Category Archives: Lunar Sample Return

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 6-9 May 2016

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China Prepares For 2017 Chang’e-5 Sample Return While Taking Proactive Steps For Human Mission

Change Human Missions

Chang’e-6 Could Serve As Precursor Accelerating China ~2030 Human Moon Mission Goal After CE5 Sample Return In 2017 Tests Related Technologies / Equipment; China Academy Of Space Technology Pang Zhihao States “Manned Lunar Spacecraft Will Be Different”; CE4 To Explore Moon Far Side NET 2018, May Carry Radio Telescope For Astronomy States Zou Yongliao Of Chinese Academy Of Sciences; CE3 Continues As Sole Operational Surface Mission; CE2 Orbiter Scouted Proposed Landing Sites; CE1 Inaugural Mission First Great Step

Credit: China Academy of Space Technology, China Academy of Sciences

Friday / 29 January 2016

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Long March 5 Maiden Flight Planned For Sep-Oct, Will Carry Chang’e-5 In 2017

China Rockets

China Long March 5 Heavy-Lift Rocket With Maximum Payload Capacity Of 14,000kg To GTO Is Being Set Up For Launch Rehearsal, Tested & Assembled At Wenchang Satellite Launch Center (19°N) On Hainan Island In Preparation For Sep-Oct Initial Flight According To Lei Fanpei (CASC); Rocket Launching From Hainan To Loft Chang’e-5 Lunar Sample Return Mission In 2017; Long March 7 Medium-Heavy Rocket Maiden Flight Planned For June, Will Launch Future Cargo For Next-Gen China Space Station

Credit: CASC, Bing Map, sinodefence, CALT, NASA

Tuesday / 15 December 2015

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China Chang’e-3 Spacecraft Enters Year 3 On Moon; Honorary Currency Celebrates China National Spaceflight

12152015Currently In Lunar Night 25 Chang’e-3 (CE-3) Expected To Awaken 21 Dec & Begin Lunar Day 26 Operations; First Long-Term Robotic Observatory Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT) On CE-3 Continues To Gather Images Of Galaxies / Binary Stars / Deep Space With Fewer Limitations Than Earth Due To The Thin Exosphere; Chinese Lunar Exploration Program Has 3 Phases: Orbiting CE-1 & CE-2 / Landing CE-2 & CE-4 (To Far Side NET 2018) / Sample Return CE-5 (Slated For 2017) & CE-6; China’s Central Bank Commemorates Chang’e-1 On Currency (Bill & Coin) 2015 Banknote Reads “Chinese Spaceflight Commemorative”

Credit: People’s Bank of China, CNSA, CAST, CLEP, NASA

Thanksgiving Edition
Thu-Mon / 26-30 November 2015

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China Lunar Exploration Program,
Chang’e Missions 1-6 May Enable 2020s Human Missions

Chang'e-1-6

China Momentum For CE-5 Sample Return Mission 2017, CE-4 Lander / Rover / Orbiter To Far Side 2018, Potential CE-6 Sample Return 2020, And Possible 2020s Human Moon Missions Fueled By Success Of China Lunar Exploration And Technology Development Including CE-1 & 2 Orbiters, CE-3 Lander & Yutu Rover, CE-5-T1 Return Capsule, Long March Family Of Rockets & Newly Developing Spaceport On Hainan Island; China Well Positioned To Become 2nd Country To Land Humans On Moon

Table of China Lunar Program produced by ILOA / SPC

Credit: NAOC-CAS, CNSA, CCTV, Xinhua News Agency

Thursday / 5 November 2015

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Moonspike May Continue Efforts To Reach Moon, Other Private Ventures Advancing

11052015US$122K Raised From Over 1,000 Supporters Fell Short Of Crowdfunding Goals For Moonspike Spacecraft & Rocket To Crash-Land On The Lunar Surface;  Moonspike Founder Chris Larmour States “We Are Going To Spend Some Time Reviewing Our Options”; Britain Commercial Lunar Mission One Raised Over US$1.3M & Planning To Land Probe On Moon Surface & Drill 20-100 Meters For Samples To Return To Earth By 2024; Israel SpaceIL GLXP Team Set a US$240K Campaign Goal – One Dollar For Every Mile To The Moon, Team Secured Launch Services With Spaceflight Industries To Launch NLT 2017

