Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 June 2023

Chinese on Moon 2020s?

China Manned Space Agency Deputy Director Lin Xiqiang reaffirms national commitment to crewed lunar landings in 2020s, echoing similar declaration by Wu Weiren, CLEP Chief Designer in late April; NASA Administrator Bill Nelson warns of territorialism at MSP, expresses desire to “preserve those potential [water] reserves for the international community” in interview with Spanish media; India, Russia, Japan and USA set to join China in operating robotically on Moon in summer / autumn 2023 with Chandrayaan-3 launch NET July 12, Luna-25 and SLIM NET August, IM and Astrobotic CLPS landers NET Q3

Credits: ILRS, OpenAI, People’s Daily / TikTok

Tuesday / 8 Nov 2022

MVA Symposium 2022 Opens with Total Lunar Eclipse, Egalitarian Considerations, on USA Election Day

Advancing Cislunar development with best practices for the benefit of all 8,000,000,000 is the business of the Moon Village Association 6th annual Workshop & Symposium 8-10 Nov at the LAX Sheraton Gateway; inaugurated early 8 Nov by a reddish Moon total eclipse amidst Galaxy Stars, the MVA WS&S will introduce the Lunar Commerce Portfolio, well timed for addressing the perennial question “Who Owns the Moon” and exploring Moon South Pole development, while Republicans and Democrats, Libertarians and Egalitarians, amongst others, determine USA policy futures

Pictured: Giuseppe Reibaldi, John Mankins, Guo Linli, P. Sreekumar; Credits: MVA, NASA, Twitter

Friday / 19 Aug 2022

NASA to Declare Candidate Regions for Artemis 2025 Human Moon Landing at Press Briefing

Potential landing areas for Artemis 3, with crewmembers including the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, to be revealed at media teleconference with NASA officials (L-R) Mark Kirasich, Jacob Bleacher, Sarah Noble and Prasun Desail; Regions are within 6° of MSP, are of scientific interest and contain viable landing sites; Criteria including communication coverage, illumination, and topographical considerations given weight in decision; NASA to outreach to “broader science community” to make final human landing site selection; Meeting audio to be broadcast Friday 19 Aug at 14:00 EDT

Credits: NASA

Tuesday / 10 May 2022

SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell Predicts Human Mars Landing Within 2020s, Moon Landings Sooner

As SpaceX awaits final FAA Programmatic Environmental Assessment for Boca Chica launch, now due May 31, and NASA mega Moon rocket SLS inaugural Artemis 1 flight delayed until NET August due to obstructed helium check valve / hydrogen leak discovered during 1st WDR attempt, Gwynne Shotwell is steadfast in assessment that human landings on Mars “Will be in this decade”, adding “People on the Moon, sooner”; Accelerated timeline is 10+ years ahead of official NASA plan of Mars landings NET 2040, per Administrator Nelson statement in May

Credits: SpaceX, ESA, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 6-9 May 2022

Analog Astronaut Conference Meets at Biosphere 2 as SIRIUS-21 Long Duration Simulation Ongoing

Preparatory ‘analog’ space missions, vital to understanding effects of long-term Moon habitation on human physiology / psychology, also advance techniques and technologies applicable to terrestrial stewardship as expressed by 2nd Analog Astronaut Conference themed “Learning from Space to Improve Earth and Humanity”; Gathering May 6-8 at UArizona Biosphere 2 features virtual keynote by (L-R) ‘Overview Effect’ writer Frank White, talks by professional Astronaut Nicole Stott, private Astronaut Sian Proctor, Grant Anderson (Paragon), Barbara Belvisi (Interstellar Lab); Meanwhile 6 international participants (TL) continue SIRIUS-21 in Moscow (3 Russia, 2 USA, 1 UAE); 240-day experiment runs until July

Credits: UArizona, RAS, Twitter, Analog Astronaut Conference

Tuesday / 19 October 2021

Explorers Club Examines Perennial Question “Who Owns the Moon?” as Independent Missions Near

