Friday / 25 Oct 2019

International Space Agencies And Private Enterprises Sign Agreements To Land On Moon

Heads Of Space Agencies Meet At 70th International Astronautical Congress In Washington DC; NASA Unveils New Woman-Focused Logo For Artemis; Scientists Report First Results From Netherlands-China Low-Frequency Explorer Aboard Queqiao Orbiter; Japan Formally Commits To Artemis And Partners With India For 2023 Moon Landing; Blue Origin Teams With Lockheed Martin And Northrop Grumman For Artemis Lunar Lander; Israel Renews Commitment To Land On Moon And Tours World With Moon-Themed Escape Room

Credits: NASA, SpaceIL

Tuesday / 8 October 2019

NASA Awards Funding And Requests Proposals For Lunar Fuel Production, Spacesuits And Cubesats For Artemis

NASA Awards US$17.4M To 4 Companies To Study Production Of Fuel On Moon Or Mars; Blue Origin, SpaceX, Utah-based OxEon Energy, And Connecticut-based Skyre To Receive Funding; Request For Information Also Issued By NASA For Companies To Produce Lunar Spacesuits That Could Also Be Used By Private Astronauts; Additional Cubesat Launch Initiative Seeks Secondary Payloads To Fly With Artemis 2 On Space Launch System, The First Crewed Lunar Orbit Mission Since 1970s, Planned For 2023

Credits: NASA, ILC Dover, Lockheed Martin

Tuesday / 20 Aug 2019

National Space Council Faces NASA And Private Options For Reaching Moon

USA National Space Council Chaired By VP Mike Pence Meets 20 August At National Air And Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center, Venue Where Pence In 2017 Has Already Committed To Lunar Return; Former House Speaker And Free Enterprise Advocate Newt Gingrich Proposes US$2B Prize To First USA Company To Land Humans On Moon; SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell Claims They Can Land On Moon With Starship By 2023; Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Is Also In Competition

Credits: SpaceX, NASA, Blue Origin

Friday / 19 July 2019

Jeff Bezos And Caroline Kennedy Make Enterprising, Opportune Comments For USA Return / First Women To Moon South Pole ASAP  

During Interview With CBS News On Apollo11@50, Bezos Shares His Hope For Blue Moon Lander(s) To Be On Mission To Land First Women On Moon – Which Is “Long Past Due” As Stated By Caroline Kennedy, Daughter JFK; Blue Origin Plans To Be Instrumental To USA Artemis Program, Envisions Cooperation With Dozens Of Other Companies & Governments To Achieve This Goal; Govt Commitment To Necessary Funding To Realize 2024 / Sustainable Moon Return Remains Significant Challenge

Credits: Blue Origin, NASA, LRO, LROC

Friday / 21 June 2019

JFK Space Summit Looks To Future Lunar Missions And Why “We Choose To Go To The Moon”

Summit At John F. Kennedy Library In Boston MA Features Caroline Kennedy, Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins, Astronauts Ellen Ochoa, Chris Cassidy, Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Koichi Wakata, Paolo Nespoli, Oleg Kotov, And Jeff Bezos Of Blue Origin; USA Celebrating Apollo@50 Hopes To Land 1st Women At Moon South Pole 2024; Lunar Base Will Advance Science, Secure Resources & Support Long-Term Survival Of Species; Bezos States ‘We Need To Go To Space, It’s Not Optional’, Has Vision Of Trillions Living & Working In Space And Moving Heavy Industry Off Earth

Credits: J.F.K. Library, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 June 2019

New Form Of Public / Private Collaboration Key To Realization Of Artemis Program?

Wealthiest Individual Jeff Bezos Says ‘Civilization Needs Moon’ And Space Habitation Critical To ‘Save Earth’, Hours Before NASA Administrator Bridenstine Declares 2024 Lunar Landing ‘Off The Table’ If Additional US$1.6B Congressional Funding Fails To Materialize; Given Existential Motivation For Humanization Of Space, New Form Of Public / Private Partnership Could Realize Artemis Moon Mission If Political Will Falters

Credits: NASA, Twitter

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 May 2019

NASA Working On Increased Investment In Moon And Beyond

Following Jeff Bezos Announcement Of Blue Moon Lander, USA Administration Working On Plan And Budget For Human Lunar Return; NASA Facing Planetary Defense Challenge Of Asteroid Apophis Approaching Earth In 2029; Human Mars Landing Proposed For 2030s In Addition To Lunar Missions; Doubling NASA Investment To 1% Of Federal Budget Is Unimplemented Proposal From First Bush Administration; Increasing NASA Budget Would Fund Renaissance Of Moon, Mars And Asteroid Missions

Credits: NASA, Blue Origin

Tuesday / 16 Oct 2018

Canada Space Industry Days Feature Major Lunar Initiatives

Canadian Space Agency Hosting Space Industry Days 15-17 October In Saint-Hubert, Quebec; Blue Origin Featured Monday, Plans To Send Tourists To Space In 2019, New Glenn Booster Is One Of Three Selected By USAF For Next-Generation Launch System; Moon Express Delivers Presentation Tuesday 16 Oct, Signs Memorandum Of Understanding With CSA-ASC For Moon Missions; Airbus Featured Wednesday 17 Oct, Sponsoring Moon Race With Blue Origin And Developing Key Components Of Lunar Orbital Platform; Soyuz Flight Of Canada Astronaut David Saint-Jacques Expected To Be Delayed

Credits: Moon Express, Blue Origin, CSA-ASC

 

Wednesday / 10 Oct 2018

Enterprises Working On Moon Race Competition, Lunar Regolith, Lunar Library Mission

“Moon Race” Sponsored By Airbus, Blue Origin And Partners Challenges Private Enterprise With Four Goals: Extract Water From Lunar Regolith, Manufacture Useful Objects From Lunar Resources, Use Lunar Regolith Plus Water To Grow Plants, And Generate Energy On Moon; Startup Company “Off Planet Research” Producing Simulated Lunar Regolith, Offering Samples To Backers Of Indiegogo Project; Lunar Library Project Sponsored By Microsoft Will Use Synthetic DNA To Archive Human Knowledge; Public To Contribute Images Via MemoriesInDNA Project; Library To Land With Astrobotic-Built Peregrine Lander In 2020 

Credits: Moon Race, Off Planet Research

Friday / 5 Oct 2018

IAC 2018 Generating ‘Moon Rush’ Of Mission Agreements, MoUs, Collaborations

International Astronautical Congress 69th General Assembly Providing Major Opportunities For Lunar Advances: Moon Express & Canadian Space Agency MoU Establishes Potential Collaboration On Moon Landers, Orbiters, Payloads; Blue Origin Signs Letter Of Letter With Germany Companies OHB & MT Aerospace; Astrobotic Announces Deal With Space Agencies Of Ecuador (EXA) & Colombia (AEC) For Lunar Exploration Campaign Using Multiple Peregrine Missions; Tech Development Competition 2024 “Moon Race” To Be Detailed Soon; NASA Declares Intent To Contribute Laser Retroreflector Array To Israel 2019 Moon Lander

Credits: Moon Express, Blue Origin, Astrobotic, EXA, AEC, NASA, SpaceIL, Moon Race / Airbus, et al,