Tuesday / 11 Oct 2022

Cislunar Development Policy to be Discussed at Beyond Earth Symposium 12-13 Oct

34 featured speakers in space policy, academia and industry to consider guidelines conducive to long-term human community & economy in space and on / around Moon at hybrid conference hosted by University of Arizona Center for Outreach & Collaboration in Washington DC; Toward a Cislunar Ecosystem with Human Presence panel on 13 Oct will be moderated by (L-R) Laura Forczyk (Beyond Earth Institute), feature speakers Scott Pace (George Washington University), Paul Stimers (K&L Gates), Vishnu Reddy (University of Arizona LPL), John Mankins (Moon Village Association) and Angeliki Kapoglou (ESA); In-person ($345) and online ($49) registration available here

Credits: BE, University of Arizona

Friday / 29 July 2022

LRO Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment Analysis Shows Moon Pits Offer Habitable Thermal Profile

100m-diameter depression within Mare Tranquillitatis maintains baseline -43°C during ~14 Earth-day lunar night (vs -173°C surface average), 17°C during lunar day (vs 127°C) due to distinct cavity overhang, per study of DLRE data led by Tyler Horvath and David Paige of UCLA, Paul Hayne of CU Boulder; Moderate temperatures may enable extended human habitation, exploration; First surface-based thermal images to be obtained with Lunar Compact InfraRed Imaging System, expected to launch to MSP NET Nov 2023 on Masten Mission One

Credits: NASA, GSFC, Arizona State University, ESA

Tuesday / 12 July 2022

Space Habitat, Biome and Transport System Envisioned by Japan Academic / Industry Partnership

Kyoto University Human Spaceology Center teaming with Kajima Corporation to realize sustainable human occupancy of Moon, Mars, and interplanetary space; Comprehensive 3-part proposal includes 396-m Luna Glass, generating 1g artificial gravity via 20-second rotations, Nature biome extracted from global ecosystem, harnessing “natural capital”, and interplanetary Hexatrack transit which would ferry people to / from LEO station, cislunar Gateway, Mars moon Phobos and have modular capsule design for surface transport, hybrid electromagnetic railgun / chemical propulsion; Researchers estimate a precursor system could be constructed within 50 years, full build-out NET 22nd Century

Credits: Kyoto University / Kajima Corporation
 

Canada-USA Holiday Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 1-4 July 2022

Closest Neighbors Canada and USA Advance Mutually Beneficial Moon Missions

North America nations share holiday weekend commemorating national foundations: Canada observes 155 years since Federation on 1 July, while USA observes 246 years since Independence Declaration 4 July; Building on ~500 past space agreements between nations, CSA-ASC to provide robotic grappler Canadarm3 for Lunar Gateway, launching NET Nov 2024, and Canada astronaut to join NASA Artemis 2 crew on mission around Moon NET May 2024; MDA working with Lockheed / GM on unpressurized, driver-optional rover for Artemis surface exploration; Canadensys supplying high definition cameras for International Lunar Observatory Association precursor mission ILO-X

Pictured: CSA-ASC Astronaut David Saint-Jacques, NASA Anne McClain
Credits: NASA

Friday / 25 February 2022

Phase 2 of ‘Watts on the Moon’ Opens 3-Segment, 30-Month, US$4.5M Challenge to Enable Lunar Surface Power Transmission & Energy Storage

Running on HeroX crowdsourcing platform, NASA Centennial Challenges calls for USA team proposals for energy infrastructure concepts supporting long-term Moon operations; Open 23 Feb 2022 with competition end scheduled 11 Sep 2024, 285 teams with 3.3K innovators registered so far; Phase 1 winners (21 May 2021, totaling 500K) were Astrobotic, Astrolight, KC Space Pirates, Michigan Tech University, UC Santa Barbara, Skycorp, Team FuelPod; International missions planned near Boguslawsky, Nobile, Shackleton Rim, Malapert Mountain, Haworth Crater, Simpelius N to help determine solar illumination & resources for crew landing projected 2025 / Artemis 3

