52nd Lunar And Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) Goes Online March 15-19 In Year Of Historic USA Moon Return
Universities Space Research Association In Collaboration With Lunar And Planetary Institute (Now Led By Lisa Gaddis) Preparing A Robust Meeting For 2021; LPSC Typically Draws 2,000+ Academic Submissions, Which Will Be Available For Early Review 5 February, Oral Presentations Available 8 March; Sessions Planned On Lunar Remote Sensing, Lunar Magnetism, Crater Formation, Lunar Weathering, Endogenous Lunar Volatiles, Physicochemical Moon Evolution; Plenary Presentations Include NASA HQ Briefing, Mars, New Millennium Lunar Science; Special Session On New Results From Special Apollo Samples / Preparing For Artemis
Credits: LPI, USRA, NASA
Washington-Based Blue Origin Progresses “Opening Space To All” Goal With New Shepard Suborbital Spacecraft, “Getting Really Close To Flying Humans” On 11-Minute Suborbital Tourism Flights, Declares Director Of Astronaut And Orbital Sales Ariane Cornell After Mission NS-14 Lofting Mannequin Skywalker Test Dummy 105,938 Meters Via BE-3 Liquid Oxygen / Hydrogen Engines, Also Intended For Use On Lunar Lander Blue Moon, Should It Be Selected By NASA For Artemis Program; BE-4 Liquefied Natural Gas Engines Are To Power 7-m Diameter New Glenn Launch System With Flight Expected This Year, Both Being Manufactured In Huntsville Facility
As Chang’e-5 Begins Extended Solar Observation Mission With Bearing Toward Sun-Earth L1 Point, Princeton Professor Emerita Anne-Marie Slaughter (L) Makes 
New USA Leaders Signal Awareness Of Transcendent / Unifying Nature Of Lunar Exploration, In
Space Manufacturing Forays Largely Focusing On Thin Layer Additive Processes, Taking Advantage Of Vacuum In LEO And In-Situ 
ESA Must Remain Relevant Amongst Spacefaring Powers USA, Rising China And India With Long Term Vision / Investment (ESA 2020 Budget = US$7.82B, NASA = $22.6B), Europe Human Landing On Moon By Decade End, Says ESA Director Of Human & Robotic Exploration David Parker At European Space Conference; MVA (Giuseppe Reibaldi, Aline Decadi) Promotes Women On The Moon Initiative; ILEWG (Bernard Foing) Advancing Lunar Exploration; Astronomy From The Moon Championed By Ian Crawford, Martin Elvis, Joseph Silk And John Zarnecki Of UK Royal Society
CLPS Providers Astrobotic And Intuitive Machines Striving For Q4 Lunar Landings With Peregrine And Nova-C Landers; Emulated Interface Pairing Of NASA Water Detectors MSolo, NSS, And NIRVSS With Peregrine Successful, Instruments To Fly On Both Mission One (2021, Set To Launch On ULA Vulcan Centaur) And Rover Delivery Mission VIPER (2023); Intuitive Machines Delivering 5 NASA / 5 Commercial Payloads During IM-1 (2021) And IM-2 / TRIDENT Drill PRIME-1 (2022), Both Riding On SpaceX Falcon 9, As Is MASTEN XL-1 Lander For Task Order 19-C (2022)
NASA HLS Program Manager Dr. Lisa Watson-Morgan (L) And HEOMD Administrator Kathy Lueders Expected To Designate HLS Winner From 3 Contenders Soon, Contract Base Period Ending February; Blue Origin Was Awarded $579M To Develop Traditional 3-Stage System; Dynetics $253M For Single Stage Craft Supported By Vulcan Centaur Refueling Rockets; SpaceX $135M For Starship-Based System (Moonship) Which Also Relies On In-Space Cryogenic Refueling; Total Allotment To Build HLS Currently Meager $850M, NASA Estimates $3.3B Necessary
Opportunity To Test Technologies Meant For Moon Offered By