New Lunar Era Underway with CAPSTONE On Route to Moon, Many Orbiters / Landers to Follow
Capstone Moon orbit pathfinder on nominal trajectory to achieve 4-body (Earth, Moon, Sun, Spacecraft) Ballistic Lunar Transfer; S. Korea Danuri orbiter next on Moon mission schedule, launching 2 Aug; NASA Mega Moon rocket SLS undergoing final prep with first Artemis 1 launch window open 23 Aug–6 Sep; Roscosmos Luna-25 lander tentatively set for late Sep; Window for ispace Hakuto-R carrying MBRSC Rashid rover open Oct-Nov; NASA CLPS providers Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines race to land Peregrine and Nova-C before EOY; SpaceX Starship 24 / Booster 7 on orbital launch pad at Boca Chica
NASA CAPSTONE Moon probe launching on Rocket Lab Electron / Photon interplanetary kick stage is set to depart Earth NET 31 May, spending 6 days accelerating to 39,429 kph in LEO for 4-month fuel-sipping journey to test NRHO; Artemis 1 set for August per Administrator Nelson, however launch opportunities extend to 2023; KARI KPLO heading for lunar orbit 1 Aug, will broadcast K-pop; Roscosmos Luna-25 targeting 22 August while CLPS providers Intuitive Machines, Astrobotic and ispace of Japan strive to land on Moon within year
SLS stacked with Orion Crew Capsule on KSC Launch Pad 39B awaiting Wet Dress Rehearsal, with NET May launch to orbit Moon; Rocket Lab Capstone rectilinear halo orbit pathfinder to launch between 3-15 May; Dubai Week reports Roscosmos and ISRO on track for August launch to Boguslavsky crater (Luna-25) and summer launch to a plain between Manzinus C and Simpelius N craters (Chandrayaan-3); ispace HAKUTO-R (NET Oct), Astrobotic Peregrine (NET Nov) landers to be powered by Agile Space Industries thrusters
General Director Dmitry Rogozin Indicates Roscosmos Space Agency In Talks With French Space Agency CNES To Renovate Guiana Space Centre In Support Of “Large Lunar Project” And “Launching [To] Chinese Station”; 41.5° Orbital Inclination Of Tiangong vs 51.6° Of ISS Makes Russia Spaceports At Baikonur (46°N) And Vostochny (52°N) Unappealing, As Additional Maneuvering Would Cost Precious ∆v; Launches From GSC At 5.2°N Would Be Appropriate Also For Lunar Missions; Irtysh / Soyuz-5 Rocket In Development To Power Oryol (Eagle) Deep Space Crew Vessel With 4-6 Cosmonaut Capacity
Collaboration On Lunar Surface Missions 2021-25 Offered To World Space Community By ILRS Partners China And Russia, With Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin Telling State Media TASS “We Are Actively Negotiating With Many Participants”, Specifically ESA; ISRO Also Being Courted; Proposals Of Cooperation Opportunity Include Space Mission, Space System, Subsystem, Equipment, Ground & Application; Data Sharing / Analysis Available For CE-4, CE-6, Luna-25, Luna-27; Engineering And Mission Planning Coordination Possible For CE-7, CE-8, Luna-26, Luna-28; International / Independent Cooperation Could Accelerate Human Moon Landings This Decade
Luna 25 Launch Set For 1 October, Marking Resumption Of Lunar Exploration Activities After 45+ Year Hiatus For Russia, First Nation To Robotically Explore Moon; Luna 25 To Attempt Landing At Boguslavsky Crater Near Moon South Pole (72.9°S, 43.2°E) To Investigate Subsurface Ice Deposits; Luna 26 (2024), Lunar 27 (2025), Luna 28 (2027) To Culminate With International Lunar Research Station Buildout With China & Human Lunar Missions By Decade End; Nuclear-Powered Zeus To Launch From Moon Orbit 2030, Exploit Venus Gravity-Assist On Jupiter Trajectory During 50-Month, US$58M Mission
~US$10B Authorization For “Dissimilar Redundant” 2024 Human Landing System Award, Widely Speculated To Be In Response To Blue Origin GAO Protest Over Blue Moon Lander (L) Included In Innovation And Competition Act Containing NASA Authorization; Amended By Commerce Committee Chair Senator Maria Cantwell; Meanwhile Roscosmos Prime Contractor RSC Energia Continues Construction On 18 m3 Orel ‘Eagle’ (TR) And CNSA Contractor CASC Plans Next Test Of 13 m3 Next-Generation Crewed Spacecraft (BR) With Missions Slated For Late 2020s
