Friday / 1 March 2024

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SpaceX and NASA Preparing Starship for In-Space Docking Ahead of Possible Mid-March IFT-3

10-day dynamic testing of 200+ scenarios conducted at NASA JSC will assist mission planners in validating computer modelling of spacecraft docking, crucial to operations for Artemis 3 human landing and subsequent missions slated to transfer crew and supplies between Starship HLS, Orion capsule and Lunar Gateway under US$4.04B contracts; SpaceX is reportedly working towards 3rd attempt at orbital launch NET mid-March from Starbase TX to 100-km NE of Kaua’i HI, pending 17 corrective actions required by FAA following Orbital Flight Test-2 mishap investigation, conditions IFT-3 launch license

Credits: NASA, SpaceX

Tuesday / 27 Feb 2024

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Japan and USA Lunar Landers Are Transmitting Data From Lunar Surface

JAXA SLIM is once again functioning on the Moon following 1 lunar night and ~½ lunar day, imaging surrounds 55m east of target landing site (13.3160°S, 25.2510°E) with multiband spectroscopic camera; JAXA hopes to gain additional field of view relative to first observation campaign conducted 30-31 Jan (JST) via new commands for analysis and publication in Japanese Society for Planetary Sciences; Intuitive Machines Odysseus continues to operate from within unnamed 1-km diameter crater with 12° slope at 2,579 meters elevation, ~1.5km from target landing site (80.13°S, 1.44°E), sending imagery and data — albeit at reduced bit rate following orientation anomaly; Power loss may force end of operations morning of 27 Feb (CST) with reactivation possible next lunar day (mid-March)

 

Credits: Intuitive Machines, JAXA
 

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 23-26 Feb 2024

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IM-1 Commercial Moon Lander Odysseus Functioning and Receiving Power Despite Tip Over

The first USA craft to reach the lunar surface in 51+ years in communication with 100% battery charge ~2-3 km from intended landing site (80.2°S, 1.0°E), however orientation is off-nominal, with the 6-legged, phone box-sized lander thought to be resting on its side with ‘Panel E’ (with passive Moon Phases art installation mounted) facing down; Descent data from NASA payloads RFMG, NDL, LN-1 and SCALPSS awaiting transmission, as is imagery from independent astronomy payload ILO-X; EagleCam still planned to be deployed to record Odysseus; Precise position and location of Odysseus to be determined via LRO

 

Credits: Intuitive Machines

Friday / 23 Feb 2024

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Intuitive Machines Is First Commercial Operator Conducting Lunar Surface Communication and Exploration

Human enterprise is active on the Moon for the first time, with the Nova-C class lander Odysseus now in communication with ground controllers at IM Mission Control in Houston TX via Goonhilly Station in UK following 5:24 CST (23:24 UTC) soft landing touchdown near Malapert A crater; NASA Director hails CLPS ‘cosmic bridge’ of public-private cooperation that led to commercial Moon mission carrying 6 NASA and 6 independent payloads including Astronomy from the Moon precursor ILO-X, which will conduct the first imaging of the luminous Milky Way band in visible spectra; Intuitive Machines founder Kam Ghaffarian looking forward to achieving ‘daily trips to the Moon’ while envisioning interstellar travel as ‘ultimate destiny for humanity’

 

Credits: International Lunar Observatory Association, Intuitive Machines

Tuesday / 20 Feb 2024

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Commercial Lunar Lander Odysseus Prepares for Correction Maneuvers Ahead of LOI

Intuitive Machines analyzing data from first in-space firing of liquid methane & liquid oxygen engine, conducted 270,000+ km from Earth, testing full (21 sec) and throttled thrust profiles and first of three trajectory corrections ahead of Lunar Orbit Insertion – the most powerful maneuver of the mission, expected to consume 1/3 of total propellant for 800-900 m/s delta-V and marking milestone 7 out of 16 company-defined IM-1 success criteria, set to be completed Feb 21 prior to Feb 22 powered descent; Landing to be streamed on IM website, time to be announced at Las Vegas Sphere event hosted by Columbia Sportswear

