Category Archives: Artemis Program

Tuesday / 20 Apr 2021

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Artemis 3 Crew Could Arrive On Moon In SpaceX Human Landing System Starship

The NASA-led Artemis Coalition Will Transit From Lunar Orbit / Orion Spacecraft To Surface Via Moon-Specific Variant Of SpaceX Starship, Possibly By 2024 But Likely NET 2026; Firm-Fixed-Price US$2.89B Contract Awarded Through Next Space Technologies For Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP-2) Thought To Be Reflective Of SpaceX Technical Prowess, Compatibility With Future Launch Systems, And Lowest Bid; Award Is To Be Followed By A Long-Term Contract Opportunity, Open To Other Enterprises, To Provide Lunar Surface To Gateway Transport For Ongoing, Sustainable Operations

Credits: SpaceX, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 Apr 2021

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Biden / Harris Administration To Continue Artemis Moon To Mars Objective As New NASA Leadership Forms

Former Senator And Payload Specialist Bill Nelson Expected To Be Confirmed As 14th NASA Administrator On 21 April, Former Space Shuttle Commander Pam Melroy Is Deputy Administrator Nominee; 2022 Discretionary Budget Request Includes US$24.7B For NASA – A 6.3% ($1.5B) Increase Over 2021, With $6.9B Dedicated To Artemis Program, A $325M Increase; Space Technology R&D Also Sees $325M Increase To $1.4B, Earth Science Increased $250M To $2.3B; In Addition To First Woman, Administrators Have New Goal To Send First Person Of Color To Moon, Possibly By 4 July 2026, Via $2.9B SpaceX Moonship

Credits: NASA OIG, SpaceX

Tuesday / 13 Apr 2021

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NASA Viper Mission Leveraging Open-Source Software & Off-The-Shelf Hardware To Advance Moon And Mars Exploration

VIPER Water-Seeking Moon Rover Mission Set For 2023 To Utilize Crowdsourced Programming And Retail Computing Options Favored For Low Overhead, Interoperability, Widespread Familiarity; VIPER Deputy Lead Terry Fong Tells MIT Technology Review Open Source Enables His Team To More Quickly “Take Advances From The Research World And Put It Into Flight” And That The Negligible Time Lag To Moon Makes Utilization Of Commercially Available Hardware “Not Limited By Radiation, Hard Flight [Ratings]” Possible; Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Is Set To Run Popular Operating System Linux On Mars Flight NET 14 Apr; NASA Hosts A Slew Of Mission Planning Software Available To Interested Parties Worldwide

Credits: NASA

Tuesday / 30 Mar 2021

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Artemis Program Human Landing System Award Expected Within Month, New Budget Within Week

HLS, The Human-Rated Lander System Planned To Ferry Humans From Lunar Orbit To/From Surface, Is On Track For One Or More Selections For Flight Demonstration, Per SpaceNews Coverage Of Comments Made By NASA MSFC Director (T) Jody Singer And Acting Administrator Steve Jurczyk Both Affirming Timeline And Opening Possibility Of Reducing SLS Launch Costs, Redirecting Saved Funds Towards HLS – Currently Funded ~US$850M With Projected ~$3.3B Required; FY2022 Biden / Harris Administration Budget To Focus On National Infrastructure, Space Advocates Urge Emphasis On Cislunar Infrastructure

Credits: NASA, Blue Origin

Friday / 26 Mar 2021

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Lunar Vertical Solar Array Technology Moving Towards Realization With 5 Contractors On Project

Game Changing Development, A NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate Initiative, Is Providing 5 Space Technology Companies (Astrobotic, ATK Space Systems, Honeybee Robotics, Lockheed Martin, Space Systems Loral) With 1-Year Base Contracts Worth Up To $700K/ea For Design Of Autonomously Deployable, Relocatable 9.75m Vertical Photovoltaic Panels; 2 Companies Are To Be Selected For Prototype Construction / Testing Contracts Valued Up To $7.5M/ea And Eventual Deployment Near Moon South Pole, Creating Artificial “Points Of Eternal Light”, Ensuring “Continuous Power For Artemis Lunar Habitats And Operations” Per Chuck Taylor, Project Lead At Langley

Credits: NASA, MIT / Allegra Boverman

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

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

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 / 12-15 Feb 2021

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NASA Office Of Inspector General Outlines Artemis Financials, Biden / Harris Administration Backs Program

US$85.7B Artemis Price 2012-2025 Represents < 30% Of Adjusted Apollo Budget, With $35.2B Already Allocated; Remaining $50.5B To Meet 2024 Goal Largely Needed For Human Landing Systems ($21.3B), Space Launch System ($10.9B) and Orion Spacecraft ($6.4B), NASA 2021 Fiscal Year Budget Stands At $23.3B Total; White House, 11 Senators Voice Support, Giving Boost To Multi-partisan Nature Of Program, Critical For Moving Appropriations Through Government; Vice President Typically Leads Administration On Space, Kamala Harris Yet To Opine

Credits: NASA, White House, OIG