Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 28-31 July 2023

India Chandrayaan-3 Successful TLI Will Propel Craft to Join USA, PRC, S Korea in Cislunar Space; Soon Followed by Russia, Japan

Rounding out July ‘International Space / Moon Month’ is TransLunar Injection (18:30-19:30 UTC 31 July / 00:00-01:00 IST 1 August) planned for Chandrayaan-3, setting it on course for lunar orbit, lander / propulsion-module separation 17 Aug, lunar touchdown 23 Aug; Luna-25 and SLIM landers may be on track for NET 10 Aug and 26 Aug respectively, while commercial Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines hope for 2023 launches; Continually operating are: landers CE-3 & CE-4, rover Yutu-2, and orbiters LRO, ARTEMIS P1 & P2, CE-4 Queqiao, Chandrayaan-2, CE-5-T1 Service Module, CAPSTONE & Danuri

Credits: NASA, CNSA, KARI, ISRO, Advanced Space

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 12-15 June 2020

Artemis 2024 Moon Landings Have New Leader, Multi-Partisan Support Vital For Success

Kathryn Lueders (T), Now Leads Human Exploration And Operations Mission Directorate, Taking The Reins From Acting Administrator Ken Bowersox; Lueders Previously Served As Commercial Crew Manager, Successfully Reestablishing USA Space Access With Crew Dragon Endeavour Demo-2 Mission; At National Academies Online Meeting NSC Executive Secretary Scott Pace (B) Expresses Limited International Approach & Skepticism Of Ongoing Congressional Support At Requested US$22.8B Level, Necessary To Meet 2024 Goal – Approximately ½ Of 1% Of USA Annual Budget

 

Credits: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 5-8 June 2020

First Black American On the Moon Could Be Artemis Program Next Significant Announcement

While USA Continues Celebration Of National Return To Human Spaceflight — NASA Artemis Program, Administrator Jim Bridenstine And USA Government Officials Should Consider The Apollo 11 Pledge For Posterity ‘In Peace For All’ And Select Candidates For First Black American On The Moon, Perhaps Along With First Woman On The Moon 2024; Human Moon Landings Can Serve As Transformative Focal Point Of 21st Century Call For Equality Rising

 

Credits: NASA, Houston Public Media

Thursday / 28 May 2020

Lunar Surface Science Workshop Carries On Virtually With Artemis Brainstorming

Interdisciplinary Science Exchange On Crew Conducted Moon Science Moves Online May 28-29, Originally Planned For April 28–30 In Denver; Sponsored By NASA Science Mission, Human Exploration And Operations Mission, And Space Technology Mission Directorates; Conference Seeks To Integrate Science Prerogatives Within Artemis Human Landings Starting In 2024; Primary Theme Of EVA Instrument Deployment Concepts Of Operation With Secondary Focus On EVA-Compatible Scientific Instrument Development; International Presenters Include James Carpenter Of ESA, (L-R) Masaki Fujimoto Of JAXA, Caroline-Emmanuelle Morisset Of CSA And Niki Werkheiser Of NASA

Credits: NASA, LPI, USRA, JAXA

Memorial Day Weekend Edition
Fri-Tues / 22-26 May 2020

New Astronaut Jessica Watkins May Become First Woman On Moon And / Or Mars

Planetary Scientist Jessica Watkins, Youngest Member Of Recently Graduated NASA Astronaut Candidate Group 22 Dubbed ‘The Turtles’ And 10th Stanford Woman Astronaut, Is Experienced In Off-World Simulation Habitats From Time In Mars Society Desert Research Station In Utah, NASA Desert Research And Technology Studies In Arizona And Researching Lunar Conditions In NEEMO (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operation) Underwater Research Station ‘Aquarius Reef Base’ On Sea Floor Off Florida Coast; Watkins Tells Nature She Is Currently Studying “Lunar Geology And What It’s Going To Be Like On The Surface”

 

Credits: NASA, Bill Ingalls, SPC, ILOA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 Apr 2020

