Author Archives: LED Editor

Friday / 1 July 2022

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China and India Working on Spacecraft Technology for Crewed and Automated Moon Exploration

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) prototyping new hydrolox rocket engine for lunar version of ‘New-Generation Manned Launch Vehicle’ / Long March 5DY, with component check, fault detection and ignition tests achieved; Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) advancing Chandrayaan-3 redesign, improving lander legs, sensors and propulsion system, with ongoing testing at ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri; China aiming for human Moon landings within 2020’s decade, India 2nd robotic landing attempt likely to occur NET 2023

Credits: CNSA, ISRO

Tuesday / 28 June 2022

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Advocates Call for Prioritization of Lunar Surface Habitation as NASA Leak Casts Doubt on Artemis Timeline

Whistleblower-provided document reported on by Ars Technica showing alternative Artemis schedules emphasizing ‘Cadence’ and ‘Content’ with focus on Lunar Gateway through 2031/2, relegating surface habitation to NET 2034, prompts calls for adherence to space policy articulated in 2020, “Next American man / first American woman on the Moon by 2024, followed by sustained presence on the Moon by 2028”; Replacing Gateway with SpaceX Starship-based station emerging as viable alternative method to meeting Lockheed Martin Orion fueling needs while accelerating progress towards human multi-world civilization

 

Credits: NASA, Thales Alenia Space

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 June 2022

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2022 Summer Around Moon About to Commence, Surface Landers Soon to Follow

Instantaneous launch window for CAPSTONE lunar orbit pathfinder set at 22:00 NZST, with live NASA coverage starting 1 hour prior; Artemis 1 mega Moon rocket deemed ready after 4th WDR reaches T-29 seconds, ship is returning to VAB for final launch preparations / hydrogen leak repair before possible 23 August inaugural launch to Moon DRO; Astrobotic CLPS Moon lander Peregrine may be first USA lander since Apollo if Q4 2022 goal is met; Astrobotic Mission 1 to carry international commercial payloads from Germany, Japan, Seychelles, Hungary, Mexico, UK, USA + 11 NASA experiments

Credits: NASA, Rocket Lab, Astrobotic

Friday / 24 June 2022

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NASA Adds Lunar Flashlight & Trailblazer to IM-1/2 Manifests, Studying Moon Fission

6U, 14kg JPL cubesat Lunar Flashlight, formerly to launch with Artemis 1, now riding with CLPS mission Intuitive Machines-1 scheduled for 22 Dec 2022 launch; Flashlight to scout for water ice with 4 near-IR lasers while demonstrating ‘green’ propellant AF-M315E; 200kg Lunar Trailblazer moved from IMAP rideshare NET 2025 to IM-2, scheduled for mid-2023 launch; Trailblazer to utilize HVM3 spectrometer based on M3, with sufficient resolution to identify hydroxl vs molecular water, and Lunar Thermal Mapper; IX (IM + X-Energy) teamed with Maxar & Boeing to study lunar nuclear power, receiving $5M DOE award for ~1 year study along with Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse awardees

Credits: NASA, IM, JPL, Caltech

Tuesday / 21 June 2022

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UAE Rashid Rover on Track for November Launch for Moon Landing on ispace HAKUTO-R Mission 1

Deigned by Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre engineers at Dubai ‘Silicon Oasis’, 10-kg Rashid Rover now in France for CNES thermal / vibration testing; Integration with Series 1 Lander to follow at ispace facility in Germany, with arrival of lander / rover at KSC NET September; SpaceX Falcon 9 launch window opening early November; M1 will also carry payloads from JAXA (2-wheeled spheroid rover), Canadensys (2 360° cameras), NGK (solid state battery experiment), Mission Control Space Services (AI flight computer)

Pictured: Emirates Lunar Mission Director Hamad Al Marzooqi
Credits: ispace, MBRSC, Twitter
 
 

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 June 2022

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CAPSTONE, KPLO Danuri and Artemis 1 Teams Working Towards Summer 2022 Moon Orbit

NASA Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment now striving for 25 June launch from LC-1 on Māhia NZ via Rocket Lab Electron / Photon; KARI lunar orbiter Danuri ‘fully prepared’ for 2 August launch on SpaceX Falcon 9 from KSC – South Korea will be 8th nation with Moon probe; Artemis 1, fully stacked with SLS and Orion, to begin WDR countdown 18 June, NASA mission availability schedule indicates 148 possible launch opportunities from 23 August 2022 – 1 July 2023

Credits: NASA, KARI, Rocket Lab

Friday / 17 June 2022

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Chang’e-5 Analyses Determine Hydroxyl / Helium-3 Prevalence, Astrobotic Working on Lunar Night Power

In-situ & laboratory analysis of Chang’e-5 samples by NAOC-CAS show 28.5 ppm OH content in soil / up to 179 ppm within apatite-containing rock samples; Separate study at Nanjing University finds 5-25nm Helium-3 bubbles trapped in surface layer of ilmenite particles, estimates 260,000t 3He may be contained on Moon, sufficient quantity in theory to power Earth for 2600 years; Astrobotic partnering with WiBotic, Bosch to develop wireless charging system capable of enduring -118° to 104°C temp during 14-Earth day lunar night

Credits: NAOC-CAS, Astrobotic, Qian Xuesen Laboratory of Space Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering

Tuesday / 14 June 2022

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NASA Inspiring Artemis Generation Schoolchildren with STEM Learning Lunchboxes

In partnership with Orlando Science Center, Second Harvest Food Bank and Center of Science and Industry, NASA outreach promoting Artemis mission to land first woman and person of color on Moon with 30,000 Artemis-themed kits (each containing 10 hours of STEM education material divided into 5 lesson modules) across country intended to spark interest in space science / exploration – with special focus on underrepresented communities; NASA Administrator Nelson kicks off campaign, assisting in distribution of first 500 Learning Lunchboxes at New Beginnings Church, Orlando

Credits: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 June 2022

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NASA Moon Orbiter Awaiting New Launch Window as CLPS Providers Race to Achieve Moon Landings

While CAPSTONE is fueled and integrated with Photon spacecraft bus within Electron fairing at Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on Māhia NZ, new mission schedule is pending per NASA PAO; When launched Capstone to travel 1,549,798km from Earth before settling into NRHO; Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines working to land by EOY; Image of BE-4 flight engine shared by ULA CEO raises hopes for Vulcan Centaur readiness but 2022 integration / launch of Peregrine doubtful; IM welcomes Lunar Flashlight cubesat as co-payload on Falcon 9 launch nominally set for 22 Dec

Credits: NASA, Rocket Lab, Tory Bruno / Twitter

Friday / 10 June 2022

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NASA Conducting Extensive Testing of Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) for Lunar Gateway

Power and Propulsion Element of Lunar Gateway under development by Maxar to utilize 6 and 12kW Hall-effect ion thruster systems built by Busek and Aerojet Rocketdyne with Moog xenon propellant feeder and Maxar power processing unit; Current testing regimen comes after initial testing phase finds both systems ‘capable of performing across the full mission power range’; SEP to keep Gateway on efficient NRHO during 15-year mission after Q4 2024 launch via SpaceX Falcon Heavy; Tiangong space station is only human-rated ion-powered spacecraft

Credits: NASA, Maxar, Aerojet Rocketdyne