Category Archives: South Pole Moon

Friday / 31 Aug 2018

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Ad Astra — Paul Spudis Vision Of The Moon
“It’s Close, It’s Interesting & It’s Useful”

Dedicated Scientist And Lunar Visionary Paul Spudis Passes On, Leaving Decades Of Vital Moon Research And Inspiring Advocacy For A Human Lunar Return; Spudis Emphasis On Value Of Moon, Human Spaceflight, Solar System Exploration Speaks To Latest USA National Space Program Goals To Create Permanent & Sustainable American-International Human Lunar Presence, Explore South / North Poles & Far Side, Utilize Resources, Conduct Varied Science Experiments; Lunar Community Sends Their Ad Luna, Ad Astra, And Aloha To Spudis

Credits: LPI, NASA, LRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 27-30 July 2018

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Chang’e-4 Far Side Moon Lander On Track For Dec Launch; Beijing Big Moon Expo Continues

China Long March 3B Set To Launch Chang’e-4 Lander & Rover Dec 2018 To Lunar Far Side South Pole Aitken Basin; Lander To Carry High-Res Cameras, Low Frequency Spectrometer, “Lunar Lander Neutrons & Dosimetry”; Rover Equipped With Panoramic Camera, Lunar Penetrating Radar, Visible / Infrared Spectrometer, “Advanced Small Analyser For Neutrals”; Queqiao Relay Satellite At L2 Orbit; Longjiang-2 Operates In Elliptical Lunar Orbit Transmitting Images From Moon; Lunar Exploration Technology Exhibition Featuring 10-meter Moon Continues To 9 Oct At Beijing National Aquatic Center “Water Cube”

Credits: CNSA, CASC, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing National Aquatic Center, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 29 June – 2 July 2018

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Chandrayaan-2 Lunar South Pole Mission To Target Water, Possibly He-3

GSLV Mk II Launch NET Oct / Nov Of 3,290-kg Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter, Lander, 6-Wheel Rover, Will Research Topography, Mineralogy, Exosphere, Prospects For Ice-Water Utilization, Consider Future Helium-3 Extraction; Rover To Operate In Semi-Autonomous Mode For 2 Weeks; ISRO Chairman K. Sivan States India Plans To Be A Leader In Space Resource Utilization, Aims To Put India Crew On Moon

Credits: ISRO, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 22-25 June 2018

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LRO Mission Enters 10th Year Orbiting Moon

On 23 June Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Embarks On 10th Year, Mission Goals Include Temporarily Going Off Nadir (Straight-On Imaging) Fall 2018 To Utilize Camera Stereo, Oblique Imaging; Inertial Measurement Unit Currently Powered Down To Reserve Power For Critical Events, Lunar Eclipses; In Lunar Eccentric Polar Mapping Orbit (20-km Altitude South Pole, 165-km North Pole) With 7 Instruments Providing High Resolution 3D Moon Mapping, Regolith & Radiation Observations, Data May Assist In Future South Pole And Far Side Lunar Landings

Credits: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 15-18 June 2018

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Chang’e-4 Relay Satellite Enters Intended Orbit, Prepares For Upcoming Mission

China Relay Satellite Queqiao Successfully Reaches Halo Orbit Around Earth-Moon Lagrange Point 2, Will Undergo Orbit Maintenance Every 7 Days, Equipped With NCLE Low-Frequency Pathfinder To Detect Cosmic Dark Ages Radio Signals, Will Act As Communication Relay For Chang’e-4 Lander & Rover Mission Planned Nov-Dec Launch To South Pole Aitken Basin / Von Kármán Crater; Microsatellite Longjiang-2 Operates In Lunar Orbit, Transmits Far Side Pictures Using Saudi Arabia Optical Camera; NAOC Prof Ping Jinsong Mentions Feasibility Of Flying Near-Future Low Cost Lunar Constellation

Credits: CNSA, CLEP, KASCST, NAOC, CAS, Planetary Society, NCLE, ASTRON

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 May 2018

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Chang’e-4 Relay To Attempt Detection Of Radio Signals From Cosmic Dark Ages

