash, observers are left to ponder why landing on Moon has eluded all efforts in 21st Century, save for CNSA CLEP sequence Chang’E 3-5; SpaceIL Beresheet (2019) IMU failure led to ill-timed reset command, cutting main engine; ISRO Chandrayaan-2 (2019) suffered software error with similar result; JAXA OMOTENASHI (2022) semi-hard impactor lost comms with Goldstone Deep Space Station; Generally, low gravity / atmosphere and dust are challenging factors; Budget for testing / fuel margin may also contribute to lunar landing difficulty

Credits: ispace, SpaceIL / IAI, ISRO, JAXA
 

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 28 Apr – 1 May 2023

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5 Space Agency / Independent Moon Landing Missions to Launch in Coming Months

Astrobotic Peregrine awaiting ULA launch readiness NET June following Centaur V anomaly; NPO Lavochkin preparing to transport Roscosmos Luna-25 to Vostochny Cosmodrome in first 10 days of June ahead of NET 13 July launch; Intuitive Machines aiming for summer launch of Nova-C; JAXA SLIM launching NET August pending investigation of probable short circuit / engine leak cause of H3 failure; ISRO Chandrayaan-3 pushed to 2024 per comments given by Union Minister Jitendra Singh; Lunar aspirants may consider consultation / collaboration with only successful 21st Century Moon surface operators at CNSA

Credits: Astrobotic, Roscosmos, IM, JAXA, ISRO, CNSA

Tuesday / 25 April 2023

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Hakuto-R Mission 1 to Be First Independent Moon Landing if Successful, with CLPS Companies Not Far Behind

ispace targeting Hakuto-R M1 landing NET 25 April 16:40 UTC 12:40 EST, 06:40 HST (26 April 01:40 JST, 00:40 CST), with landing sequence initiation & live stream starting 1 hour prior; Astrobotic Peregrine delayed from 4 May NET June / July, following Centaur V test-stand explosion; Intuitive Machines working towards similar timeframe for Nova-C launch, including the pioneering ILOA Astronomy from the Moon payload ILO-X, being spoken on by Director Steve Durst at 2023 International Conference of Deep Space Sciences in Hefei, China 25 April 10:40 CST

Credits: ispace, Deep Space Exploration Laboratory, ILOA