Category Archives: Lunar Orbiters

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 27-30 Jan 2023

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CNSA Continues Exploration and Science on the Surface of Moon as Phase 4 of Chang’E Program to Begin NET 2024

Chang’e-4 Moon Lander and Yutu-2 (‘Jade Rabbit’) rover are again busy gathering data / traversing the lunar surface following 16 and 15 Jan activation commands marking start of their 51st lunar day (equivalent to 1,479 Earth days); Yutu-2 has traveled 1,455-m; As Queqiao (‘Magpie Bridge’) replay satellite nears end of 5-year mission life in June, Queqiao-2 with 8-year lifespan being prepared for launch in early 2024, an essential communication link for farside SPA sample-return mission Chang’E-6 NET 2024, MSP CE-7 NET 2026, and CE-8 NET 2028

Pictured: Chang’E-7 Deputy Chief Designer Tang Yuhua (T), CLEP Phase 3 Deputy Chief Designer Li Chunlai (B); Credits: CNSA / CLEP, CCTV via Inside Outer Space, IAF

Friday / 13 Jan 2022

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ShadowCam Mapping of Perennially Dark Regions on Moon Begins with Shackleton Crater

2,040-m wide area of the interior of Shackleton Crater (89.9°S, 0.0°E) is first light for ShadowCam instrument on Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter Danuri; Based on Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera Narrow Angle Camera with 200x light-gathering ability (equivalent to an increase from ISO 100 to 12,800), ShadowCam is a product of San Diego-based company Malin Space Science Systems operated by Arizona State University for NASA; 1.7 m/pixel resolution images to aid in water ice prospecting, landing site analysis for Artemis 3 human landings NET 2025 and KARI indigenous lander mission NET 2032

Credits: KARI, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 6-9 Jan 2022

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A Host of Robotic Moon Landings in 2023 to Precede New Era of Human Lunar Orbital Missions

Artemis Age of lunar exploration will continue full-steam in coming year with NASA CLPS lander missions from Intuitive Machines (IM-1) and Astrobotic (PM1) targeting Q1 launch followed by JAXA SLIM NET April, ISRO Chandrayaan-3 NET June, Roscosomos Luna-25 NET July; SpaceX aims to send 9 passengers on lunar flyby on Starship dearMoon by EOY; NASA working towards Artemis-2 mission launching NET May 2024 with 4-member crew (3 USA, 1 Canada) to be announced soon; Meanwhile ispace Hakuto-R expected to join 9 international orbiters NET April; 4 Artemis-1 CubeSats in vicinity

Credits: NASA, JAXA, Lockheed Martin, Tyvak

Friday / 6 Jan 2022

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Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter Danuri Sending Awesome Earthrise Images Home While Preparing for Science Operations

From a 100-km circular polar orbit around the Moon, Danuri has an excellent vantage of Earth rising over the lunarscape which KARI team is observing with Lunar Terrain Imager (LUTI), 1 of 6 science payloads to be used for 1-year nominal science mission commencing February; KMAG (KPLO Magnetometer), Wide-Angle Polarimetric Camera (PolCam), KPLO Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (KGRS), Disruption Tolerant Network Experiment Payload (DTNPL) also developed by KARI; ShadowCam built by ASU for NASA, based on Narrow Angle Camera components of LROC on LRO with 200x sensitivity

Credits: KARI

New Year Holiday Edition
Fri-Mon / 23 Dec 2022 – 2 Jan 2023

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2023 Moon Roster Full of Independent and National Touchdowns Following 2022 Orbital Activity

At least 6 attempts to robotically land on the lunar surface are slated for 2023, after a year that saw Capstone DRHO insertion, Danuri near 100 x 100 km desired polar orbit (refining current 109 x 8920 km via 4 additional orbital maneuvers), Artemis 1 flyby / DRO; Hakuto launched on Dec 11 as Orion splashed down, now on 1-month cruise to next TCM targeting April landing; Landers Nova-C and Peregrine launching NET Q1, SLIM April, Chandrayaan-3 June, Luna-25 July, while Chang’E-3 lander / LUT, Chang’E-4 Yutu-2 rover continue only current operations on Moon

Credits: NASA, ispace, IM, Astrobotic, ISRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 Dec 2022

