Author Archives: LED Editor

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 Mar 2021

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Moon, Mars, And Worlds Beyond Considered At 52nd Lunar And Planetary Science Conference (LPSC)

Linking Generations Of Lunar Explorers From Apollo To Artemis, Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis Program Presents At LPSC On Work To Revisit Scientifically Relevant Regolith And Core Samples Collected Up To 50 Years Ago; Mars 2020 Project Scientist Ken Farley Reports “No Major Technical Issues” On Perseverance Rover (Imaged Above On Sol 28 [19 Mar Earth Date] 14:02:14) As Team Plans Route To Astrobiological Area Of Interest Within Ancient River Delta; Alan Stern Of Southwest Research Institute Offers Fermi Paradox Explanation – Abundant Life Could Be Sheltered Within Interior Water Ocean Worlds

Credits: LPSC, NASA, SwRI

Friday / 19 Mar 2021

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Moon Orbiter Missions Set To Deliver Valuable Science, Resource And Landing Site Surveying

India Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter, Currently Maintaining 100 km Polar Path Around Moon, Is Now Expected To Continue Mission For Up To 7 Years Rather Than 1, Per Department Of Space Minister Jitendra Singh; Chandrayaan-2 Will Share Cislunar Space With: LRO, Now In Variable Fuel-Saving Elliptical Orbit And Approaching 12 Full Years Of Operations After Nominal 1-Year Exploration Mission; Chang’e-5T1 Service Module; ARTEMIS P1 / P2; Chang’e-4 Queqiao Relay Communications Craft At Earth-Moon L2; To Be Joined By Rocket Lab Capstone In Q3 2021

Pictured: Sarabhai Crater
Credits: ISRO, NASA

Tuesday / 16 Mar 2021

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NASA Solidifies Lunar Technology Development Relationship With Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL)

Task Order Adds US$30M To Existing Contract Of Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium Led By JHUAPL, Which Will Continue To Bring Moon Exploration R&D Thought Leaders Representing 300+ Industry, Academia And Government Organizations Together, Addressing Considerable Engineering Challenges Present On Lunar Surface – Power Supply, Survivability, Dust Mitigation, In-Situ Resource Utilization, Excavation / Construction – With Semi-Annual Meetings, Workshops And Monthly Focus Groups Which Will Guide NASA Lunar Technology Goals And Implementation Plans; “Extensive Systems Engineering Experience In Space Missions” Of JHUAPL To Support Establishment Of “Sustainable Lunar Surface Capabilities” Per Nikki Werkheiser Of STMD

Credits: NASA, JHUAPL

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 12-15 Mar 2021

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Two Major International Coalitions Of Earth Powers Forming To Advance Permanent Moon Activity

China And Russia To Collaborate On “Long-Term Autonomous” International Lunar Research Station “Open To All Interested Countries And International Partners” Per MoU; Timeframe And Location (Surface / Orbit) Not Designated; Artemis Accords Signatories Australia, Brazil*, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, UAE, UK, USA And Ukraine Advancing Gateway-Based Lunar Return Strategy With Human Landing System(s) To Be Selected Soon From SpaceX, Dynetics and Blue Origin Teams; Plan Hinges On SLS, Set For Final Hot Fire Test At Stennis Space Center 18 March And Transfer, If Test Successful, To KSC For Integration & Possible 2021 Launch

Credits: NASA, CNSA, Roscosmos
* Has signaled intent to sign

Friday / 12 Mar 2021

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For All Moonkind Launches Detailed Moon Registry Of Important Lunar Areas, Items

Incoming National Space Society President And For All Moonkind Founder Michelle Hanlon Says Curated Gallery Of 50+ Years Of Moon Landing Sites, Spacecraft, Experiments, Flags And Related Mementos Will Aid “International Recognition And Protection” Of Sites With “Universal Historic Value”; Visual Database Content Will Be Open / Crowd Sourced With Accuracy To Be Verified By Blockchain Technology Provided By TODAQ Of Toronto; “A Worthy Cause” Says 12th Moonworker Harrison Schmitt, While Charlie Duke, 10th Person To Walk On Moon, Says “I Can’t Wait For Someone To Go Back And Find The Picture Of My Family That I Left Behind”

