Category Archives: Moonbase

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 Dec 2018

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Moon First Proposal From Robert Zubrin

Robert Zubrin Of Mars Society Proposes Early Lunar Landing, Leveraging Falcon Heavy 60-Ton Payload; First Launch Would Carry Solar Power Equipment, Communications Gear, Two Crew Rovers And Squad Of Robot Rovers; Second Launch Would Carry 12-Ton Crew Habitat To Lunar Pole; Third Launch Would Orbit Lunar Excursion Vehicle (LEV) For Crew Launched On Falcon 9; LEV Would Carry Crew From LEO To Lunar Surface; Assuming That Hardware Cost Will Equal Launch Cost, Zubrin Claims That Early Lunar Landing Can Be Accomplished At Minimal Cost

Credits: NASA, Robert Zubrin, NPR

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 Oct 2018

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International Efforts Aiming For Village On Moon

European Space Agency, Major Advocate Of International Moon Village, Planning 1000 Square-Meter Luna Facility At ESA Astronaut Centre In Cologne, Germany; Regolith Simulant EAC-1 Will Be Used For Experiments To Construct Habitats;  China “Lunar Palace” Yuegong-1 Simulates Moonbase On 370-Day Mission; 500 Cubic-Meter Habitat Contains Integrated Living / Work Module And Two Plant Cultivation Modules; Experimental Crops Including Corn And Peanuts Grown In Closed Environment; International MoonBase Alliance Aims To Build Lunar Analog On Island Of Hawai’i

Credits: Beihang University, ESA

 

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 Sep 2018

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JAXA, ANA Holdings AVATAR X Program Aims For Remote Robotic Lunar Base Construction

JAXA And ANA Holdings Partner On AVATAR X Program To Develop Robotic Avatars To Remotely Build Lunar Camps, Support Long-Term Missions & Deep Space Exploration; Aims For Remote Lunar & Mars Construction, Space Station Operation & Maintenance, Space Entertainment & Public Travel; Consortium Phase Begins In 2018, Opening Construction Designs To Interested Space Industry Companies; Phase Two 2019 Building Of “AVATAR X Lab@OITA” In Oita, Japan To House Infrastructure, Telecommunication Hardware, Testing Facilities; Early 2020s Phase Three To Test In LEO, Leading To Final Phase On Moon, Beyond

Credits: JAXA, ANA Holdings, Inc.

Friday / 10 Aug 2018

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For All Moonkind, Preserving The Past For The Future, May Become Observer To UN COPUOS

Nonprofit Organization ‘For All Moonkind’ Recommended By UNOOSA To UN General Assembly To Be Granted Status Of Observer To COPUOS, Which Would Allow For Participation In International Discussions On All Space Topics; The Team Of Volunteer Space Lawyers & Policymakers Is Working To Create Protocols To Identify & Protect Universal Lunar / Space Heritage Sites, While Planning For Development; Status With UN Committee Could Help Advance Vital Issues Of Property Rights And Resource Extraction

Pictured: For All Moonkind Founders: Michelle and Tim Hanlon; Credits: For All Moonkind, NASA, UNOOSA, COPUOS, M. and T. Hanlon via Twitter

Friday / 3 Aug 2018

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Surviving The Long Lunar Night Studies Ongoing Including Upcoming SSERVI Workshop

Sustainable Return To Moon Efforts Underway Globally To Address Surviving 14-Day Lunar Night At Temperatures As Low As -180°C: NASA R&D For Fission Surface Power, Energy Storage Ongoing At Glenn Research Center, China Lunar Night Survival Capabilities Proven With Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator & Solar Panels On Chang’e-3 Lander In Lunar Day 58, ESA Exploring Lunar Regolith Thermal Mass Techniques For Engine Power, Japan Space Colony Research Center Investigating Thermoelectric Generation Techniques; NASA, SSERVI, USRA Planning 13 Nov Meeting On ‘Surviving & Operating Through The Lunar Night’ In Conjunction With LEAG Annual Meeting

