Category Archives: Lunar Flyby

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 22-25 July 2022

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International Teams Prepare for Summer Around the Moon, Autumn on Lunar Surface

KARI KPLO / Danuri launching on SpaceX F9 to Moon orbit 2 Aug from KSC, arrival at 100-km lunar orbit expected 1 Jan 2023; NASA mega rocket SLS / Orion crew capsule Artemis 1 mission targeting 29 Aug, 2 Sep or 5 Sep for launch to 100-km Moon flyby / 61,155-km Distant Retrograde Orbit; ispace Hakuto-R Mission 1 aiming for November launch, Astrobotic striving to launch Peregrine lander within Q4, Intuitive Machines Nova-C may launch Dec 2022 or Jan 2023; Roscosmos Luna-25 and ISRO Chandrayaan-3 likely delayed to 2023

Credits: KARI, NASA, ispace

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 March 2022

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2022 Moon Missions Update

≥9 robotic expeditions to Luna are set to occur before years end: Artemis 1 EGS team performing Engineering Tests ahead of 1 April start of WDR with final countdown sequence 3 April at KSC pad 39B, launching to Moon orbit NET June; 2 additional orbiters from NASA (CAPSTONE) and KARI (KPLO) being prepped for 3-15 May and NET Aug launch time frame, S. Korea also plans lander NET 2030 per President Moon Jae-in statement; National flagship missions from India (Chandrayaan-3, NET Aug), Russia (Luna-25, NET July) and Japan (SLIM, NET Q4) aiming for Moon surface, as are 2 USA commercial missions (Intuitive Machines NET June, Astrobotic NET Nov) and 1 Japan commercial mission (ispace, NET Oct)

 

Credits: NASA, Draper, Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, Orbit Beyond

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 Feb 2022

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Flagship Boeing SLS and SpaceX Starship Race to Achieve Deep Space Ascendency as Global Fleet Preps for 2022 Moon Missions

NASA planning Artemis I wet dress rehearsal NET March, inaugural flight of US$17B Space Launch System within 3 defined windows: 7-21 May, 6-16 June, 29 June – 12 July; Human Moon flyby Artemis II NET May 2024; Starship (SN20 / BN4) undergoing engine reconfiguration, now with 33 Raptor 2 engine specification on Super Heavy; Initial SLS variant Block 1 anticipated to make ~ 4000t thrust, BN4 ~ 7500t, Saturn V by comparison made ~ 3500t; Roscosmos, ISRO, KARI, JAXA, ispace, Intuitive Machines, Astrobotic also striving for 2022 Moon exploration

Credits: NASA, SpaceX

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 3-6 March 2017

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SpaceX And NASA May Return Humans To Moon Before 50th Apollo 11 Observation

Elon Musk Announces Ambitious Plans To Send 2 Commercial Tourists On 1-Week Circumlunar Trip Late 2018 In Crew Dragon Capsule Via Falcon Heavy Rocket; NASA, Originally Planning Uncrewed Circumlunar SLS / Orion EM-1 Flight 30 Sep 2018, Is Being Requested To Study Feasibility Of Redesigning Mission To Include Astronauts; U.S. President Trump States “American Footprints On Distant Worlds Are Not Too Big A Dream”; USA Could Claim First Human Return To Moon & First Woman To Moon With Energetic Timeline

Credits: SpaceX, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 June 2016

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Lunar CubeSats Queuing Up For Unique Boost Toward Moon

LED-6-24-16

13 CubeSats Hitching Ride To Translunar Space Aboard SLS EM-1 Test Flight 2018; Each No More Than 6 Units, 14 Kg; 10 Payloads Already Confirmed; 7 Selected By NASA Through NextSTEP (SkyFire, Lunar IceCube), Human Exploration & Ops Mission Directorate (NEA Scout, BioSentinel, Lunar Flashlight) And Science Mission Directorate (CuSP, LunaH-Map); 3 International; 3 TBD Pending Outcome Of CubeQuest Challenge; SLS Will Release Primary Payload Orion On Lunar Trajectory, Then 13 CubeSats To Deploy From Stage Adapter

