Category Archives: Lunar Orbiters

Friday / 5 Aug 2022

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Astronomy from the Moon Presented at 31st IAU General Assembly in Busan, S. Korea

International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) to speak on the resumption of astrophysical investigation from the surface of Moon during Division A (Fundamental Astronomy) talk at 14:40 KST, just hours after Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter Danuri set to launch at 8:08 KST; IM-1 carrying ILO-X to Moon NET Jan 2023 along with co-payload Radio Wave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the photoElectron Sheath (ROLSES); Future AFTM includes ILO-1 (NET 2024), LuSEE (2025), DAPPER, FARSIDE, Lunar Crater Radio Telescope

Credits: IAU, ILOA, NASA

Tuesday / 2 Aug 2022

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First USA Mission to Lunar Far Side May Be Conducted via CLPS Program in 2025

Draper Laboratory to carry 3 NASA instruments to Schrödinger basin (75.0°S, 132.4°E) on lunar far side NET 2025 under 8th CLPS task order / US$73M contract; 2 Blue Canyon cislunar relay satellites to be deployed prior to landing and operated by Advanced Space; Draper team includes ispace, General Atomics, Systima Technologies; First USA mission to target lunar far side would mark 2nd nation to explore hemisphere after China; Anchor payloads include Lunar Surface ElectroMagnetics Experiment (LuSEE), Lunar Interior Temperature and Materials Suite (LITMS), Farside Seismic Suite (FSS)

Credits: NASA, Draper Labs

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 29 July – 1 Aug 2022

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Summer Around Moon Continues with Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter Launching 4 Aug

NASA Capstone performing nominally on voyage to Moon with trajectory correction maneuver 3 expected to be performed by Advanced Space in early September, reach NRHO NET 13 Nov; KPLO Danuri targeting 4 Aug launch on SpaceX F9 from KSC; NASA Artemis 1 prepping for 29 Aug launch to DRO; Autumn landers include ispace Hakuto-R carrying UAE Rashid rover on track for Nov launch to Lacus Somniorum (37.56°N, 30.8°E) with US$37M cash infusion from consortium of Japan banks; Astrobotic Peregrine and Intuitive Machines Nova-C CLPS landers racing to land on Moon before EOY

Credits: NASA, KARI, IM, Astrobotic, Lockheed Martin

Wednesday / 27 July 2022

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Galaxy Forum Southeast Asia (GFSEA), Singapore Considers Lunar Commercial Communications, Pan Asia Astro Cooperation

GFSEA engaging regional astronomical / astronautical space leaders in dialogue at iconic ArtScience Museum 27 July on 3 themes: Considerations for Southeast Asia Space Agency (SEASA), Asia Astronomy Organization (AAO) modeled on European Southern Observatories, and Lunar Commercial Communications (LCC) – expanding commercial communications by 1,240x; Moderated by Singapore Space and Technology Limited President Jon Hung, LCC panel includes International Lunar Observatory Association Hawaii Director Steve Durst, Qosmosys CEO Francois Dubrulle, Transcelestial Technologies Engineer Jan Smisek; ILOA ILO-X precursor NET 22 Dec 2022, ILO-1 flagship NET 2024 missions for astronomy, observations and communications from the Moon

Credits: ILOA, NASA, CSYS, Twitter, Linkedin

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 22-25 July 2022

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International Teams Prepare for Summer Around the Moon, Autumn on Lunar Surface

KARI KPLO / Danuri launching on SpaceX F9 to Moon orbit 2 Aug from KSC, arrival at 100-km lunar orbit expected 1 Jan 2023; NASA mega rocket SLS / Orion crew capsule Artemis 1 mission targeting 29 Aug, 2 Sep or 5 Sep for launch to 100-km Moon flyby / 61,155-km Distant Retrograde Orbit; ispace Hakuto-R Mission 1 aiming for November launch, Astrobotic striving to launch Peregrine lander within Q4, Intuitive Machines Nova-C may launch Dec 2022 or Jan 2023; Roscosmos Luna-25 and ISRO Chandrayaan-3 likely delayed to 2023