Credits: NASA, JPL, ESA, CNSA, NAOC / CAS, SSERVI, USRA, GRC

Friday / 6 July 2018

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Blue Origin Working ‘Step By Step’ Toward Human Moon / Solar System Expansion

Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin CEO, Vision Of ‘Trillions Of People Living & Working In Space’ Reinforced By Comments From Business Director A.C. Charania At SFF NewSpace 2018 Conference Outlining Company’s Blue Moon Lander Plans To Support People On Moon Surface NLT 2023; Committed To Long-Term Commercial Partnership With NASA And International Collaboration, Blue Origin Currently Developing Descent Stage To Land ‘Multi-Metric Tons’ Of Cargo On Moon Surface (Preferably Poles) To Enable Sustainable Settlement, And Scientific & ISRU Investigations

Credits: A.C. Charania (B) and Jeff Bezos (T) via Twitter, Blue Origin

Friday / 25 May 2018

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Blue Origin Invites Australia To Discuss Its Role In Moon Missions, Space Tourism

Blue Origin Commercial Director Ted McFarland Says CEO Jeff Bezos To Announce Lunar Mission Plans At 69th IAC And Hopes Australia Will Be A Collaborator; Newly Established Australia Space Agency (8 May) Budgets US$26M Over Next 4 Years With Additional $15M To Invest In Specific Projects; Australia Open Land Mass, Eagerness To Boost Economy & Invest In Space Could Be Ideal For New Shepard Space Tourism & Blue Moon / Moon Base Advances; Equatorial Launch Australia Hopes To Build 1st Commercial Spaceport Near Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory

Credits: Blue Origin, Australia Government Dept. of Industry, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 20-23 Apr 2018

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Lunar Community Optimistic That Bridenstine Could Further Plans To Return To Moon

In 50-49 Vote, US Senate Confirms Jim Bridenstine As 13th NASA Administrator; Bridenstine States Readiness To Work With Outstanding Team At NASA Toward Administration’s Vision To Return To Moon, Reach Deep Space, Beyond; Has Shown Support For Cislunar Presence, Permanent Moonbase, Utilizing Lunar Resources, Regulating Commercial Spaceflight; Has Potential To Advance NASA Lunar Exploration Campaign, Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, National / International / Commercial Collaborations

Credits: NASA, CNN, Jim Bridenstine

Wednesday / 4 Apr 2018

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Tokyo University Of Science Launches Space Settlement Research Center

First Female Astronaut Of Japan, Chiaki Mukai M.D., Leads New Center For Developing Technologies For Long-Duration Habitation In Space And On Moon — Currently Consists Of 27 Staff Members & Their Students, With 4 Divisions Including Quality Of Life Design Team Researching Systems For Safety, Comfort, & Medical Support On Lunar Surface; Another Team Studying Self-Sufficient Agriculture; 66-Year-Old Mukai Says Moon Base By 2030 Very Realistic & She Hopes To Go; Center Marks Rising Robustness Of Japan Interest In The Moon

Credits: TUS

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 30 Mar – 2 Apr 2018

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Major Spacefaring Powers Discuss Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, Collaboration With China

The 2nd Symposium ‘Return To The Moon: A Partnership Of Government, Academia & Industry’ Hosted By USRA, GWU And SPI, Enhances Plans For International / Commercial Cooperation To Land Humans On Moon, Build Permanent Presence In Cislunar Space; 12th Man On Moon (L) Harrison Schmitt Says China Is Geopolitical Imperative; Robert Lightfoot Of NASA States USA Looking To Engage Academia & Industry In International Effort To Explore Space, Vital To Utilize Moon As Step Toward Mars; Space Policy White Paper By D. Holland & J. Burns Includes Analysis Of USA Mixed Comments On Becoming ‘Leading’ Space Power And ‘True International Collaboration’, As Well As Unfocused Exploration Priorities / Goals

Credits: Boeing Co., NASA