Category Archives: Lunar Settlement

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 15-18 April 2022

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MSP High Ground on Malapert Mountain, Leibniz Plateau Offer Strategic Advantages for Lunar Base Buildout

With Artemis 3 crewed landings planned for 2025-2026 including First Woman / Person of Color on the Moon, landing / EVA sites are being considered by space agencies and independent ventures with special focus on elevated surrounds of Shackleton Crater, presumed initial area of exploration for Artemis Era Astronauts; The 2 highest peaks in the region – Malapert Mountain and Leibniz Beta, with ~ 5 and 6km respective elevations, allow combinations of Earth visibility, illumination, and line of sight to ongoing human and robotic activity at Shackleton as initial settlement occurs

 

Credits: LPI

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 28-31 Jan 2022

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Official Agreements on International Lunar Research Station Anticipated as Artemis Coalition Grows to 15 Nations

Israel is latest signatory to USA-led Artemis Accords effort seeking to reestablish human presence on the Moon as SLS megarocket nears mid-Feb launchpad rollout at KSC; Russia and China set to formalize ILRS agreement per Russia diplomatic statements and China’s Space Program: A 2021 Perspective white paper outlining robotic and human mission goals including consideration of human lunar landings within 5 years, ILRS full operational status expected NLT 2035; 2024 Chang’e-7 Moon south pole lander / orbiter and Lunar-26 orbiter missions to be closely coordinated

Credits: CNSA, Roscosmos, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 21-24 Jan 2022

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Lunar Resources Inc to Develop and Construct Flight-ready Lunar Resource Extraction Reactor NLT 2024

Houston, TX-based Lunar Resources Inc receives 9th SBIR award (US$1M), bringing total NSF-supported funding to $3M+ for space initiatives including ISRU on Moon; Reactor for resource extraction is to utilize 1,600°C Molten Regolith Electrolysis process to separate metals (Al, Fe, Mg, Si) and oxygen, main constituents of lunar regolith; Habitat construction, oxygen for breathing / propulsion, and power generation via silicon photovoltaic cells are use cases for ISRU; CEO Elliot Carol tells Ars Technica, “Resource extraction is necessary for the United States to create a permanent presence on the Moon”

Credits: Lunar Resources, NASA, Paul Spudis

Friday / 21 January 2022

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USSF Eyes Cislunar Space — Moon Usage May Follow 7th Continent Antarctica

Air Force Magazine reports USSF Chief of Space Operations John Raymond (T) references need for “safe, secure, stable” cislunar space at Center for Strategic and International Studies online meeting; Military leader urges USA “compete in all areas of the domain, not just in LEO, MEO, GEO” with China; Outer Space Institute co-founders Aaron Boley (L), Michael Byers (R) writing in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists counter that Air Force Research Laboratory’s Cislunar Highway Patrol System and Defense Deep Space Sentinel may contravene Outer Space Treaty Article IV, similar to Antarctic Treaty limiting exploration to peaceful means

Credits: NASA, Advanced Space, AFRL, OSI

Wednesday / 21 July 2021

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Blue Origin Strives for “Multi-Generation” Moon South Pole Settlement

With momentum of 107-km New Shepard SpaceDay private human mission over Kármán line with oldest / youngest spaceflight participants Wally Funk (82) and Oliver Daemen (18), Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos may focus on long-term vision including Blue Moon project / New Armstrong heavy lift rocket – while HLS award status to be determined by U.S. GAO by Aug 4, Bezos commands sufficient resources (US$200B+) to self-fund; MSP offers mix of sunlight (power) and shadowed regions (water) for liquid hydrogen fuel (powering BE-7 engines), regolith for O’Neill Cylinder construction

Credits: Blue Origin

SpaceWeek Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 July 2021

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Moon South Pole Malapert Mt. Next Goal for Space Billionaire Pioneers, Russia?

