Category Archives: Moonbase

Friday / 4 Sep 2020

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Expected RFP For Robust Nuclear Power On Moon By 2027

NASA Advisory Council Technology, Innovation, And Engineering Committee At Sep 1 Meeting Signals Intention To Issue Request By Early Oct For Proposal To Build 10-Kilowatt Fission Reactor, Spacenews Reports; System To Support Human Activity Level Of Energy Demand In Excess Of Currently Deployed Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators Which Power Deep Space Probes / Rovers; Funding Bill In House Of Representative Also To Appropriate US$110M For Spacecraft Nuclear Propulsion Development; NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate Administrator Jim Reuter Planning For $1.1B Or $1.58B Total Science Funds

Credits: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 July 2020

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Leaders Unveil Positions On Human Moon Missions While International Robotic Fleet Depart For Mars

As UAE / Japan, China, USA Launch Inspirational Interplanetary Expeditions, Domestic Political Dynamics Closely Monitored By Space, Lunar Community — Artemis Moon Program At Critical Stage Of Development, Needing Multipartisan Support; Scott Pace (L) Of National Space Council Releases Strategy Document ‘A New Era For Deep Space Exploration And Development’ In Which Primary Nature Of SPD-1 Emphasized, As Is Enterprise, Adequate Funding, R&D, Infrastructure; DNC Party Platform Also Expresses Support For Human Moon Landing, ISS, NOAA; John Logsdon Of GWU Credited With Influencing Emerging Consensus On Vital Nature Of Moon Activity, Habitation

Credits: Blue Origin, SpaceX, Dynetics, NSC, GWU; Also Pictured: Sen. Kamala Harris

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 3-6 Apr 2020

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USA Releases Path Toward Permanent Human Presence On Lunar Surface

NASA Plan For Sustained Lunar Exploration And Development Calls For Establishment Of Artemis Base Camp Via 3 Primary Mission Elements: Human Transport Lunar Terrain Vehicle, Mobile Habitat Platform Capable Of 45 Day Voyages, And Surface Habitat Suitable For 4-Member Crew; Administrator Bridenstine Says “Artemis Will Serve As Our North Star As We Continue To Work Toward Even Greater Exploration Of The Moon” And Commits To ‘Increasingly Longer’ Annual Human Missions Following Initial 7 Day Artemis III Landing Of First Woman And Next Man On Moon


Credits: ESA, NASA

 

Tuesday / 26 November 2019

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Roscosmos Looks To Lunar South Pole Telescopes For Asteroid Warning

Russia Plans To Operate Telescopes At A Lunar South Pole Base To Monitor Potentially Hazardous Earth-Approaching Asteroids And Comets; Roscosmos Preparing For Uncrewed Lunar Landing In 2021 And Possible Human Landing By 2030; Robot Systems Will Maintain South Pole Telescopes Along With Periodic Visits By Cosmonauts; Alexander Bloshenko (L) Of Roscosmos Discusses Mining Helium-3, But Only After Nuclear Fusion And Lunar Industries Are Both Well-Established; Roscosmos Head Dmitry Rogozin (R) Remains Open To Cooperation With China For Building Lunar Base

Credits: Roscosmos

Tuesday / 10 Sep 2019

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Silicon Valley Open Lunar Foundation Seeks Investment In Moon

Open Lunar Foundation Based In San Francisco Unveils Plans To Create Moon Settlement; Nonprofit Foundation Started With US$5M Investment By Venture Capitalist And SpaceX Board Member Steve Jurvetson (L); Supporters Include Former ISS Commander Chris Hadfield, Will Marshall And Robbie Shingler Of Planet Labs, Former Ames Research Center Director Pete Worden, And Engineer Jessy Kate Shingler; Foundation Estimates That Moon Landing Could Be Accomplished For Less Than $5B; COO Chelsea Robinson (R) Seeks To Take Best Of What Humanity Has To Offer And Take Step Off Earth

Credits: NASA, CSA, Open Lunar Foundation

Tuesday / 30 July 2019

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We Could Land On The Moon In Less Than Two Years, Says SpaceX CEO Elon Musk

In Wide-Ranging Interview July 12 With TIME Magazine, Musk, Founder Of The Only Launch Provider To Innovate Reusable Rockets, Makes Bold Statements On Moon Exploration And Settlement Timeline, Indicating That SpaceX Could Send Crewed Lunar Mission Within 4 Years, Uncrewed Within 2; Musk Emphasizes The Need For Permanent Antarctica-Style Science Base; Says ‘Overarching Philosophy’ Depends On Expanding Consciousness, Enlightenment, Sustainability, And ‘Making Life Multi-Planetary’

Credits: NASA, SpaceX

Friday / 21 June 2019

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JFK Space Summit Looks To Future Lunar Missions And Why “We Choose To Go To The Moon”

Summit At John F. Kennedy Library In Boston MA Features Caroline Kennedy, Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins, Astronauts Ellen Ochoa, Chris Cassidy, Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Koichi Wakata, Paolo Nespoli, Oleg Kotov, And Jeff Bezos Of Blue Origin; USA Celebrating Apollo@50 Hopes To Land 1st Women At Moon South Pole 2024; Lunar Base Will Advance Science, Secure Resources & Support Long-Term Survival Of Species; Bezos States ‘We Need To Go To Space, It’s Not Optional’, Has Vision Of Trillions Living & Working In Space And Moving Heavy Industry Off Earth

Credits: J.F.K. Library, NASA

Tuesday / 21 May 2019

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PRC Space Experts Note USA Artemis News 

Zhongguo China National Space Agency Experts Respond To USA Artemis Program; Chang’e-6 And Chang’e-7 Planned To Land At South Pole; Senior Scientist Ye Peijian (R) Says “Children Will Blame Us” If We Can Go To The Moon But Fail To Act; Pang Zhihao States That Lunar Base Can Be Used For Science Including Astronomy; Wu Weiren (L) Chief Architect Of Lunar Exploration Project, States That Chinese Footprints Will Be On Moon In About 10 Years

Credits: Xinhua News, CNSA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 5-8 Apr 2019

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Major Spacefaring Powers Joined By Other Nations Reaching For Moon

Canada Launches US$150M Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP) As USA Seeks Partners For Lunar Gateway; JAXA Investigates Using Robotics To Build Lunar Base; Germany PTScientists Rover May Launch In 2020; Russia Hopes To Develop Heavy Launcher For Moon Landings; Drop Test Delays India Chandrayaan-2 Until May; Zhongguo Chang’e-4 Operates During Its Fourth Lunar Day; Korea KSLV-II Booster Planned For 2021 Launch Of Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter; SpaceIL Beresheet In Orbit Photographs Hidden Side Of Moon

Credits: SpaceIL, ISRO, PTScientists, CNSA

Wednesday / 13 Mar 2019

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Administrator Of NASA Jim Bridenstine Declares: Commercial Delivery Missions To The Moon [To Begin] As Early As This Year

 The First CLPS Mission Could Occur As Soon As October 2019; NASA May Begin Preparing The Surface Of The Moon For Human Landing As Early As 2020; Proposals For Human-Rated Landers Due 25 March; Would Be Supported By ‘Funding’; Bridenstine Characterizes FY2020 NASA Budget Proposal Of US$21B As One Of The Strongest On Record – $363M To Support Commercial Development Of A Large Lunar Lander To Carry Cargo And Then Astronauts To The Surface Of The Moon

Credits: NASA/Joel Kowsky