Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 13-16 Aug 2021

Long Term Lunar Food Security is Focus of New Public-Private Japan Consortium

Sustainable Moon settlement study centered around in-situ food production, also conducting research on long duration physiological and psychological human effects, to be launched by JAXA in partnership with Space Foodsphere, a Tokyo-based study group with wide industry membership including Euglena Co. (algae-based biofuels), NTT Data (information technology) and Ajinomoto Co. (food science); Facilities within Japan may begin construction March 2022, with Antarctic locations to follow and vision of transferring technology to terraformation of exoplanets circa 2100

Pictured: Space Foodsphere Board Members (Clockwise) Y. Kikuchi, N. Tsuboyama-Kasaoka, H. Tanaka, M. Komasa, Y. Murakami, M. Shintani Credits: Space Foodsphere

Thursday / 12 August 2021

Molecular Water on Moon Surface Confirmed by Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter

Researchers with Indian Institute of Remote Sensing and U.R. Rao Satellite Centre, divisions of ISRO, confirm presence of lunar water H2O) in Current Science paper; Previous measurements taken during Chandrayaan-1 with Moon Mineralogy Mapper definitively prove existence of Hydroxyl (HO) but unable to differentiate from water; Imaging Infrared Spectrometer, with spectral range 0.8–5.0 μm in circular 100-km orbit since Sep 2019, provides clear evidence of H2O, varying by region with concentration in upper latitudes

Credits: ISRO, NASA

Tuesday / 10 August 2021

Moon-themed Music and Art Sent to ISS to be Monetized Via Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT)

Artemis Music Entertainment teams with Nanoracks on first music (Clair de Lune played by Wing-Chong Kam) in space to be minted into NFT, a type of unique blockchain token used to assign ownership of media; version of Clair de Lune transmitted to ISS from Houston, traveling 201,168+ orbital km prior to Earth return; “Why Not Me” visual artwork accompanied, to become first of kind NFT with auction set for 13:00 HST 10 August on Notables platform; Proceeds benefit Students for the Exploration and Development of Space / Artemis Music Foundation

Pictured: Micah Johnson (L), Bob Richards; Credits: Artemis Music Entertainment, Micah Johnson

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 30 July – 2 Aug 2021

China Shares Moon Samples / Data, Plans Lunar Orbital Relay in Support of South Pole Missions

Data from 13 institutional analyses of Chang’e-5 samples (17 g) now available from CNSA Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center, applications for second sample release due 15 Sept; 1,731 g total collected within Oceanus Procellarum, site officially named Statio Tianchuan per IAU; With Chang’e-6 sample return mission targeting Aitken crater in vicinity of South Pole and Chang’e-7/8 explicitly targeting MSP, CNSA plans new data relay satellite – rather than operating in L2 halo orbit, new lunar relay to transmit from highly elliptical orbit nearer lunar surface, allowing up to 10 Mbps down/ 1 Mbps up

Credits: CAST, CLEP, CNSA

Friday / 30 July 2021

Plans for Observatories on Moon Gaining Traction in USA Academia and Industry

Gravitational-Wave Lunar Observatory for Cosmology (GLOC) is latest concept for conducting fundamental astrophysical research on Moon; Vanderbilt and Harvard astrophysicists K. Jani and A. Loeb contend conditions on Moon surface preferable to terrestrial and space for laser interferometry, propose <5 Hz instrument to validate general relativity / Lambda cold dark matter, observe type 1a supernovae; GLOC joins Artemis era radio astronomy from the Moon projects Farside Array for Radio Science Investigations of the Dark ages & Exoplanets (University of Colorado / JPL), FarView (Lunar Resources Inc) Lunar Crater Radio Telescope (NIAC); Optical astronomy underway includes Q1 2022 ILO-X (International Lunar Observatory) and Ultimately Large Telescope (University of Texas) study

Credits: Vanderbilt University, Karan Jani, John Templeton Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Tuesday / 27 July 2021

ispace of Japan Gathers Commercial Moon Team Ahead of Independent Missions

In what may be the most significant private lunar effort outside of NASA CLPS, an international coalition led by ispace is preparing for Q2 2022 Mission 1, with final assembly of flight-ready Hakuto-R lander underway at Arianespace facility in Germany; payloads include optics from Canadensys and AI from Mission Control Space Services (Canada), solid-state battery test from NGK (Japan), 10-kg Rashid rover (UAE); 2023 Mission 2 includes Oxygen harvesting experiment from Helios (Israel); Lunar Industry Vision Council of Japan seeking “self-sustaining lunar industry” within “new cis-lunar space ecosystem”

Credits: ispace, Helios, Arianespace, NGK, MCSS, Canadensys, Dubai Media Office

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 23-26 July 2021

NASA Exploring Long Term Options for Human Transport Between Gateway and Lunar Surface

New procurement initiative Lunar Exploration Transportation Services (LETS), part of HLS program under Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, issues RFI with focus on establishing permanent high frequency Moon surface “ferry” to / from cislunar gateway, both human-rated and capable of hauling heavy payloads such as architectural structures, NLT 2028, inquiries due 5 Aug; NASA NextSTEP N: Sustainable Human Landing System Studies and Risk Reduction solicitation also offering US$45M for HLS support services, applications due 2 Aug; U.S. GAO protest decision expected 4 Aug

Credits: NASA, SpaceX, Dynetics

Friday / 23 July 2021

Moon Precession Cycle May Have Increased Effect on Earth Weather Conditions

18.6-year lunar nodal cycle caused by Moon’s 5.145° inclination from solar ecliptic may magnify coastal flooding, with peaks of high tide activity centering around mid-2030s amid 3.6 mm / yr sea level rise; Highlighting need for advanced laser-ranging facilities on lunar surface, vital for further understanding Earth-Moon system; UH Sea Level Center Director Philip Thompson (B) identifies Gulf of Mexico, CA, HI flood risk “at least quadrupling” while Administrator Nelson (T) states “NASA’s Sea Level Change Team is providing crucial information so that we can plan, protect, and prevent damage”

Credits: NASA, Creative Commons, NOAA, UH

Wednesday / 21 July 2021

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

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