China To Launch Long March 4C / Chang’e-4 Relay From Xichang 20 May, Precursor For November Moon South Pole Lander; Loft 2 Microsatellites To Lunar Orbit For Low Frequency Radio Astronomy & Interferometry, And Relay Satellite (Queqiao) To L2 Which Carries Netherlands-China Low Frequency Explorer (NCLE) Pathfinder; NCLE Scheduled To Unspool Three 2-meter Antennas March 2019, Detect Radio Signals Pre-First Stars, Study Solar Flares & Jupiter Aurora; NCLE PI Heino Falcke Advocates For Radio Astronomy From Moon

Credits: CNSA, NASA, Radboud University, ASTRON Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 27-30 Apr 2018

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Science And Moon Experts Advise Reinstatement Of Resource Prospector Mission

Lunar Exploration Analysis Group Chairs (L-R) Samuel Lawrence And Clive Neal Urge NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine To Reestablish Resource Prospector (RP) Mission Vital For Lunar Economy, Space Exploration; Letter States Cancellation Of NASA Only Polar Lander-Rover Mission A Source Of Incredulity And Dismay To Community; Critical To Provide Strong Leadership As 6 International Lunar Lander Missions Planned Into 2025; International Lunar Observatory Association And Space Age Publishing Company Support RP Reinstatement Within Context of Space Policy Directive 1, Dedication Of Human Return To Moon, First Women On Moon Initiative

Credits: NASA, University of Notre Dame, LEAG, ILOA

Wednesday / 7 Feb 2018

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JAXA To Hold Workshops On Lunar Polar Exploration & Global Exploration Roadmap

JAXA Announces 2nd Workshop On Exploration Of Moon Polar Region To Be Held Feb 19 To Deepen Discussion Toward International Collaboration On Instruments & Vehicles For Exploring Water Ice, In Conjunction With Workshop On International Space Exploration Coordination Group Global Exploration Roadmap Feb 18; Drawing On Results From 2-Day Workshop Dec 8-9, 2017; Both In Tokyo & Open To Public – Soliciting Participation From Private Sectors & Universities; Marks Rapid Growth Of Japan Interest In Moon, Including Human Exploration

Pictured: JAXA lunar scientist Makiko Ohtake (top left), JAXA workshop convener Hiroki Furihata; Credits: JAXA, Makoto Nakamura, SPC

New Year 2018 Edition
Fri-Thur / 22 Dec 2017 – 4 Jan 2018

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2018 Could See Historic 1st Moon South Pole Landings, 1st Commercial Landings, While NASA LRO Continues FlagShip Mission

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter With 7 Instruments Providing Highest Resolution Data Ever At A Rate Of ~440 Gigabits Image Data Per Day – Is Now 8.5 Years Into Mission In Eccentric Polar Mapping Orbit (20-km Altitude South Pole, 165-km North Pole), Planned To Operate Through 2018 – Which May Be Most Favorable Year For Lunar Landings Since 1972; Chandrayaan 2 Moon South Pole Lander / Rover By India Set To Launch During Q1 2018; China Planning Chang’e-4 Far-Side Orbiter Launch May 2018, Followed By Far-Side South Pole Lander / Rover Oct 2018; Five Independent International Enterprises Look To Win Google Lunar XPrize, Aiming To Launch / Land On Moon Before 31 Mar 2018

Credits: NASA, LRO, ISRO, CNSA, SPC

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 15-18 Dec 2017

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ISRO & Team Indus Preparing 2018 Q1 Launches Of India First Lunar Landers

ISRO Chandrayaan-2 Slated For March 2018 1st Deep-Space Launch Of GSLV Mk 2 Rocket; Its Lunar Orbiter To Carry 1st L-Band Radar Mapper To Orbit Moon; ~3.5-m Tall Lander To Cut Off Engine 2 Meters Above Surface For 1st Ever Landing Near Lunar South Pole; “Radio Anatomy Of Moon Bound Hypersensitive Ionosphere & Atmosphere” Probe To Measure Near-Surface Plasma – Implications For Lunar Dust Levitation & Future Astronomy; Chandrayaan-2 Total Cost US$93M; Commercial Team Indus Looking To Find Another US$35M For Launch On PSLV Rocket By March GLXP Deadline

Pictured: ISRO Chief Kiran Kumar; Credits: All in One, Team Indus