Credits: NASA, HeroX

Friday / 17 December 2021

China Scientists Analyzing 50mg Moon Rock for Helium-3, Possible Key to Unlocking Controlled Fusion

Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology studying 1,731g of regolith returned by Chang’e-5 for 3He, an isotope possessing 1 neutron / 2 protons used in medical diagnostics and cryogenics, and considered a fusion material candidate since 1986 by nuclear scientist Gerald Kulcinski, working in collaboration with Moonworker Harrison Schmitt at UW-Madison Fusion Technology Institute; While logistics of returning sufficient material to Earth are complex, ISRU application may be feasible soon, as fusion reactor breakthrough producing 1.3MJ from 250 kJ validation in progress at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Credits: ESA, Wikipedia

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 3-6 Sep 2021

Artemis Generation Explorers, Buoyed by Apollo and Administrator Nelson, to Continue Space Diplomacy Legacy

Leaders at NASA and Roscomos intend to maintain partnership in LEO on ISS, with Administrator Nelson pledging ‘continued cooperation’ and Director General Rogozin characterizing statements to the contrary as ‘problem in interpretation’; While USA is leading Artemis Coalition to Moon and Russia has signed agreement with China to build ILRS, Nelson and Rogozin are to meet in Russia to discuss more broad participation; Lesson plans based on real-world Artemis challenges now available from NASA: Landing Humans on the Moon, Crew Transportation With Orion, Propulsion, Gateway

 

Pictured: NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams, Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Administrator Bill Nelson, Artemis generation students, Credits: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 27-30 Aug 2021

Artemis Program Poised to Lead Humanity Back to Moon and into Solar System

International Artemis coalition is on track per NASA Administrator Nelson, echoing JFK “We can do hard things”, reiterating 2021 Artemis I timetable uncrewed SLS launch / Orion distant retrograde orbit; Artemis II launching NET September 2023 with first crewed mission beyond LEO since Apollo 17, with 4-member crew including Canadian Astronaut to fly 8,889 km past Moon during 8-day trip; Artemis III 4-member Orion crew + 2-member surface team including first woman on Moon surface; NASA NextSTEP now soliciting commercial HLS for ongoing long duration surface operation

 

Credits: NASA

Tuesday / 24 August 2021

Lunar Regolith Simulant 3D Printing to be Trialed in Space

Redwire Regolith Print (RRP) experiment utilizes Additive Manufacturing Facility (developed by subsidiary Made In Space) on ISS, fitted with custom printing heads / build plates brought by Cygnus NG-16 S.S. Ellison Onizuka, to fabricate 3 test slabs composed of regolith simulant; RRP seeks to validate construction method in low gravity, with goal of applying technique in-situ for long term, radiation-blocking Moon infrastructure; Test slabs to be returned to Earth for control comparison / durability testing; 1 Sep SPAC merger expected to raise US$170M

 

Credits: NASA, Redwire

SpaceWeek Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 July 2021

Moon South Pole Malapert Mt. Next Goal for Space Billionaire Pioneers, Russia?

Critical to reclaim July 20 Apollo 11 Multi World Species existence is establishment of human base / operating center – likely at Moon South Pole, and most intriguingly perhaps is Malapert Mountain; 5-km peak (86°S, 0°) offers near-continuous line-of-sight for Earth observations and communications, ~85% illumination, more moderate thermal environment, shadowed cold-traps, shielded flank for radio astronomy; While Roscosmos Luna-25 aims for Boguslawsky 1 Oct, SpaceX plans Human lunar lander, Blue Origin Blue Moon cargo deliveries – unique real estate of Malapert high-ground for commerce, ISRU, observation, science, education should be utilized

Credits: Virtual Moon, NASA, GSFC, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Roscosmos, Lockheed Martin, ILOA