Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 13-16 Aug 2021

Long Term Lunar Food Security is Focus of New Public-Private Japan Consortium

Sustainable Moon settlement study centered around in-situ food production, also conducting research on long duration physiological and psychological human effects, to be launched by JAXA in partnership with Space Foodsphere, a Tokyo-based study group with wide industry membership including Euglena Co. (algae-based biofuels), NTT Data (information technology) and Ajinomoto Co. (food science); Facilities within Japan may begin construction March 2022, with Antarctic locations to follow and vision of transferring technology to terraformation of exoplanets circa 2100

Pictured: Space Foodsphere Board Members (Clockwise) Y. Kikuchi, N. Tsuboyama-Kasaoka, H. Tanaka, M. Komasa, Y. Murakami, M. Shintani Credits: Space Foodsphere

Tuesday / 10 August 2021

Moon-themed Music and Art Sent to ISS to be Monetized Via Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT)

Artemis Music Entertainment teams with Nanoracks on first music (Clair de Lune played by Wing-Chong Kam) in space to be minted into NFT, a type of unique blockchain token used to assign ownership of media; version of Clair de Lune transmitted to ISS from Houston, traveling 201,168+ orbital km prior to Earth return; “Why Not Me” visual artwork accompanied, to become first of kind NFT with auction set for 13:00 HST 10 August on Notables platform; Proceeds benefit Students for the Exploration and Development of Space / Artemis Music Foundation

Pictured: Micah Johnson (L), Bob Richards; Credits: Artemis Music Entertainment, Micah Johnson

Tuesday / 27 July 2021

ispace of Japan Gathers Commercial Moon Team Ahead of Independent Missions

In what may be the most significant private lunar effort outside of NASA CLPS, an international coalition led by ispace is preparing for Q2 2022 Mission 1, with final assembly of flight-ready Hakuto-R lander underway at Arianespace facility in Germany; payloads include optics from Canadensys and AI from Mission Control Space Services (Canada), solid-state battery test from NGK (Japan), 10-kg Rashid rover (UAE); 2023 Mission 2 includes Oxygen harvesting experiment from Helios (Israel); Lunar Industry Vision Council of Japan seeking “self-sustaining lunar industry” within “new cis-lunar space ecosystem”

Credits: ispace, Helios, Arianespace, NGK, MCSS, Canadensys, Dubai Media Office

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 23-26 July 2021

NASA Exploring Long Term Options for Human Transport Between Gateway and Lunar Surface

New procurement initiative Lunar Exploration Transportation Services (LETS), part of HLS program under Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, issues RFI with focus on establishing permanent high frequency Moon surface “ferry” to / from cislunar gateway, both human-rated and capable of hauling heavy payloads such as architectural structures, NLT 2028, inquiries due 5 Aug; NASA NextSTEP N: Sustainable Human Landing System Studies and Risk Reduction solicitation also offering US$45M for HLS support services, applications due 2 Aug; U.S. GAO protest decision expected 4 Aug

Credits: NASA, SpaceX, Dynetics

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 11-14 June 2021

3 NASA Lunar Science Payloads Slated For 2024 Commercial Delivery To Moon

Payloads And Research Investigations On The Surface Of The Moon (PRISM) Selections Include 2 Far Side Deployments To Schrödinger Crater (75.0°S, 132.4°E): Farside Seismic Suite (FSS), Containing Very Broadband Seismometer And Short Period Sensor, Investigating Subsurface Structure / Tectonics Over Several Lunar Days / Nights With Internal Thermal Regulation; Lunar Interior Temperature And Materials Suite (LITMS) To Study Internal Heat Transfer; Nearside Payload Lunar Vertex Lander / Rover To Measure Lunar Swirl Reiner Gamma (7.5°N 59.0°W) Via Magnetometer; CLPS Transport Provider(s) TBD

Credits: NASA, PTScientists

Tuesday / 25 May 2021

ESA Working To Establish Commercial Communication / Navigation Infrastructure In Cislunar Space