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KPLO ‘Danuri’ Begins Lunar Orbit Insertion Process, Joining Capstone, Artemis 1 CubeSats, Chandrayaan-2, ARTEMIS-P1 / P2, LRO

Cislunar spacecraft are now joined by 678-kg wet / 418-kg dry Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter Danuri following first orbital insertion burn and near 100-km perilune 16 Dec at ~17:53 UTC (17 Dec 02:52 KST); 4 lunar orbit insertion maneuvers over the next 12 days are to deliver Danuri to a 100 x 100km polar (90°) inclination orbit where it will circle Luna 12x per Earth-day utilizing 6 science payloads including ASU ShadowCam for nominal 1-year on-orbit mission duration; 35-m Korea Deep Space Antenna in Yeoju, S. Korea providing tracking and comms

Credits: KARI

Friday / 2 Dec 2022

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Artemis 1 Orion Spacecraft Departing Lunar Distant Retrograde Orbit for Moon Flyby, Earth Return and Reentry

Orion headed back toward Moon following 105-second main engine trajectory maneuver, a 4-day leg of Artemis 1 journey which has seen the furthest travel of any human-rated vessel (aside from Apollo 10 ascent module in heliocentric disposal orbit) at 432,210-km from Earth; Final powered lunar flyby set to occur at 8:43 PST on 5 Dec, sending Orion on a 6-day trip towards Earth; 11 Dec reentry at 9:40 to be fastest (39,429 kph / Mach 32) and hottest (2,760°C) to date, first to employ ‘skip’ technique allowing precision splashdown and lowered g-forces

 Credits: NASA

Tuesday / 29 Nov 2022

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Japan Focuses on Moon with OMOTENASHI and EQUULEUS in Cislunar Space, ispace M1 Launching to Luna Surface

Despite 6U CubeSat OMOTENASHI ‘semi-hard impact’ failure, JAXA team led by Tatsuaki Hashimoto still working to reestablish communications and carry out testing in lunar orbit around March, at which time solar panels will be oriented towards Sun; Meanwhile fellow Artemis rideshare EQUULEUS, powered by 6-water thruster AQUARIUS propulsion system, on 18-month route to Earth-Moon L2 following 5,550-km lunar flyby / imaging; ispace expected to launch Hakuto-R lander via SpaceX F9 on Nov 30 with landing within Mare Frigoris (56°N, 1.4°E) in April-May 2023

 Credits: NASA, JAXA

Thanksgiving Holiday Edition
Wed-Mon / 23-28 Nov 2022

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8 International Lunar Missions May Follow Artemis 1, Capstone, Danuri in Remainder of 2022 and 2023

As Artemis Orion spacecraft occupies cislunar distant retrograde orbit (130 x 64,000 km) with splashdown expected 11 Dec, NASA Capstone tests cislunar near rectilinear halo orbit (1,600 x 70,000 km) and KARI Danuri on course to reach 100km lunar orbit 16 Dec, numerous global efforts work to follow with ispace M1 launching NET 29 Nov 2022; Throughout 2023: Astrobotic Peregrine Mission One NET Q1, Intuitive Machines IM-1 NET March, JAXA SLIM NET April, ISRO Chandrayaan-3 NET June, Roscosmos Luna-25 NET July; IM-2 and Turkish Space Agency AYAP-1 aim for late 2023

Credits: NASA, KARI, Astrobotic, IM, JAXA, ISRO, TSA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 Nov 2022

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Cislunar R&D: Antarctica Peace Treaty May Serve as Model for International Cislunar Activity

Peaceful use norms regulated by Antarctic Treaty Secretariat in Buenos Aires, Argentina may be useful example as Cislunar Technology Strategy Interagency Working Group of USA OSTP predicts human activity in cislunar space over coming decade ≥ all previous since 1957, issues 4 main guidelines in National Cislunar S&T Strategy: support for long-term growth, international cooperation, space situational awareness and comms / PNT; JHAPL issues advice for Cislunar Security; AFRL Cislunar Highway Patrol Satellite now ‘Oracle’ to be operated by Advanced Space near Earth-Moon L1 under US$72M contract

Pictured: (Clockwise) OSTP Director Arati Prabhakar, Assistant Director Matthew Daniels, Policy Fellow Kathrine Bretl, Acting Executive Director Kei Koizumi; Credits: OSTP, NASA, LinkedIn, Antarctic Treaty Secretariat