Category Archives: Artemis Program

Friday / 22 Dec 2023

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Artemis 2 Astronauts Train for Moon Flyby as VP Harris Announces International Astronaut to Join Landing Mission

While Artemis 2 NASA crewmembers Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Jeremy Hansen (CSA-ASC) undergo emergency preparedness exercises at JSC and build public excitement for the first human mission to the Moon in 51+ years with White House press event, Vice President Kamala Harris makes firm commitment to include an international astronaut on future Artemis 3+ surface mission at 20 Dec National Space Council meeting attended by representatives of the 33-nation Artemis Accords coalition; Europe, Japan, or India are likely nations from which as-yet-unannounced crewmember will originate

Credits: NASA

Tuesday / 28 Nov 2023

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As USA Moon Return Imminent, Historical Impact of First Apollo Images Considered

With NASA working toward Artemis 3 human Moon landing hopefully NLT 4 July 2026, images of the first woman and person of color on the Moon, as well as Astronomy from the Moon images set to be taken via robotic commercial missions, may have societal influence comparable to iconic Apollo 8 Earthrise, which University of Central Lancashire historian Robert Poole argues was even more impactful than the Apollo 11 Moon landing; In article on ‘Image of the Century’, Poole recounts tension within NASA over viewing targets (lunar landscape vs Earth) and desire of crew to commemorate event with Frank Borman signing off ‘Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you – all of you on the good Earth’

Credits: NASA, Robert Poole

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 Nov 2023

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4 Lunar Lander Companies Working to Support USA Return to the Moon / Artemis Under NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Service

CLPS providers currently under contract to land NASA and independent payloads on Moon are Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, Firefly and Draper: Astrobotic Peregrine awaiting launch from KSC to Gruithuisen Domes NET 24 Dec, Griffin lander to carry VIPER NET Nov 2024; Intuitive Machines targeting 12 Jan launch of Nova-C to Malapert A and again in 2024 to deliver PRIME-1 drill to Shackleton connecting ridge; Firefly Blue Ghost scheduled to land in Mare Crisium NET 2024 and on the lunar farside NET 2026, delivering radio astronomy LuSEE-Night and SPIDER seismometer; Draper is also targeting Schrödinger Basin on far side NET 2025 with APEX 1.0 lander built in collaboration with ispace USA

Credits: Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, Firefly, Draper, NASA

Tuesday / 7 Nov 2023

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NASA and Boeing Making Progress on Artemis Moon Rocket Block 1B Configuration

Despite concerns from NASA Office of Inspector General over supply chain transparency, Artemis team continues to advance SLS, with major work on LOX tank weld confidence article (5 of 7 such test pieces) for SLS exploration upper stage proceeding at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans; SLS Block 1B with exploration upper stage / Orion crew capsule features 40% additional payload capacity vs Block 1 (27 / 38 t) as is slated to carry 4 astronauts to Gateway station (including 1 ESA astronaut) and 2 to lunar surface via SpaceX HLS during Artemis 4 NET September 2028

Credits: NASA / Michael DeMocker, Boeing

Tuesday / 26 Sep 2023

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NASA Team Suggests Framework for Consideration of Space Exploration Ethics in Artemis Era

Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS) report Artemis, Ethics and Society: Synthesis from a Workshop complies perspectives from 55 participants who gathered at NASA HQ to develop framework for moral evaluation of space exploration within the context of Artemis program and Artemis Accords, which proclaims ‘benefit for all humankind’, echoing Outer Space Treaty, National Aeronautics and Space Act, Moon Agreement; ~140 ethical / social issues deliberated under categories including definitions, decision-making, cultural values, sharing, environment, policy, and colonialism; OTPS to utilize proceedings to conduct internal study on key policy implications and open conversation to international partners

Pictured: Zachary Pirtle, Katherine McBrayer, Alyse Beauchemin of OTPS; Credits: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 8-11 Sep 2023

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USA Artemis Moonships SLS and Starship Development Advancing Ahead of Human Moon Missions