NASA Seeks To Establish Roster Of Lunar Science Concepts For Payloads, Research Investigations On Surface Of Moon

PRISM Stage-1 RFI Outreach To Scientists Open 10 April – 11 May; Mission Ideas Generated Are To Be Catalogued By NASA For Potential Development In Collaboration With Commercial Partners; PRISM Stage-2 Expected Summer 2020 Will Influence Future Landing Sites; CLPS Awardees Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, Masten Slated For 2021-2022 Payload Delivery To Moon Surface, Followed By JSC-Made VIPER In 2023 And Artemis III Human Landings in 2024 Via SLS, Orion And TBD Lander Assisted By Scaled-Down Gateway; Plans Call For Artemis Base Camp Near Lunar South Pole, Widely Considered Most Likely Area For Prospecting Success

Credits: NASA, SpaceX, Intuitive Machines

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 Apr 2020

3rd ‘Breakfast On The Moon’ Live Stream Features Jim And Marilyn Lovell

Astronaut James Lovell To Speak Via Zoom At National Space Society Hosted Virtual Gathering; Lovell Will Likely Speak On Experience Of 1st Human Moon Orbit Mission Apollo 8, Commanding The Dramatic Apollo 13 Mission, And Near Term Prospects Of Human Return To Moon / Artemis 2024-25; Janet Ivey, Fred Becker, Anita Gale, William Johnston Also To Give Talks; Online ‘Celebration’ Recognizes 1st Human Spaceflight Of Yuri Gagarin, Space Shuttle Columbia, Hubble Anniversaries; ‘Breakfast’ Can Be Joined At Sacramento L5 Society YouTube Channel 11 April, 0700-0900 PDT


Credits: CAST, NASA, NSS, US VA, SPC, ILOA

 

Friday / 10 April 2020

NASA Provides Moon Funding Through CLPS, NIAC And ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Payload’ Initiatives

Masten Space Systems To Be Awarded US$75.9M For Building 4-Engine XL-1 Lander, Fulfilling 19C Task Order Of Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program And Joining Awardees Intuitive Machines, Astrobotic; XL-1 Craft To Soft-Land Near Moon South Pole NLT December 2022 With NASA And Commercial Payloads; Institute For Advanced Concepts Awards $7M Between 23 Academic And Industry Researchers For Lunar Proposals Including Radio Astronomy From Within A Crater On The Far Side, Deployable Landing Pads, Propellant And Water Extraction; $160,000 To Be Awarded For Miniaturized (<400g) Lunar Payload Ideas Submitted By June 1 In Mini Moon Contest

Credits: Masten, NASA, Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay, Matthew Kuhns

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 3-6 Apr 2020

USA Releases Path Toward Permanent Human Presence On Lunar Surface

NASA Plan For Sustained Lunar Exploration And Development Calls For Establishment Of Artemis Base Camp Via 3 Primary Mission Elements: Human Transport Lunar Terrain Vehicle, Mobile Habitat Platform Capable Of 45 Day Voyages, And Surface Habitat Suitable For 4-Member Crew; Administrator Bridenstine Says “Artemis Will Serve As Our North Star As We Continue To Work Toward Even Greater Exploration Of The Moon” And Commits To ‘Increasingly Longer’ Annual Human Missions Following Initial 7 Day Artemis III Landing Of First Woman And Next Man On Moon


Credits: ESA, NASA

 

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 6-9 Mar 2020

Artemis Mission Sequence Leading To Human Moon Landing In 2024

USA Administration And NASA Remain Committed To First Woman, Next Man On Surface Of Moon By 2024; Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle Nears Final Testing At Plum Brook Station; Space Launch System Core Stage Awaits Static Fire Testing At Stennis Space Center, Expected To Be Operational For Uncrewed Artemis I By Second Half Of 2021 Per Associate Administrator Steve Jurczyk; Artemis II Human Lunar Orbital Mission To Follow In 2022; Boeing And Blue Origin Under Consideration To Build Human Landing System For Artemis III In 2024

Credits: NASA