Category Archives: Russia

Friday / 13 July 2018

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China, Russia Boost Moon / Space Partnerships, Plan Potential Operation Center On Hainan Island

Building Upon Roscosmos And CNSA MoU, 2018-2022 Bilateral Cooperation Program Outlining Projects, Contracts, Schedule For Moon / Space Exploration Taking Shape Through International Joint Working Group Sessions; Governor Shen Xiaoming (L), Of China Southernmost Province Hainan Island ‘China’s Hawaii’, Discusses Open Invitation To Russia, And Regional Readiness To Devote Land & Resources To Create Russia-China Center Focusing On Cosmonautics And Space, Potentially Utilizing CNSA Wenchang Satellite Launch Center At 19° N 

Also Pictured: Russia President Vladimir Putin and China General Secretary Xi Jinping

Credits: CCTV, CNTV, CNSA, PRC, Hainan.gov, Russia Presidential Executive Office, Kremlin.ru

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 Jan 2018

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Russia Luna-27 Lander, ESA Lunar Ice Drill Progressing Toward Moon South Pole Launch 2021

Roscosmos Advancing Luna-Resurs Lander (Luna-27) With ESA Contract On Surface Drill (PROSPECT) Design, Planned 2021 Launch; Drill With 1-2 Meter Penetration Capability Through Frozen Regolith Being Tested At -140° C, Lunar Shadowed Surfaces Could Reach -240° C; ESA To Also Provide High Resolution Cameras With LIDAR & Precise and Intelligent Landing using Onboard Technologies (PILOT) System To Assist Landing; Luna-25 2019 Lander To Test Soft-Landing Technologies; Neutron Detector On Luna-26 Launching 2020 To Map Subsurface Ice; Sample Return Planned For Luna-28 In 2023; Luna-29 Lander And Rover In 2025 Could See Human Missions / Future Moon Base

Credits: NPO Lavochkin, Anatoly Zak, RussianSpaceWeb, Roscosmos, NASA, ESA, LROC, Ivanov et al., 2015

Friday / 8 Dec 2017

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Russia Advancing Luna-25 Lander & Luna-26 Orbiter Missions With New Contracts

First Russian Return To Moon Luna-25 To Land Near South Pole 2019; Roscosmos State Corporation Contracts ~2 Billion Rubles (~US$34M) For Luna-26 Orbiter To Complete By 2020 Feb 29: NPO Lavochkin Receives 80% Contract Value; Luna-26 Weighing <2200kg Will Relay Data From Luna-25 Lander In Boguslavsky Crater; Together Will Study Solar Wind Interaction With Moon Surface — May Inform Future VLF Astronomy

Credits: NPO Lavochkin

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 June 2017

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Moon South Pole Missions With Strong International Collaboration Being Advanced By China

Chang’e-4 Lander / Rover Launching To Far Side / Moon South Pole Aitken ~Oct 2018 To Carry 11 Payloads Including 4 Developed By Other Countries; China Likely To Cooperate With Europe On Common Goals Such As International Moon Village Or Research Station According To Liu Jizhong; Russia NPO Lavochkin In Talks With China Since CE-4, 5, 6 Similar To Russia Luna-26, 27, 28; CE-5 Set For Late Nov 2017 Launch, CE-4 Orbiter May 2018 For Moon Far Side, CE-6 Sample Return Far Side 2019-20, Possibilities For CE-7 & CE-8; China Developing Low Cost Long March 7 & Heavy Lift March 5; Advocacy For China Sending Women To Moon

Credits: CNSA, NAOC, CAS, ESA, Roscosomos

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 April 2017

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Russia Collaborating With ESA For Luna-25 High-Res Cameras And Future Moon South Pole Missions

Roscosmos And ESA Formulate Agreement On Moon South Pole Luna-25 Lander, Europe To Provide High-Res Landing Camera System To Aid Touchdown In Boguslavsky Crater 2018-19; The Two Agencies Also Set To Cooperate On Luna-27 (Moon South Pole Lander 2021), Luna-28 (Moon South Pole Sample Return 2023), ExoMars Lander / Rover 2020; Russia Aiming To Put Humans On Moon 2029, Start Lunar Base 2030-2035; Developing New Angara Rocket & Federatsiya Crewed Spacecraft For Lunar Missions

Credits: Roscosmos, ESA, NASA, LROC, Ivanov et al., 2015

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 March 2017

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Human Moon Mission Planning Advances In USA, China, Russia