Preparations for Artemis 2 (SLS rocket / Orion crew capsule) ongoing at KSC Launch Complex 39B – Mobile Launcher-1 being augmented with structural reinforcements while Emergency Crew Escape System and 41,730-kg Crew Access Arm being installed for first crewed lunar flyby in over 50 years NET Nov 2025; NASA considering future shift of SLS ownership and operation to private contractor in response to unsustainable costs per US GAO; SpaceX to make 63 corrective actions prior to FAA launch clearance for Starship, now fully stacked at Starbase TX, including changes to launch pad, propellant leak remediation, and Autonomous Flight Safety System testing

Credits: SpaceX, NASA

Friday / 8 Sep 2023

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Japan is Latest Nation to Join Lunar Exploration Wave with SLIM Lander on Way to Moon

JAXA controllers guiding US$100M Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) as orbital raising maneuvers set to commence, beginning fuel-efficient journey expected to take 3-4 months to reach lunar orbit with 100m-accuracy soft landing east of Shioli crater (13.2°S, 25.2°E) on 15° slope in late Jan / early Feb 2024; Advanced vision-based navigation system and belly landing technique to allow ‘landing where we want’ per JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa, capabilities to be utilized in JAXA-ISRO LUPEX polar mission NET 2025, Lunar Cruiser pressurized crew vehicle for Artemis late 2020s, and mid-sized lunar cargo lander early 2030s

Credits: JAXA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Tues / 1-5 September 2023

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India and China Operating on Moon and Advancing Next Lunar Missions as USA Plans Human / Robotic Return

ISRO continues nominal 1 lunar day (14 Earth diurnal cycles) mission Chandrayaan-3, which may extend another 14 days or more depending on lander / rover charging functionality; Prospects for radio astronomy from the MSP more favorable following findings of sparse near-surface plasma density via RAMBHA-LP Langmuir probe; ISRO to collaborate with JAXA on LUPEX NET 2025; CNSA continues collecting seismic & astronomical data with Lunar-Penetrating Radar on Chang’E-4 rover Yutu-2 and Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope on Chang’E-3 lander while preparing Chang’E-6 sample return NET May 2024 and Chang’E-7 MSP mission NET 2026; NASA working towards Artemis 2 crewed lunar flyby NET Nov 2024 while CLPS providers Intuitive Machines (NET 16 Nov) and Astrobotic (EOY) striving for robotic lander launches

Credits: ISRO, CNSA, NASA

Friday / 1 Sep 2023

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Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation to Continue Advancing Technology for Space and Moon as ARQUIMEA Subsidiary

Optical space system provider Ecliptic Enterprises of Pasadena, California to be acquired by technology developer ARQUIMEA – headquartered in Spain, with operations in Canary Islands, Singapore and USA employing 500+; Ecliptic has received a US$5M cash infusion to support design of radiation hardened payloads for space and lunar applications including high-res multispectral imagers for Earth observation and routers for use on and around Moon; ARQUIMEA USA CEO Jesus Delgado tells Parabolic Arc he expects to quickly grow Ecliptic revenue from $10M to $50M

Credits: Ecliptic Enterprises, ARQUIMEA

Friday / 14 July 2023

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NGO Participation in Artemis Accords — as with International Lunar Research Station — is Essential to Build Lunar Society

Artemis Accords purpose and scope ‘to apply to civil space activities conducted by the civil space agencies of each signatory’ may be amended to broaden lunar community inclusion in democratic fashion, expanding to non-governmental, independent, enterprising entities in addition to ‘government-to-government agreements, agency-to-agency arrangements’; 6,000+ NGOs consult with UN Economic and Social Council under Article 71, which may provide model for Moon; nanoSPACE AG of Lyss, Switzerland is ILRS signatory, International Lunar Observatory Association of Kamuela, Hawai’i seeking to sign Artemis Accords if possible before signing MoU with DSEL for ILRS on 20 July, International Moon Day

Credits: UN, CNSA, NASA