Category Archives: Moon Exploration

Friday / 15 November 2019

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Pence At NASA Ames Applauds Artemis Progress

USA Vice President Mike Pence Says “Artemis Is Here To Stay” At NASA Ames Research Center In California 14 November, Promises NASA Administrator Bridenstine The Resources Needed; Space Launch System And Orion Spacecraft Being Tested For Projected Late 2020 Artemis-1 Mission; Boeing, And Blue Origin Team (With Lockheed Martin And Northrop Grumman) Both Submit Proposals For Artemis Human Lunar Lander; Pence Practices On Vertical Motion Simulator Expected To Be Used For Lunar Landings

Credits: NASA

Friday / 8 November 2019

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Boeing Bids For Lunar Landing ASAP With Fewest Steps

Boeing Reveals Design For Artemis Lunar Lander, Using Technology From Starliner To Reach Moon In Fewest Steps; Two-Stage Spacecraft Would Require Development Of Boeing Space Launch System And Exploration Upper Stage; EUS Requires Funding At US$300M Per Year, Cost Of Lander Unknown; Moonwalker Buzz Aldrin Favors Going To Moon With Minimal Gateway But With Cooperation From China; Boeing Faces Competition From Blue Origin Team Including Lockheed Martin And Northrop Grumman, And Possible Bid From SpaceX

Credits: Boeing, NASA, Veterans in Blue

Friday / 25 Oct 2019

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International Space Agencies And Private Enterprises Sign Agreements To Land On Moon

Heads Of Space Agencies Meet At 70th International Astronautical Congress In Washington DC; NASA Unveils New Woman-Focused Logo For Artemis; Scientists Report First Results From Netherlands-China Low-Frequency Explorer Aboard Queqiao Orbiter; Japan Formally Commits To Artemis And Partners With India For 2023 Moon Landing; Blue Origin Teams With Lockheed Martin And Northrop Grumman For Artemis Lunar Lander; Israel Renews Commitment To Land On Moon And Tours World With Moon-Themed Escape Room

Credits: NASA, SpaceIL

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 Oct 2019

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Artemis / USA International First Women On The Moon Requires Multi-Partisan Support, Funding

New Artemis / First Women On The Moon USA Program Likely Subject For VP Mike Pence Opening Address At International Astronautical Congress Monday 21 Oct In Washington DC; Apollo 11 Pledge Of Armstrong And Aldrin “In Peace For All”; Commercial, Independent Enterprise, and International Collaboration With Canada, China, India, SE Asia, Japan, Europe, Russia, Crescent Moon Countries, Africa, And S America All Imperative Considerations. NASA 1% US Govt Budget Possible With American Space Movement Advocacy From NSS / ISDC, AIAA, AAS, SFS; 1st Women On The Moon Essay Contest 2019 Accepting Submissions

Credits: IAC / IAF, NASA, LRO

Friday / 18 Oct 2019

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Zhongguo / China Moves Upward With Long March 5, Crewed Spacecraft And Space Station

During 16th Observation Of First Zhongguo Citizen In Space, Yang Liwei Looks Forward To Setting Foot On Moon; Long March 5 Transport Ships Leave Dock To Prepare For 2019 Launch, With Larger Booster Under Development; New Crewed Spacecraft Is 9 Meters Long With Mass Of 22 Tons, Will Carry Up To 4-6 People For Missions To Earth Orbit Or Lunar Orbit; 66-Ton Tiangong Space Station Planned For 350-450 Km Orbit By 2022

Credits: CNSA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 4-7 Oct 2019

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Intuitive Machines And Astrobotic Achieve Steps Toward Landing On Lunar Surface In 2021

Houston-based Commercial Lunar Payload Services Provider Intuitive Machines Signs Contract With SpaceX For Launch Of Nova-C Lander On Falcon 9 In July 2021; 3-meter Nova-C (L) Will Carry At Least 100 Kg In Payloads, Including 5 NASA Payloads And More From Other Customers; Fellow CLPS Provider Astrobotic, Which Has Won NASA ‘Tipping Point’ Award To Develop Small Rovers, Advances Agreement To Launch Peregrine Lander On First Flight Of United Launch Alliance Vulcan Booster In 2021

Credits: Intuitive Machines, Astrobotic

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 27-30 Sep 2019

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Artemis And First Women On The Moon Require Increased NASA Investment, Bipartisan Support

Urgency To Land First Women And Next Men On Moon Asap Stressed By VP Pence, Needs Bipartisan Support And Ideally 1% Of Federal Budget; NASA Orders Orion Spacecraft For Up To 12 Artemis Missions; JSC Developing Lunar Spacesuits To Be Tested On ISS In 2023; Currently 17 Female Astronauts Are Candidates For USA First Women On The Moon, Expected To Be World-Changing Event And Start Of Multi-World Civilization; Senate Proposed Budget Includes Additional US$1.2B For Exploration, Subject To Approval By House Of Representatives And Budget Negotiations

Credits: NASA

Friday / 20 Sep 2019

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ESA Seeks Ideas For Exploring Lunar Caves

ESA Open Space Innovation Platform Seeks Proposals For Exploring Lunar Caves; Lava Tubes On Moon, Similar To Those Found On Volcanic Islands Including Hawai’i, Are Sheltered From Space Radiation And Seen As Future Sites For Lunar Science And Settlement; Themes Of Proposals To Include Robotic Concepts For Cave Access Along Vertical Walls, Navigation In Horizontal Cave Segments, And Science Payloads; Proposals Are Due 27 September For Program Selection Closing 31 Oct

Credits: NASA, National Park Service

Friday / 30 Aug 2019

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Moon-To-Lagrange Point Space Elevator Concept Deemed Feasible By Cambridge, Columbia Researchers

Dubbed ‘Spaceline’, Elevator Would Rely On Gravity Well 326,000 km Above Earth Surface To Maintain Rigidity Rather Than Centrifugal Force As In Conventional Space Elevator Concepts; Research Authors Emily Sandford (T) and Zephyr Penoyre Describe Mathematical And Physical Conditions As ‘Eminently Plausible’ For Construction Using Present Technology; Suggestion Of Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene Fiber Construction Material With 3600 MPa Tensile Strength Considering Cost And Manufacturing Scalability Constraints Of Exotics; Fuel Cost To Reach Lunar Surface Would Be Reduced By 2/3, Study Estimates; Paper Is To Be Submitted To IAA Journal Acta Astronautica

Credits: NASA, Cambridge University, Columbia University

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 23-26 August 2019

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Chandrayaan-2 In Lunar Orbit Prepares For Landing And Chandrayaan-3 Joint Lunar Mission

India Chandrayaan-2 Photographs Moon From 4,212 km x 118 km Orbital Ellipse, Will Perform Another Orbit Change 28 Aug; 1,470-kg Vikram Lander And 27-kg Pragyan Rover Scheduled To Land 7 Sep Near Manzinus C And Simpelius N Craters At 70° S Latitude; Project Director M Vanitha (L) And Mission Director Ritu Kridhal (R) Expect To Operate 14 Days On Surface; ISRO In Talks With JAXA Planning Chandrayaan-3 Joint Lunar Polar Exploration Mission In 2023

Credits: ISRO