Credits: NASA, For All Moonkind, NSS

Tuesday / 9 Mar 2021

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Women Leaders At NASA Express Confidence In Artemis Mission, Voice Strategic Views

“So Much Scientific Discovery To Come From Returning To The Moon” Says (T-B) Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, First Female Launch Director (Exploration Ground Systems Program At KSC), Who Will Oversee The Launch Of The First Women To The Moon; MSFC Director Jody Singer Reiterates Importance Of SLS, Insisting It Is “Only Vehicle That Exists That Can Carry The Orion”, Cites 45-State / 1,100-Vendor Participation; Lori Garver, Deputy Administrator Of NASA Under Obama Administration, Questions Artemis Implementation With Pointed Critique Of “US$2 Billion For Every [SLS] Launch” Vs “Fraction” Of Cost For SpaceX Falcon Heavy

Credits: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 5-8 Mar 2021

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New Wave Of National Actors Announce Intentions To Reach Moon

Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter Launching In August 2022 To Map PSRs; Thailand Plans To Become 1st Space Faring Nation In SouthEast Asia With US$98M Program Launching 50-100kg Satellites By 2026, Culminating In Moon Orbit Mission By 2029, $100M Domestic Company mu Space Currently Developing Launch Capabilities; Turkey Plans Moon Landing By 2023 With SpaceCraft Developed By Contractor Delta V (Coinciding With National Centennial), Building Spaceport In Somalia; Israel Beresheet 2 Slated For 2024, As Is UAE Rashid Rover Mission; Space Commission Chairman / Astronaut Sultan bin Salman Al Saud Estimates Saudi Arabia Will Have Astronauts Trained For Moon Mission Within 2 Years

Credits: KARI, Turkish Space Agency, mu Space

Friday / 5 Mar 2021

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China Advancing Lunar, Deep Space Plans With New Spacecraft

Currently The Only Country With Operations On Lunar Surface, China (Zhongguo) Is Augmenting Its Spacecraft Stable In Preparation For Major Robotic And Human Moon Missions; China Rocket Scientist And Member Of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Jiang Jie Tells State Media Super Heavy-Lift Launch And New Crew Vehicle Are Under Development By CASC (Rocket Building Subsidiary Of Prime Contractor CALT); SpaceNews Reports Likely SHLLV Specifications Of 4,140,000kg Launch Weight, 10m Diameter Core, 140,000kg Payload To LEO (Just 10,000kg Shy Of SpaceX Starship Projected Capacity), Kerosene-Fueled First Stage Making 4,448kN And LH2 / LOX Second Stage Producing 1957kN

Credits: CNSA, NASA

Tuesday / 2 Mar 2021

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Magnetic Levitation Moon Railway Concept Being Studied For Feasibility

Transport Of Cargo, Raw Materials And People Across The Lunar Landscape Will Be Vital Aspect Of Moon Base Build-out Logistics In Coming Years, Necessitating Efficient Ground Transport; Flexible Levitation On A Track (FLOAT) Has Received Phase 1 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Funding For 9 Month, Up To US$125K Preliminary Study; Principal Investigator Ethan Schaler Of JPL Projects FLOAT System Capacity >100,000kg With Energy Requirement <40kW Over Multiple-Kilometer Scale Via Deployable Graphite / Flexible Circuit Track Utilizing Diamagnetic Force; Moon Rail Proposed In Early 20th Century By Lunar Visionaries

Credits: NASA, Ethan Schaler

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 26 Feb – 1 Mar 2021

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Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) Passes Review, Enters Final Design Phase

NASA Moon Rover VIPER Meets Risk, Cost And Schedule Constraints Of ‘Key Decision Point C’ Internal Assessment, Clearing Way For Operational Planning And Construction; 1.5×1.5×2.5m, 430kg Vehicle To Be Built At JSC With Instrument Input From KSC / Honeybee Robotics, Managed From Ames Research Center, Is To Land Late 2023 Via Astrobotic Griffin In MSP Region For ~100 Day Mission During Which 1-Meter TRIDENT Drill And 3 Spectrometers Will Be Controlled With Little Lag From Earth Through X Band / Deep Space Network As Volatile-Seeking Mission Traverses 20km

Credits: NASA