Category Archives: Moon Express

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,

Friday / 22 June 2018

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Next Rocket Lab Flight Success Would Boost Ambitions For Lunar Missions

The 3rd Rocket Lab Electron Flight And 1st Fully Commercial Mission “It’s Business Time” 2-Week Launch Window Opens 23 June In New Zealand From Launch Complex 1 At Mahia Peninsula With Daily Windows 12:30–16:30; Set To Carry 2 Spire CubeSats, 1 GeoOptics CICERO Satellite, IRVINE01 Educational Payload, NABEO Drag Sail Tech Demonstrator; Continued Success On Low-Cost US$5M System Is Encouraging For Launch Customers Such As Moon Express Which Was Originally Slated For 3 Launches For Its Lunar Missions With Option To Purchase 2 More

Pictured: Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck; Credits: Rocket Lab, Moon Express, NASA, HPS GmbH, Spire, Tyvak

Friday / 4 May 2018

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Commercial Lunar Payload Services To Build Upon Successes Of Lunar CATALYST, Commercial Resupply / Crew Programs

New NASA Program Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) To Award Contracts To Private Enterprises For Delivering Science And Tech Demonstration Payloads To Moon Surface; Industry Day Being Held At NASA HQ In Washington DC 8 May To Discuss Draft Request For Proposals; Companies Such As Moon Express, Astrobotic, Masten, Past GLXP Contenders Already Developing Lunar Landers In Prime Position To Accelerate USA Return To Moon, Support Space Policy Directive 1; Blue Origin With Vision Of ‘A Trillion People Living & Working In Space’ Planning New Armstrong Rocket, Blue Moon System For 4,500-kg Cargo Deliveries

Credits: Moon Express, Astrobotic, Masten Space Systems, Blue Origin, Bigelow Aerospace

Friday / 19 Jan 2018

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Blue Origin, Astrobotic and Moon Express Developing Lunar Landers

Blue Origin Near Seattle Designing “Blue Moon” Lander Capable Of Carrying 4,500 kg – Advanced Programs Manager A.C. Charania Says Aiming For 1st Mission In The Next Few Years; Astrobotic In Pittsburgh Developing “Peregrine” Lander Capable Of Delivering Up To 265 kg At US$1.2M/kg – 1st Moon Landing With 35-kg Payload Scheduled For 1st Half Of 2020; Moon Express At Cape Canaveral Planning To Launch “MX-1E” Landers With 10-20 kg Payloads, Including One With ILO-X Telescope & Possibly On Rocket Lab Electron From New Zealand For Google Lunar XPrize; Space.com Mike Wall Writes On Moon Rush

Pictured: Blue Origin Jeff Bezos & A.C. Charania, Astrobotic CEO John Thornton, ME CEO Bob Richards; Credits: Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos, A.C. Charania, Astrobotic, Moon Express, Bob Richards

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 8-11 Dec 2017

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Rocket Lab Electron 2nd Test Ideal Launch Conditions Open Monday Local Time (Sunday USA)

Electron Rocket 2nd Test Launch Possible 14:30-18:30 Dec 11 In New Zealand (15:30-19:30 Sunday HST): Live Video Stream To Begin 12 Minutes Before Launch; 17m-Tall, 1.2m-Diameter Rocket Capable Of Taking 225kg To Orbit; This Test Carries 2 Weather-Monitoring Lemur-2 Satellites For Spire & 1 Earth-Imaging Dove Satellite For Planet Labs; Daily 4-Hour Launch Window Continues Until Dec 17; Success Prepares Rocket Lab For Moon Express Lunar Launch Contracted For Q1 2018

Pictured: Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck; Credits: Rocket Lab, Spire, Planet Labs, NASA

Thursday / 30 Nov 2017

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GLXP: 4 Teams Preparing For 2018 Launches While Uncertainty Surrounds Competition Deadline

Moon Express Looks Forward To 2nd Test Launch Of Rocket Lab Electron During 8-18 Dec Window; Team Indus Completes Qualification Of Spacecraft Structural Model For Flight On ISRO PSLV Rocket In 2018; Hakuto Plans To Ship SORATO Rover To India In Dec To Ride On Team Indus Lander; Synergy Moon Awaits Interorbital NEPTUNE Rocket Test Launch; SpaceIL To Terminate Unless $20M Raised By Year End

