Category Archives: NASA

Tuesday / 26 Mar 2019

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Accelerated Lunar Program To Include Astronomy From Moon 

USA National Space Council Chaired By Vice President Mike Pence Meets In Huntsville, Alabama 26 March; Pence And Former Astronauts Pushing For Early Human Lunar Landing, Perhaps By 2024; University Of Colorado Astrophysicist Jack Burns, Who Will Address NSC, Is Contracted To Develop Dark Ages Polarimetry Pathfinder Smallsat For Lunar Farside, With Ultimate Goal Of Placing Array Of Telescopes On Moon; Netherlands-China Low Frequency Explorer With Three 5-meter Antennae Will Begin Operating On Lunar Farside When Chang’e-4 Finishes Primary Mission

Credits: NASA, ISIS, CNSA, University of Colorado

Friday / 22 Mar 2019

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Multiple Moon March Activities Planned By Commercial Industry And Nations Including USA

Current Lunar Activities Include SpaceIL Beresheet On Course To Vicinity Of Moon By 4 April And Planned Landing 11 Apr; 6-Person International Crew Of SIRIUS-19 In Moscow Simulating 122-Day Lunar Mission; Astrobotic Uses LIDAR-Equipped Drone To Map Iceland Lava Tube In Preparation For Lunar Applications; Japan, Canada And Lockheed Martin Plan Modules For Moon Orbit; US National Space Council Meets 26 Mar As NASA Plans Lunar Rover In 2023; Administrator Jim Bridenstine Says Next Human Landings Will Include First Woman On The Moon

Credits: SpaceIL, NASA, Astrobotic, DLR

Tuesday / 19 Mar 2019

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Apollo 11 Lunar Landing To Be Observed Across Earth 

 50th Observation Includes Apollo 11 Documentary In Theaters And ‘First Man’ In Video; Astronauts Gather At MIT Space Week And NYC Explorers Club; Seattle Museum Of Flight 13 Apr Opens Destination Moon Exhibit Featuring Columbia Spacecraft Plus Buzz Aldrin Helmet And Gloves; Aldrin Headlining Gala In Simi Valley CA 13 July; Harrison Schmitt (L) And Gene Kranz (R) Will Be At ApolloPalooza In Denver 13-20 July; Launch Day Events Planned 16 July At Kennedy Space Center And National Air And Space Museum

Credits: NASA, Space Center Houston

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

Tuesday / 12 Mar 2019

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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Finds Water Moving Across Lunar Surface, Cooperates With Chang’e-4 Mission 

 

NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, In Orbit Since June 2009, Makes Data Release 37B; LRO Lyman Alpha Mapping Project Observes Water Molecules Moving Around Lunar Dayside; LAMP Uses Ultraviolet Light From Stars To Look Into Permanently Shadowed Craters Seeking Water Ice; LRO Is Positioned To Aid Future International Robotic And Crewed Missions; In Cooperation With CNSA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Images Chang’e-4 Lander And Yutu-2 Rover On Surface

Credits: NASA

Tuesday / 5 Mar 2019

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SpaceX Elon Musk Agrees With NASA On Need For Lunar Base

 

After Successful Uncrewed Launch Of Crew Dragon To ISS, Elon Musk States, “We Should Have A Base On The Moon” Agreeing With NASA Jim Bridenstine About SPD-1 Mandate; SpaceX Crew Dragon And Boeing Starliner Projected To Return Astronauts On American Vehicle In 2019; Musk Already Planning To Send Yusaku Maezawa And Artists Around Moon On SpaceX ‘Starship’ In 2023; SpaceX Supporters Believe Starship Can Provide Lunar Transportation For Less Than Cost Of Space Launch System

Credits: NASA, SpaceX

Tuesday / 26 Feb 2019

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Lunar Scientific Payloads For Commercial Moon Landings Being Selected, Developed By NASA

 12 Demonstration Scientific Payloads Selected To Be Carried By Commercial Landers As Early As End Of 2019; Experiments Will Be Developed By NASA Facilities Including Ames Research Center And Johnson Space Center; Outside Proposals For Lunar Surface Instrument And Technology Payloads Have Due Date Of 27 February: Nine Companies Selected As Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Will Compete To Provide Delivery; NASA Plans Regular Landings Leading To Human Moon Missions By 2020s

Credits: NASA, Moon Express, Lockheed Martin

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 15-18 Feb 2019

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USA And Partners Hope For 2019 Lunar Landing, Will Announce New Payloads And Commercial Contracts

Next Week NASA Will Announce 12 Science Payloads, Already Developed, For Commercial Lunar Service Providers; Commercial Partners Have 25 Mar Due Date To Submit Proposals For Transfer, Descent, And Ascent Vehicles Of Human Lunar Landing System With Selection In May; Award Of Up To US $9M In Contracts Expected By July Observation Of Apollo 11; Thomas Zurbuchen Of Science Directorate Hopes For USA Lunar Landing In 2019, Potentially Joining China Spacecraft Active On Surface 

Credits: NASA

Wednesday / 13 Feb 2019

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USA Human Lunar Landings Advancing Via Industry Forum And NASA RFP

On 14 February NASA Hosts Media And Industry Forum Revealing Human Lunar Exploration Plans; Speakers Include Administrator Jim Bridenstine And Thomas Zurbuchen (L) Of Science Directorate; NASA RFP For Human Landers Due 25 Mar; William Gerstenmaier (R) Of Exploration Systems Directorate Will Describe Human Lunar Landing Architecture: Descent Element, Ascent Module And Transfer Vehicle Would Be Launched By Commercial Partners; During 2028 A Four-Person Crew Would Land On Surface, Perhaps With China, Other Cooperation, Potentially Beginning Human Landings No. 7-11 And The First Women On The Moon

Credits: NASA

Friday / 8 Feb 2019

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CNSA-NASA First Lunar Collaboration Could Initiate Future Breakthroughs

USA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) In Eccentric Polar Mapping Orbit (20-km Altitude South Pole, 165-km North Pole) Since 2015, Captures Image Of China Chang’e-4 On Moon Far Side In Von Kármán Crater On 30 Jan 2019; Information Sharing Between The 2 Countries Amidst Restrictions Highlights Potential To Expand Upon Mutually Beneficial Cooperation, Combine 21st Century Technologies Of Leading Spacefaring Nations – Both Of Which Plan Human Moon Missions, Lunar Bases

Pictured: NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and CNSA Administrator Zhang Kejian 

Credits: NASA, GSFC, Arizona State University, CNSA, NAOC-CSA