Credits: Intuitive Machines

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 Feb 2024

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Intuitive Machines Overcoming Obstacles While Operating in Space on Route to Moon

Nova-C class lander Odysseus is ‘in excellent health, in a stable orientation’ and on track for 22 Feb soft landing attempt ~300-km from Moon South Pole despite several trials: intermittent comms, a slight star tracker miscalibration ameliorated via software update, and variance in LOX line chill time in space vs Earth (Odysseus being only the second LCH4 / LOX craft to operate in space following LandSpace Zhuque-2 in Dec 2023) for which adjustments have been made; Commissioning Burn originally expected within first day of transit to be conducted shortly

Credits: Intuitive Machines

Friday / 16 Feb 2024

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Commercial USA IM-1 Lander Odysseus on Direct Course for Moon

Intuitive Machines of Houston TX working around the clock to achieve first USA Moon landing in 21st century and first commercial landing ever with Nova-C ‘Odie’ on Trans-Lunar Orbit (TLO); Odie is expected to archive Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) on 21 Feb, followed by landing site near the eastern rim of Malapert A crater (80.2°S, 1.0°E) 22 Feb; Carrying 6 NASA and 6 independent payloads under $118M NASA CLPS contract + undisclosed private freight charges, the IM-1 mission was inspired by Space Policy Directive-1 per CEO Steve Altemus; SPD-1 calls for public-private and international partnerships to ‘enable human expansion across the solar system’

Credits: SpaceX, Intuitive Machines, LinkedIn

Tuesday / 13 Feb 2024

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Lunar Wave of Exploration Set to Continue with International Commercial and National Landers in 2024

As CLPS provider Intuitive Machines readies for first USA Moon surface mission in 51 years (delivery readiness media teleconference 13 Feb 13:30 EST, launch coverage 14 Feb 00:15 EST), other efforts are also in the pipeline: 8,200-kg CNSA Chang’E-6 is expected to launch to lunar far side (~43.0°S, ~154.0°W) NET May with Queqiao-2 relay orbiter launching NET March; IM-2 may follow with launch to Shackleton connecting ridge (89.5°S, 51.3°W) NET Q2; Firefly Blue Ghost M1 planning NET Q3 launch to Mare Crisium (17.0°N 59.1°E); Astrobotic launching Griffin to Mons Mouton (84.6°S 31.0°W) NET November; ispace Hakuto-R Mission 2 and IM-3 may also launch before EOY

Credits: IM, CNSA, Firefly, Astrobotic, ispace

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 9-12 Feb 2024

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Next Class of Artemis Astronaut Candidates Set to Graduate

10 USA NASA and 2 UAE Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center classmates determined to work on Moon and Mars will be awarded astronaut wings at JSC 5 March; Ceremony for candidates Nichole Ayers (Colorado), Marcos Berríos (Puerto Rico), Christina Birch (Arizona), Deniz Burnham (Alaska), Luke Delaney (Florida), Jack Hathaway (Connecticut), Anil Menon (Minnesota), Christopher Williams (Maryland), Jessica Wittner (California) and Nora Al Matrooshi & Mohammed Al Mulla of UAE to be broadcast on NASA TV / NASA+ starting 10:30 EST followed by live Q&A at 11:45

Credits: NASA

Friday / 9 Feb 2024

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Lunar Mining Company Interlune Plans NET 2026 Surface Operations

Interlune of Tacoma WA developing equipment to extract resources from Moon with US$18.19M funds including $246,000 SBIR Phase I grant; Led by former Blue Origin leaders (L-R) Rob Meyerson (CEO), Gary Lai (CTO) and Indra Hornsby (COO, formerly of Rocket Lab), Interlune is reported by TechCrunch to be targeting helium-3 (3He), a resource long considered for radiation-free fusion power and other medical and computing applications whose quantity was measured in Chang’E-5 samples; The company projects the market for 3He will be 4,000 kg / yr by 2040

Credits: Interlune, US Congress, Twitter / @blueorigin, UVic / Brandon Hill