Credit: Moonspike, Lunar Mission Ltd., SpaceIL

Friday / 30 October 2015

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China Planning Chang’e-5 Lunar Sample Return & 1st Ever Landing On Far Side With Chang’e-4

Chang'e Program

Chang’e-5 Being Developed For 2017 Mission While 5-T1 Test Service Module Remains In Lunar Orbit Gathering Data On Landing Sites & Rendezvous Procedures; Chang’e-4 Lander & Rover With Numerous Advanced Instruments To Launch Before 2020 To Far Side, With Relay Orbiter Launched ~2018 To L2; Chang’e-3 At 44.12°N 19.51°W In Lunar Day 24 Successfully Operating 1st Robotic Telescope On Moon; Zou Yongliao From Chinese Academy Of Sciences States “If We Can Place A Frequency Spectrograph On The Far Side, We Can Fill A Void [In Astronomy With Chang’e-4]”

Credit: Xinhua, CNSA, CSA, CCTV, China Space Website

Friday / 15 May 2015

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Honeybee To Develop Lunar Heat Flow Probe & Craft For ISRU / Space Exploration Honeybee CubeSats Lunar Probe

Honeybee Robotics Of Brooklyn NY Receiving NASA Small Business Phase 1 Contracts Worth Up To US$125K Each To Design: Advanced Lunar Probe (Similar To Apollo 15 & 17 Instrument) For Measuring Moon Endogenic Heat Flow, Thermal Gradient & Conductivity; 3D-Printed Harvester CubeSat With Cold-Gas Thrusters Which Can Continue To Refuel Itself For ‘Eternal’ Moon / Asteroid / Mars / Europa Missions; ISRU Volatiles Extractor For Moon / Mars / Asteroids; Hermetically-Sealed Canisters For Sample Return Missions

Image Credit: NASA, Honeybee, ESA / The Science Office Ltd.

Thursday / 16 April 2015

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China Lunar Sample Return Mission Progressing On Schedule

CLEP0415

Command Structure Formed To Oversee Long March 5 Development & 3rd Phase Of China Lunar Exploration Program; CLEP General Director Xu Dazhe Gives Speech At Group’s 1st Meeting Calling For Phase 3 Objectives To Be Reached On Schedule; Ascender Of China Chang’e-5 Lunar Explorer Inspected & Accepted For Plume Testing; New Generation Rocket Long March 5 Successfully Undergoes 20-Minute Test Run, Launch Site Drill Planned For End 2015, 1st Launch In 2016, Will Be Used To Launch Chang’e-5 ~2017

Image Credit: CLEP, CNSA, AMA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 3-6 April 2015

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China Advancing Human Moon Mission Elements

ChinaHumanMoonElements

Research Paper On New Generation Multi-Purpose Space Crew Capsule Published By Aerospace Manned Flight Center Of China Aerospace Technology & Research Institute, Media Reports Reveal It As 1st China Human Moon Capsule Concept Design; Chang’e-5 Lander, Mission Design Indicate Mission Will Test Elements / Procedures For Human Mission – Large Lander & Reentry Vehicle, Apollo-Like Mission Scenario; China Working On Long March-9 Rocket With 130-Metric Ton Payload Capacity, Reportedly To Facilitate Human Moon Missions

Image Credit: CNSA, China Aerospace Technology & Research Institute

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 6-9 March 2015

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China Chang’e-3, -4, -5 Aligning To Realize Full Potential Of Moon Program

Chang'e-3 - 5

Chang’e-4 Lander & Rover With Reconfigured Instruments To Follow Successful Chang’e-1, -2, -3 & 5-T1 Missions (2007-Present), Perhaps To Unexplored Destination Such As Moon South Pole; Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission On Track For 2017 Launch From Developing Hainan Spaceport On Long March 5 Rocket According To Chang’e Chief Cmdr / Designer Ye Peijian; Chang’e-5-T1 In Moon Orbit Testing Technologies For Chang’e-5; Chang’e-3 At 44.12°N 19.51°W May Study Lunar Terminator / Dust Dynamics, Make Other Observations During Lunar Eclipse 4 Apr & 28 Sep

Image Credit: CNSA, NASA, CCTV, Chinese Academy of Sciences, D. Davis, Chinanews.com, K. Kremer, M. Di Lorenzo, Xinhuanet.com