Recognizing Inevitable Data Needs Of The Growing Lunar Movement, ESA Formulating Design Of Interoperable Network Of Satellites Around Moon As Project Moonlight With Pair Of Industry Consortiums Led By SSTL (UK) And Telespazio (Italy); Envisioned Constellation To Relay Communications / Telemetry Data To / From Surfaces Of Earth And Moon Via Standard Protocols: Initially Through Single Intermediary, SSTL-Built Lunar Pathfinder Aiming For 2024 Launch To MSP-Focused Elliptical Orbit, Utilizing Earth Orbit-Based Satnav Signals, S-band, UHF, X-band; Later Incorporating Gateway And Other Ventures

Credits: ESA, SSTL,Telespazio

Friday / 21 May 2021

Half-Dozen Enterprises To Receive New Lunar Technology Maturation Grants

NASA SBIR / SBTT Awards $750K/EA To 6 Businesses With Moon Focus: Paragon Space Development Corporation Of Tucson AZ (ISRU Collector Of Ice); Lunar Resources Of Houston TX (Molten Regolith Electrolysis Oxygen Capturing, Filtering & Storage System); Advanced Cooling Technologies Of Lancaster PA (Thermal Management System For Lunar Ice Miners); CesiumAstro Of Austin TX (Commercial Communications & Sensing System); Flight Works Of Irvine CA (High Performance Pump-fed Lunar Transfer Stage For Small Launchers); Blueshift Of Broomfield CO (Modeling Rover Interactions With Lunar Regolith In PSRs)

Credits: Paragon, Lunar Resources, ACT, CesiumAstro, Flight Works, Blueshift, NASA

Tuesday / 19 Jan 2021

‘Lunar Resources’ Enterprise Details Plans To Support Artemis Buildout And AFTM

Space Manufacturing Forays Largely Focusing On Thin Layer Additive Processes, Taking Advantage Of Vacuum In LEO And In-Situ Oxygen Refining From Mineral Oxides Abundant In Lunar Maria / Highlands; Lunar Resources Principals Alex Ignatiev (R) and Ronald Polidan (L) Aim To Marry These Initiatives On Lunar Surface, With 3 Major Infrastructure Planks: Magma, Whereby Molten Regolith Electrolysis Produces Raw Building Material; FarView, Construction Of Far Side Low-Frequency Radio Observatory, Championed By Jack Burns; And 1MW, Powering Settlement With ~450kW Within 1 Year, 1 Mega-Watt By 2030

Credits: Lunar Resources, ISDC

Friday / 18 Dec 2020

Thailand Working Toward Domestic Space Capability, Declares For Moon Orbit Within 7 Years

A Leader Of SEA Astronomy With 2.4-m TNO Operated By NARIT And An Emerging Actor In Earth Observation With THEOS-1 And NAPA Cubesats Operated By GISTDA And RTAF, Thailand Is Broadening Space Aspirations To Lunar Orbit; Minister of Higher Education Anek Laothamatas (L) States At Chulalongkorn University Press Conference Moon Mission “Will Forever Change The Whole Perspective Of Thai People”; Announcement Comes On Heels Of Space Policy Committee Convened By Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon (R), Where National Space Act Calling For Fostering Of Indigenous Space / Launch Industry Drafted

Credits: GISTDA, NARIT, Govt Of Thailand

Tuesday / 15 Dec 2020

3D Printed Rocket Components Advanced By NASA Expected To Lower Lunar Lander Costs / Build Time

Automated Additive Manufacturing Processes Pioneered By Commercial Launch Providers Such As Rocketlab Now Being Validated For NASA Use On Future Landers By Long-Life Additive Manufacturing Assembly Program; High-Strength Alloy Combustion Chamber / Rocket Nozzle 280 Seconds Of 3315° C Ignition Data Spread Over 10 Days / 23 Tests Being Analyzed At MSFC In Huntsville AL For Durability, Efficiency In Comparison To Conventional Subtractive Machining Techniques; Industry Moving Towards Fully 3D Printed Rockets With Relativity Space Of LA CA Striving For 2021 Terran 1 Launch

Credits: NASA / MSFC, Relativity Space, Rocket Lab, Launcher