Category Archives: Moon Exploration

Thanksgiving Weekend Edition
Thu-Mon / 22-26 Nov 2018

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Upcoming Lunar Launches And Landings From Multiple Nations

8 December China Plans Launch of Chang’e-4, First Mission To Lunar Farside; Lander And Rover To Explore South Pole Aitken Basin; Landing Targeted For 30-31 Dec In 186 Km-Wide Von Karman Crater At 44.8° South Latitude; India Plans Launch 30 Jan Of Chandrayaan-2, First Mission To South Pole Region; 3,877 Kg Spacecraft On GSLV Mark 3 Launcher Composed Of Orbiter, Lander And Rover; Chandrayaan-2 Landing Site At 70° South Latitude; Israel SpaceIL Plans Lunar Launch On SpaceX Falcon 9 In Early 2019, Landing NET 13 Feb

Credits: CNSA, NASA, ISRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 9-12 Nov 2018

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Surviving Lunar Night Becomes Focus For International, Sustainable Return To Moon Planning

Global Public / Private Interest In Moon Surface Missions Highlighted By ‘Survive & Operate Through The Lunar Night Workshop’ 13 Nov In Maryland, Preceding Annual Lunar Exploration Analysis Group Meeting On ‘Progress & Preparation Toward Exploring The Surface Of The Moon’ 14-15 Nov; Noah Petro, Sam Lawrence, Renee Weber, James Carpenter, Alison Zuniga, Clive Neal And Others Will Cover Surviving 14-Day Lunar Night At Temperatures As Low As -180°C, Various Latitudes, Polar Regions, Permanently Shadowed Regions, Peaks of Eternal Light, Power & Thermal Management Systems; Successful Missions Which Survived Lunar Night Include Chang’e-3, Surveyor, ALSEP, Lunokhod

Credits: NASA, CNSA, NAOC, CSA

Friday / 12 Oct 2018

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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

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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,

Wednesday / 19 Sep 2018

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NASA Moving Ahead With Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway Despite Questions

Planning For Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, NASA Requesting Industry Proposals For Power-Propulsion Element To Launch On Commercial Rocket By 2022; Orion To Rendezvous With PPE During Exploration Mission 3; EM-3 Will Also Bring European System Providing Refuelling, Infrastructure And Telecommunications (ESPRIT) Plus US-Built Habitation Module; Additional Modules To Be Brought On Exploration Missions 4 And 5; Critics Claim LOP-G Lacks Clear Mission Of Moon Or Mars

Credits: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 Sep 2018

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NASA, ESA Working To Survive And Operate Through The Lunar Night

NASA / USRA Hosting Lunar Night Workshop 13 November Before Lunar Exploration Analysis Group Meeting; European Space Agency Investigating Capacity Of Lunar Regolith To Absorb And Store Heat; ESA System Would Use Mirrors To Channel Sunlight Through Regolith To A Heat Engine; Canadensys Aerospace Is Investigating Thermal And Energy Storage Technologies For Low-Temperature Environment Of The Moon

Image Credit: JAXA/NHK

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 Sep 2018

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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.

Friday / 31 Aug 2018

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Ad Astra — Paul Spudis Vision Of The Moon
“It’s Close, It’s Interesting & It’s Useful”

Dedicated Scientist And Lunar Visionary Paul Spudis Passes On, Leaving Decades Of Vital Moon Research And Inspiring Advocacy For A Human Lunar Return; Spudis Emphasis On Value Of Moon, Human Spaceflight, Solar System Exploration Speaks To Latest USA National Space Program Goals To Create Permanent & Sustainable American-International Human Lunar Presence, Explore South / North Poles & Far Side, Utilize Resources, Conduct Varied Science Experiments; Lunar Community Sends Their Ad Luna, Ad Astra, And Aloha To Spudis

Credits: LPI, NASA, LRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 Aug 2018

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Commercial Lunar, Space Enterprises Could See US$44M Through NASA Tech Partnerships

Third “Tipping Point” Solicitation By NASA – Focusing On Expanding Utilization Of Space, Enabling Efficient & Safe Space Transportation, And Increasing Planetary Surface Access – To Award $44M To 6 Companies: Blue Origin, SSL, ULA, Frontier Aerospace, Paragon SDC, Astrobotic; 10 Selected Technology Proposals Include Blue Origin Lunar Lander Cryogenic Liquid-Propulsion Systems Advancement And Precision Systems For Landing Anywhere On The Moon, Frontier Aerospace Deep Space Engine Flight Qualification As Part Of Astrobotic 2020 Peregrine Lunar Lander Mission, SSL In-Space Satellite Servicing

Credits: NASA, Blue Origin

Wednesday / 8 Aug 2018

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ISRO Reschedules Chandrayaan-2 Launch To 2019

Indian Space Research Organization Is Postponing Launch Of Chandrayaan-2 Moon Orbiter, Lander & Rover From October-November To Likely January — To Change Lander Design To Eliminate Risks From Vibrations During Rethrottling; U R Rao Satellite Centre Director Dr M Annadurai (M) Says The Mission Will Now Use GSLV MK-3 Rocket Instead Of MK-2 Due To Increased Rover Weight: Spacecraft Weighing ~3,290 Kg Total Will Take Max 2 Months To Reach Lunar Orbit; Annadurai Hopes To Manage End Of This Year To Roll Out Rs 800 Crore (US$117M) Chandrayaan-2 From Bengaluru To Sriharikota For Launch

Pictured: U R Rao, M Annadurai, ISRO Director K Sivan; Credits: ISRO, SAC