Lunar property rights are subject of Explorers Club panel on Youtube and Facebook 18 Oct at 1900 EDT; Pioneering commercial spaceflight participant (L-R) Richard Garriott leads venerable group, founded in 1904 to further exploration and scientific pursuits; Panel includes Aeronautical Engineer Moriba Jah of University of Texas at Austin and attorneys Kristin Larson (bringing Antarctica background to discussion), Charlies Norchi and David Concannon; Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies of 1987 likely starting points

Credits: Explorers Club, NASA

Tuesday / 16 Mar 2021

NASA Solidifies Lunar Technology Development Relationship With Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL)

Task Order Adds US$30M To Existing Contract Of Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium Led By JHUAPL, Which Will Continue To Bring Moon Exploration R&D Thought Leaders Representing 300+ Industry, Academia And Government Organizations Together, Addressing Considerable Engineering Challenges Present On Lunar Surface – Power Supply, Survivability, Dust Mitigation, In-Situ Resource Utilization, Excavation / Construction – With Semi-Annual Meetings, Workshops And Monthly Focus Groups Which Will Guide NASA Lunar Technology Goals And Implementation Plans; “Extensive Systems Engineering Experience In Space Missions” Of JHUAPL To Support Establishment Of “Sustainable Lunar Surface Capabilities” Per Nikki Werkheiser Of STMD

Credits: NASA, JHUAPL

Friday / 12 Mar 2021

For All Moonkind Launches Detailed Moon Registry Of Important Lunar Areas, Items

Incoming National Space Society President And For All Moonkind Founder Michelle Hanlon Says Curated Gallery Of 50+ Years Of Moon Landing Sites, Spacecraft, Experiments, Flags And Related Mementos Will Aid “International Recognition And Protection” Of Sites With “Universal Historic Value”; Visual Database Content Will Be Open / Crowd Sourced With Accuracy To Be Verified By Blockchain Technology Provided By TODAQ Of Toronto; “A Worthy Cause” Says 12th Moonworker Harrison Schmitt, While Charlie Duke, 10th Person To Walk On Moon, Says “I Can’t Wait For Someone To Go Back And Find The Picture Of My Family That I Left Behind”

Credits: NASA, For All Moonkind, NSS

Friday / 16 Oct 2020

Nokia To Build 4G Data / Communications Network For Moon Build-Out

Part Of US$370M+ NASA Tipping Point Awards Announced By Administrator Bridenstine At LSIC 14 Oct, Nokia Of North America (Subsidiary Of Finland Parent Company) Granted $14.1M To Build Cis-Lunar LTE Network, A Highly Vital Component Of Artemis 2024 Human Moon Landing Plan And 2028 Moon Base Establishment; Nokia Had Planned To Launch Lunar Network In Conjunction With Vodafone, Audi And PT Scientists In 2018; Bridenstine Boldly Proclaims New Infrastructure Will Empower “Biggest, Broadest, Most Diverse Inclusive Coalition Of Researchers And Explorers In The History Of Humankind”

Credits: Nokia, NASA

Friday / 5 June 2020

Moon ‘Ice Favorability Index’ Created By UCF Benefits Moon Prospecting Mission Planning, Ice Formation Studies

Supported By NASA SSERVI & Center For Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science At UCF, Team Led By Kevin Cannon Creates Geological Model Of Lunar Poles, PSR / Craters And Most Likely Areas Of Ice To Determine Distribution “At Meter To Hundred-Meter Scales Relevant For Mining Operations”; Vital For Surviving Off-Earth, 1st Direct Evidence Of Water Vapor At Moon Shown By Apollo 14 In 1975 Inspiring Countless Prospecting, Science Plans; CLPS Missions Could Launch To Moon South Pole 2022, Chang’e-6 Sample Return 2021-23, Volatiles Rover 2023, 1st Human Mission 2024-25

Credits: K. Cannon via Twitter, ESA, NASA