Credits: GLXP, ME, Team Indus, Team Hakuto, SpaceIL, Synergy Moon

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 3-6 Nov 2017

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American Lunar Updates: CATALYST, Next NASA Admin, HERA, Moon Express New Hire

Lunar Cargo Transportation And Landing by Soft Touchdown (CATALYST) Program To Spur Moon Commercial Cargo Transportation & Enable New Science / Exploration Being Extended 2 Years For Astrobotic, Masten Space Systems, Moon Express – Jason Crusan Of NASA States ‘Its Optimistic These Companies Could Deliver Payloads In 2018’; Nominee For Next NASA Admin Jim Bridenstine Testifies In Front Of Senate Committee, Awaiting Confirmation; JSC In Houston 4-Person 45-Day Spaceflight / Moon / Mars Mission Analog Campaign 4: Mission 3 Of Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) Ongoing Until Dec 4; Dr. Alain Berinstain Of Canada Joins Moon Express As VP Of Global Development

Credits: NASA, Moon Express, A. Berinstain, Astrobotic

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 20-23 Oct 2017

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Human Return To Moon Advancing
With NSC And Commercial Ventures

USA National Space Council Declaring America Will Return To The Moon, Plans To Establish Users’ Advisory Group Composed Of Commercial Space Industry Leaders; Major Questions To FY19 Funding NASA Return To Moon: Where Will It Come From And Who Will It Involve – Commercial Or International Partners? At LEAG Return To The Moon Workshop, Moon Express, Astrobotic, Blue Origin & Masten Present Their Plans To Return To Moon, Opportunities For Government Collaboration; Bigelow & ULA Announce B330 Habitat For Low Lunar Orbit; As To ‘Why’ We Return To Moon – Expert Paul Spudis States “We Go To The Moon To Learn How To Live & Work Productively On Another World… Arrive, Survive, Thrive”

Credits: NASA, Bill Ingalls, Moon Express, SpaceX, Bigelow, Astrobotic

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 11-14 Aug 2017

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ILOA Of Hawaii Advances Contracts With Moon Express And Canadensys For Moon South Pole Astronomy 2019

International Lunar Observatory Association ILO-1 Astrophysical Observatory To Image Milky Way Galaxy, Conduct Communications From Moon South Pole And Catalyze Lunar Base Build Out Progressing Through Newest Contract With Moon Express Of Cape Canaveral FL To Develop Advanced Landing Technologies For The Mission; ILOA Also Commits To Multi-Year Contract With Canadensys Aerospace Of Bolton, Ontario To Develop Robust Lunar Optics; Recent Headline “Moon Express Looks To Astronomy For Lunar Foothold” Written By Mark Carreau / Aviation Week Sums Up Both Companies’ Vision To Utilize Moon Platform, Advance Lunar Settlement, See First Women On The Moon

Credits: ILOA, ME, Canadensys, NASA, GSFC

USA Independence Day Edition
Fri-Tue / 30 June – 4 July 2017

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Human 2020 Return To Moon Also Supported By Stephen Hawking

First Women / Americans On Moon As Soon As 2020 Is Within Reach – Advances Made By SpaceX On Falcon Heavy, Dragon Crew & Interplanetary Transportation System, Blue Origin New Glenn, New Shepard & New Armstrong, Bigelow Lunar Inflatable Habitats, Moon Express And Astrobotic Lunar Landers, NASA SLS / Orion And New Astronaut Class With 5 Women & 7 Men; Returning “In Peace For All” To Reclaim Greatest American / Human Advance Is Vital For Long-Term Survival And First Step To Launching Into Solar System And Galaxy; Stephen Hawking States Countries Should Collaborate To Build Moon Settlement Within 30 Years; NASA, ESA, China, India, Russia, Canada And Others Support Moon Base Construct – Focusing On Moon South Pole New Frontier To Utilize Materials And Energy; The Time To Achieve Pioneering 21st Century Return To Moon To Solidify Multi World Species Status Is Now

Credits: NASA, N. Moeller, Space Age Publishing Company, Behrokh Khoshnevis