Credits: KARI, NASA, ispace

Tuesday / 12 July 2022

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Space Habitat, Biome and Transport System Envisioned by Japan Academic / Industry Partnership

Kyoto University Human Spaceology Center teaming with Kajima Corporation to realize sustainable human occupancy of Moon, Mars, and interplanetary space; Comprehensive 3-part proposal includes 396-m Luna Glass, generating 1g artificial gravity via 20-second rotations, Nature biome extracted from global ecosystem, harnessing “natural capital”, and interplanetary Hexatrack transit which would ferry people to / from LEO station, cislunar Gateway, Mars moon Phobos and have modular capsule design for surface transport, hybrid electromagnetic railgun / chemical propulsion; Researchers estimate a precursor system could be constructed within 50 years, full build-out NET 22nd Century

Credits: Kyoto University / Kajima Corporation
 

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 8-11 July 2022

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New Lunar Era Underway with CAPSTONE On Route to Moon, Many Orbiters / Landers to Follow

Capstone Moon orbit pathfinder on nominal trajectory to achieve 4-body (Earth, Moon, Sun, Spacecraft) Ballistic Lunar Transfer; S. Korea Danuri orbiter next on Moon mission schedule, launching 2 Aug; NASA Mega Moon rocket SLS undergoing final prep with first Artemis 1 launch window open 23 Aug–6 Sep; Roscosmos Luna-25 lander tentatively set for late Sep; Window for ispace Hakuto-R carrying MBRSC Rashid rover open Oct-Nov; NASA CLPS providers Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines race to land Peregrine and Nova-C before EOY; SpaceX Starship 24 / Booster 7 on orbital launch pad at Boca Chica

Credits: NASA, Advanced Space

Friday / 8 July 2022

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China Moon Rover Prepares For 45th Lunar Day of Exploration as NASA Declares “New Race To Space”

Yutu-2 now in sleep mode, conserving electricity generated during day via PV panels while relying on RHU heating to survive 44th lunar night; In total Yutu-2 has traversed 1,239.88 m within Von Kármán crater on Moon farside South Pole–Aitken basin over 1,282 days of operations, while Yutu traveled 114 m; Despite prognostication from NASA Administrator Bill Nelson speaking to German newspaper Bild expressing concern over “China landing on the moon and saying: It’s ours now, and you’re staying out”, there are no signs of such an effort

Pictured: Yutu-2 (L), Yutu (R); Credits: CNSA

Tuesday / 5 July 2022

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CAPSTONE Begins 4-Month Ballistic Lunar Transfer to Unique Moon Orbit

US$32.7M Capstone now being controlled from Advanced Space HQ in Colorado as it navigates 1,300,000km from Earth, utilizing Sun gravity and 8-thruster propulsion system (built by Stellar Exploration) before reaching Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit with apolune 70,000km from MSP, perilune 1,600km from MNP; Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck heralds “perfect Moon mission success” following 28 June launch to LEO on Rocket Lab Electron / 7 raising maneuvers via Lunar Photon interplanetary stage, culminating in translunar injection from 70,000km above Iberian Peninsula

Credits: Rocket Lab, Advanced Space, NASA

Canada-USA Holiday Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 1-4 July 2022

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Closest Neighbors Canada and USA Advance Mutually Beneficial Moon Missions

North America nations share holiday weekend commemorating national foundations: Canada observes 155 years since Federation on 1 July, while USA observes 246 years since Independence Declaration 4 July; Building on ~500 past space agreements between nations, CSA-ASC to provide robotic grappler Canadarm3 for Lunar Gateway, launching NET Nov 2024, and Canada astronaut to join NASA Artemis 2 crew on mission around Moon NET May 2024; MDA working with Lockheed / GM on unpressurized, driver-optional rover for Artemis surface exploration; Canadensys supplying high definition cameras for International Lunar Observatory Association precursor mission ILO-X

Pictured: CSA-ASC Astronaut David Saint-Jacques, NASA Anne McClain
Credits: NASA