Category Archives: Moon Express

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 27-30 Mar 2020

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CLPS Enterprises Test Hardware And Compete For Upcoming Contracts

14 NASA Commercial Lunar Services Providers Are Eligible For Contracts; TALOS Thrusters Intended For Astrobotic Peregrine Lander Successfully Complete 60 Hot-Fire Tests; Firefly Aerospace Plans Orbital Launch And Builds Genesis Lander With 85-Kg Payload; Intuitive Machines Along With Astrobotic Has Task Order To Land Payloads On Lunar Surface NET July 2021; Moon Express & Other CLPS Providers Vie For Task Orders 20A To Possibly Be Awarded By 31 May To Land Volatiles Investigation Polar Exploration Rover, And 19D Expected By 30 Sep


Credits: Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, Moon Express

 

Tuesday / 25 February 2020

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  Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program To Encourage Canada Companies In Artemis Supply Chain

Canada Space Agency (CSA / ASC) Releases Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program Announcement Of Opportunity; LEAP AO Is Intended To Position Canada Companies In Lunar Mission Supply Chain For The 2024 Artemis Human Landing Date; LEAP Program Is Funded At US$150M With AO Funded At $13M And Individual Companies Receiving Up To $2M; Interested Commercial Enterprises Include ABB Canada, Canadensys Aerospace, Mission Control Space Services And Moon Express Canada; Letters Of Intent Are Due 20 March, With AO Due 31 Mar

Credits: CSA / ASC, Canadensys, Mission Control Space, Moon Express

Friday / 23 Aug 2019

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Planetary Scientists Support NASA Budget Request For Lunar Discovery And Exploration Program

76 Lunar And Planetary Science Community Members Sign Letter Supporting Lunar Discovery And Exploration Program Along With An Increased NASA FY2020 Budget Request; Scientists Point Out That Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Program Provides Opportunities For Science Payloads; Signers Of Letter Include (L To R) Clive Neal Of Notre Dame University, Jeffrey Taylor From University Of Hawai’i, Jack Burns From University Of Colorado, Carle Pieters Of Brown University, Astronaut Harrison Schmitt, And Bob Richards Of Moon Express

Credits: Moon Express, Notre Dame University, University of Hawaii

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 15-18 Mar 2019

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Symposium On Going To Moon To Stay Opens Lunar And Planetary Science Conference 

The 50th Lunar And Planetary Science Conference Opens 18-22 March At The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Near Houston, Texas; The Conference Close To NASA Johnson Space Center Will Draw Scientists From Around The World; LPSC Will Be Preceded 16-17 Mar By Microsymposium Organized By Brown University And SSERVI On Going To The Moon To Stay; Participants Will Discuss Transformative Lunar Science With Commercial Partners; Presentations Will Be From 6 NASA-Selected Lunar Payload Services Providers Including Lockheed Martin And Moon Express, Along With SpaceX And SpaceIL

Credits: Marriott, Wikimedia, CNSA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 8-11 Mar 2019

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New Canada Space Strategy Includes Lunar Rovers; Moon Express Has MoU For Early Direct Landings 

Navdeep Bains, Minister Of Innovation, Science And Economic Development, Unveils New Canada Space Strategy; US$2B Commitment Over 24 Years Contains $150M For Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program; Maxar Technologies MDA Developing Robotic Arms For Lunar Missions And Robotic Lunar Rover With 600-km Range; Moon Express Headed By Bob Richards Is One Of 9 NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Service Providers, Has MoU With Canadian Space Agency, And Could Provide Early Direct Flights To Lunar Surface At Fraction Of Canada Space Budget

Credits: Moon Express, NASA, CSA-ASC

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 Jan 2019

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Canada Public, Private Organizations Expand International Lunar Exploration Initiatives