US Gov Surveying Feasibility Of Human Moon Flyby Sep 2018 On Orion / SLS / EM-1, Private Venture SpaceX Plans 2018 Circumlunar Trip For 2 Tourists, Blue Origin Proposes 2020 Moon South Pole Cargo Deliveries To Start Permanent Human Settlement; China Chief Lunar Exploration Designer Hu Hao Announces Success Of CE-5 Sample Return Launching Nov 2017 Will Pave Way For Human Landing Mission Which ‘Should Be Carried Out ASAP’; Russia Begins Selection Of 6-8 Cosmonauts For Federatsiya Spacecraft Intended To Fly To Moon, First Uncrewed Test Flight Planned 2021 On New Angara Rocket

Credits: NASA, CNSA, Roscosmos, SpaceX, Blue Origin

Inauguration Month Edition
January 2017

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Human Moon Lander Imperative, 2020-2025:
To Enable 21st Century Solar System Complete

2018 SLS / Orion EM-1 First Mission Planned For Cislunar Capability Signals Opportunity For Human Lunar Lander Enterprise And Development; American Independents Such As Golden Spike, Astrobotic, Moon Express, Shackleton Energy, Canadensys, ILOA, As Well As Blue Origin, SpaceX, Bigelow Among Others, May Collaborate Through Public-Private Partnerships Bi-Nationally, Multi-Nationally With Canada, China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe, Japan, Russia, USA, And Other Nations Globally; American And International Space Community May Welcome Progressive, Constructive Initiatives From New U.S. President And Administration, While Remaining Vigilant Against Regression; New U.S. President Could Enable Humanity To Reestablish And Advance Itself As Multi World Species, With Women, Men On The Moon And 21st Century “Stretch Goal”

Credits: SPC, ILOA, NASA, Space Dev

New Year Holiday Edition
Friday-Tuesday
23 December 2016 – 3 January 2017

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Russia Remains Lunar Focused, Sets Realistic Timeline For Moon South Pole, Human Missions, Lunar Base

Russia Lunar Exploration Program Planning To Launch South Pole Missions: Luna 25 Lander In 2018-19 To  Boguslavsky Crater To Look For Water, Luna 26 Orbiter In 2020, Luna 27 Lander In 2021, Luna 28 Sample Return Mission In 2023, Luna 29 Lander & Rover In 2025; According To Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, Russia Moon Program 2025-2036 Includes Development Of New Super Heavy Rocket For Cargo Transport, Human Moon Missions Beginning 2030, Russian Academy Of Sciences Lunar Rovers & National Centre For Technology Development Humanoid Robots To Support Lunar Base Build Out 2031

Credits: Roscosmos, YouTube/Rokossovskiy Konstantin, Russia National Center for Technology Development and Basic Robotics, Lavochkin Research and Production Association

Friday / 22 July 2016

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UAE Satellite Maneuver Pays Tribute To Humankind’s Greatest Achievement

Moon 47th International

UAE Dubai-Sat-2 Earth Observation Satellite Turns Face & Captures Images Of Moon To Mark Achievement Of 1st Human Moon Landing, Inspire Future Space Scientists; Salem Al Marri Of Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre Notes Apollo As “A Pinnacle Of Engineering Development & Exploration” And Hopes To “See People On Mars & Other Celestial Bodies”; Nations Including China, India, Japan, Russia, S. Korea & ESA Are Focusing On Moon Missions And Outposts; U.S. Has The Technologies & Could Catalyze Space Race With Prioritization

Credit: Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, Dubai Eye Radio, NASA

Wednesday / 29 June 2016

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Russia Industry To Prepare Lunar Orbital Station Proposal For ISS Partners

LED-6-28-16

RSC Energia Working On Configurations, Elements, Interfaces Of International Habitable Periodically-Tended Circumlunar Platform; Proposals To Be Submitted To Heads Of ISS Partner Agencies 1st Half Of 2017, Working Group Signed Into Existence Late 2014; Scenarios In Line With National Interests Of Partners Including Human Exploration Of Lunar Surface, Mars, Asteroids; Sergei Krikalyov, Director For Human Spaceflight At Roscosmos, Notes Logic In Establishing Permanent Human Moonbase Using Circumlunar Station For Temporary Visits & Transfers

Credit: NASA, RSC Energia