Critical to reclaim July 20 Apollo 11 Multi World Species existence is establishment of human base / operating center – likely at Moon South Pole, and most intriguingly perhaps is Malapert Mountain; 5-km peak (86°S, 0°) offers near-continuous line-of-sight for Earth observations and communications, ~85% illumination, more moderate thermal environment, shadowed cold-traps, shielded flank for radio astronomy; While Roscosmos Luna-25 aims for Boguslawsky 1 Oct, SpaceX plans Human lunar lander, Blue Origin Blue Moon cargo deliveries – unique real estate of Malapert high-ground for commerce, ISRU, observation, science, education should be utilized

Credits: Virtual Moon, NASA, GSFC, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Roscosmos, Lockheed Martin, ILOA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 July 2021

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Is The Moon Next Goal For Space Billionaires?

Momentous July Days For Private Space Travel Forthcoming, As Virgin Galactic And Blue Origin Founders Richard Branson And Jeff Bezos Plan To Personally Launch To Space 11 July And 20 July, Respectively, Raising Question Of Next Horizons: While Elon Musk Of SpaceX Has Focused On Mars Habitation, Bezos Plans Massive Rotating Artificial Structures In The Vein Of Gerard O’Neill, Branson Intent On Terrestrial Point-To-Point Space Travel, Establishment Of Human Settlement On Earth’s Moon Is Increasingly Recognized As “Critical Next Step” In Transformation To Multi-World Species Status; SpaceX Only Company To Declare Private Crewed Lunar Mission, 2023 ‘DearMoon’ Financed By Japan Fashion Billionaire Yusaku Maezawa

Credits: SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, NASA

Friday / 23 Apr 2021

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German Aerospace Center (DLR) Sensor To Test Lunar Radiation Levels From Astrobotic Peregrine

Long Term Lunar Human Survivability Investigation To Be Advanced With M-42 Radiation Detector “Providing Valuable Knowledge About Galactic Cosmic Radiation” Per Thomas Berger, Biophysics Team Leader At DLR Institute Of Aerospace Medicine; 250-g Instrument Is Set To Fly To Lacus Mortis On Astrobotic Peregrine Mission 1, Launching NET Nov 2021; Similar Sensors To Evaluate Radiation Conditions From Within Orion Spacecraft During Artemis 1 (MARE – Matroshka AstroRad Radiation Experiment); DLR Joins International Payloads From UK, Hungary, Japan, Canada And Mexico On Mission 1

Credits: Astrobotic, DLR, NASA

Tuesday / 22 Sep 2020

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AIAA In Conjunction With Dynetics Publishes Report On Requirements Of A Sustainable Moon Economy

Ensuring Economically Viable Lunar Settlement, Released 19 Sep, Summarizes Contributions Of 200+ Individuals From Academia, Industry And Government During ASCENDxCo-Lab On Economically Viable Lunar Settlements 29 July, Moderated By Kathy Laurini; Document Urges Engagement Of Terrestrial Expertise (e.g. Telecommunications, Mining, Energy, Transport, Logistics) And “Prompt Development Of Clear Regulatory And Legal Standards” From Government / Space Agencies Along With Funding Of Long Term Projects Such As Lunar Telescope; Defines Economic Viability As “Ultimately Underwritten By Private Capital”; Recognizes “New Figures Of Merit” Will Be Required To Evaluate Business Cases

Credits: ESA, NASA, AIAA ASCEND

Friday / 4 Sep 2020

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Expected RFP For Robust Nuclear Power On Moon By 2027

NASA Advisory Council Technology, Innovation, And Engineering Committee At Sep 1 Meeting Signals Intention To Issue Request By Early Oct For Proposal To Build 10-Kilowatt Fission Reactor, Spacenews Reports; System To Support Human Activity Level Of Energy Demand In Excess Of Currently Deployed Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators Which Power Deep Space Probes / Rovers; Funding Bill In House Of Representative Also To Appropriate US$110M For Spacecraft Nuclear Propulsion Development; NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate Administrator Jim Reuter Planning For $1.1B Or $1.58B Total Science Funds

Credits: NASA