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Is Major Partner On Lunar Projects, Operates Fleet Of 11 Rover Prototypes; Maxar Technologies MDA Will Design Lunar Rover Via CSA MoU; Moon Express Canada Has MoU With CSA And 7 Other Canadian Organizations For Lunar Payload Delivery;  Canadensys Develops Energy Storage, Thermal And Telescope Technology For Moon; Canadian Lunar Research Network Partners With NASA SSERVI; #DontLetGoCanada, A Consortium Of Space Interest Groups, Advocates For Expanded Canada Role In Future Lunar Missions

Credits: CSA, Moon Express

Friday / 30 Nov 2018

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First USA Private-Public Lunar Contracts Worth Up To US$2.6B To Enable ‘More Moon Missions, More Science’

NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services Contracts Max Value US$2.6B Awarded To Astrobotic, Deep Space Systems, Draper, FireFly, Intuitive Machines, Lockheed Martin, Masten Space Systems, Moon Express, Orbit Beyond; “To Provide All Activities Necessary To Safely Integrate, Accommodate, Transport, And Operate NASA [Lunar] Payloads”; Hopes To Get To Lunar Surface “Fast” – As Early As Next Year, Launch 2 Payloads Per Year For Next 10, Starting With 10+ kg Cargo; Payloads Could Include Instruments From Lunar Resource Prospector, And Lunar Surface Instrument & Technology Payloads Proposed 19 Nov Advancing To Next Step 17 Jan 2019

Pictured: NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (L) and Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen; Credits: NASA

Thursday / 8 Nov 2018

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X-Prize Entrants Still Aiming for Moon

 Google’s Cash Prize Is Ended, But Lunar X-Prize Still On; Israel SpaceIL Prepares For Launch On SpaceX Falcon 9 In Early 2019 For 8-Week Voyage; Moon Express Secures Funding For Launch Complex 17 At Cape Canaveral, Aims For July 2020; Japan ispace Reserves Spaces On Falcon 9 In 2020 And 2021; Astrobotic Has 11 Payloads For 2020; In International Moon Village Workshop & Symposium At USC, Germany PTScientists Plan Audi Rover In 2020 To Taurus-Littrow Site Of Apollo 17; 3rd Moon Village Workshop & Symposium To Land In Japan Late 2019

Credits: USC, PTScientists, Moon Express, SpaceIL

Tuesday / 16 Oct 2018

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Canada Space Industry Days Feature Major Lunar Initiatives

Canadian Space Agency Hosting Space Industry Days 15-17 October In Saint-Hubert, Quebec; Blue Origin Featured Monday, Plans To Send Tourists To Space In 2019, New Glenn Booster Is One Of Three Selected By USAF For Next-Generation Launch System; Moon Express Delivers Presentation Tuesday 16 Oct, Signs Memorandum Of Understanding With CSA-ASC For Moon Missions; Airbus Featured Wednesday 17 Oct, Sponsoring Moon Race With Blue Origin And Developing Key Components Of Lunar Orbital Platform; Soyuz Flight Of Canada Astronaut David Saint-Jacques Expected To Be Delayed

Credits: Moon Express, Blue Origin, CSA-ASC

 

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 5-8 Oct 2018

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Lockheed Martin Unveils Lunar Lander Concept, Joins Multiple Nations And Enterprises Planning Moon Missions

Lockheed Martin Releases Detailed Concept For 62,000 Kg Reusable Human Lunar Lander, Launching From Lunar Orbital Platform To Support 4-Person Crew For 2 Weeks On The Surface; Also Soliciting Proposals For Payloads To Fly On Orion; Russia And China Express Interest In Joint Projects, Including Space Center On Hainan Island To Heavy-Lift Launch Vehicles; India Chandrayaan-2 And Israel SpaceIL Planning Moon Landings In Early 2019; Private Companies Aiming For Moon Include Blue Origin, Bigelow Aerospace, Astrobotic, Moon Express, ispace Japan, Golden Spike Company.

Credits: Lockheed Martin, Airbus