Credit: NASA, Morehead State University

Friday / 24 April 2015

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Russia 2016-2025 Space Program Draft Outlines Human Moon Landing By 2029 Russia Moon

Russia Space Program Submission For 2016-2025 Due June 1, To Consist Of ~US$38B Proposal Including Human Circumlunar Flight 2025, Human Moon Landing 2029, Construction Of Super-Heavy Rocket (Modified Angara-A5 To Increase Payload Capacity By 12,000 Kg, First Test Launch 2021 & Launch To ISS 2024); Construction Of ~1,000 Sq Km Vostochny Cosmodrome First Launch Planned Dec 2015

Pictured L-R: Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, Russia President Vladimir Putin, Roscosmos Head Igor Komarov

Image Credit: Russian Ministry of Defence, Dmitry Rogozin, NASA, kremlin.ru

Tuesday / 10 March 2015

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New NASA Moon Rocket Advancing

ATKslsTest0315

ATK Is Set To Conduct First Full-Scale Qualification Static Motor Test For NASA Heavy-Lift Space Launch System Wednesday 11 March In Promontory UT; 2-Minute Test Will Burn 628,225kg Of Solid Propellant In The Two 54-Meter-Long Engines, Producing 1.6 Million Kg Of Force; Rocket – Along With Orion Crew Capsule – Will Be Critical For New Era Of USA Human Lunar / Solar System Exploration; First 2 Test Flights (2018 & 2021) Likely To Include Circumlunar Voyage

Image Credit: NASA, ATK

Thursday / 23 October 2014

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China Preparing To Launch Chang’e-5 Test Mission

Chang'e5TestP

1st Launch Of A Long March-3C/E Rocket Is Set To Boost The Next China Mission From Xichang Satellite Launch Center Sometime Between 24-26 Oct; Probe Will Test Earth Reentry Technologies / Capabilities Needed To Complete 2017 Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission (L); Based On Modified Chang’e-2 Probe Design, Carrying A Re-entry Capsule, The Probe Will Travel Around The Moon And Return To Earth At >40,230 km/hr Before Parachuting For Earth Landing; 8-Day Mission Will Also Carry Payload Developed By LuxSpace Of Luxembourg

Image Credit: CNSA, CLEP

Thursday / 16 October 2014

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China To Launch Reentry Test Orbiter
To Moon 23 October

Chang'e Test Orbiter, 4M OHB

Moon Orbiter To Test Reentry Technologies For 2017 Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission Set To Launch 23 Oct On Long March 3C/E From Xichang Satellite Launch Center; 14-Kg Manfred Memorial Moon Mission Designed By OHB To Measure Radiation & Transmit Radio Signals Is Attached To 3rd Stage Booster; Chang’e Capsule Carrying Cameras (Perhaps Other Science Instruments) Filled With Samples, To Separate From 3rd Stage 20 Mins After Launch, Closest Approach 28 Oct At 00:33 UT ~13,000 Km Altitude, Return To Earth Oct 31/Nov 1 At 11 Km/s, Parachute-Assist Landing

Image Credit: CASC, CNSA, CCTV, OHB, LuxSpace

Friday / 19 September 2014

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OHB Spacecraft 4M To Launch On China Rocket, Fly By Moon 28 October

OHB 4M

Manfred Memorial Moon Mission (4M), Dedicated To OHB Founder Manfred Fuchs, Developed By LuxSpace Of Luxembourg, To Travel 196 Hours To Moon, Fly By Surface 28 Oct 00:28:00 UT At 13,000 Km, Return To Earth; Will Measure Radiation During Flight & Around Moon, Transmit Radio Signals On Amateur Beacon; OHB Planning Moon Missions Including Landing Within Next Few Years; Likely Part Of China Technology Test Orbiter Moon Mission

Image Credit: OHB, LuxSpace