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,

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 Aug 2018

Commercial Lunar, Space Enterprises Could See US$44M Through NASA Tech Partnerships

Third “Tipping Point” Solicitation By NASA – Focusing On Expanding Utilization Of Space, Enabling Efficient & Safe Space Transportation, And Increasing Planetary Surface Access – To Award $44M To 6 Companies: Blue Origin, SSL, ULA, Frontier Aerospace, Paragon SDC, Astrobotic; 10 Selected Technology Proposals Include Blue Origin Lunar Lander Cryogenic Liquid-Propulsion Systems Advancement And Precision Systems For Landing Anywhere On The Moon, Frontier Aerospace Deep Space Engine Flight Qualification As Part Of Astrobotic 2020 Peregrine Lunar Lander Mission, SSL In-Space Satellite Servicing

Credits: NASA, Blue Origin

Friday / 6 July 2018

Blue Origin Working ‘Step By Step’ Toward Human Moon / Solar System Expansion

Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin CEO, Vision Of ‘Trillions Of People Living & Working In Space’ Reinforced By Comments From Business Director A.C. Charania At SFF NewSpace 2018 Conference Outlining Company’s Blue Moon Lander Plans To Support People On Moon Surface NLT 2023; Committed To Long-Term Commercial Partnership With NASA And International Collaboration, Blue Origin Currently Developing Descent Stage To Land ‘Multi-Metric Tons’ Of Cargo On Moon Surface (Preferably Poles) To Enable Sustainable Settlement, And Scientific & ISRU Investigations

Credits: A.C. Charania (B) and Jeff Bezos (T) via Twitter, Blue Origin

Friday / 1 Jun 2018

Blue Origin Planning Its Contributions Toward Permanent Lunar, Solar System Settlement

Jeff Bezos, Founder Of Blue Origin, Discusses During NSS ISDC The Necessity For Moon Base Before Mars, States “We Will Do Anything We Need To Do” To Support The Future Vision Of Trillions Of People Living In Space; Planning Blue Moon Lunar Lander Cargo System 2020s, New Armstrong Rocket, Seeking International And National Public-Private Partnerships; Returning To Moon Requires ‘Step By Step Advances, Lowering Cost Of Access To Space, Reusability, Building Landers & Rovers, Exploring Craters And Determining Resources’

Credits: Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos, LRO, NASA, JPL

Friday / 25 May 2018

Blue Origin Invites Australia To Discuss Its Role In Moon Missions, Space Tourism

Blue Origin Commercial Director Ted McFarland Says CEO Jeff Bezos To Announce Lunar Mission Plans At 69th IAC And Hopes Australia Will Be A Collaborator; Newly Established Australia Space Agency (8 May) Budgets US$26M Over Next 4 Years With Additional $15M To Invest In Specific Projects; Australia Open Land Mass, Eagerness To Boost Economy & Invest In Space Could Be Ideal For New Shepard Space Tourism & Blue Moon / Moon Base Advances; Equatorial Launch Australia Hopes To Build 1st Commercial Spaceport Near Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory

Credits: Blue Origin, Australia Government Dept. of Industry, NASA

Friday / 4 May 2018

Commercial Lunar Payload Services To Build Upon Successes Of Lunar CATALYST, Commercial Resupply / Crew Programs

New NASA Program Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) To Award Contracts To Private Enterprises For Delivering Science And Tech Demonstration Payloads To Moon Surface; Industry Day Being Held At NASA HQ In Washington DC 8 May To Discuss Draft Request For Proposals; Companies Such As Moon Express, Astrobotic, Masten, Past GLXP Contenders Already Developing Lunar Landers In Prime Position To Accelerate USA Return To Moon, Support Space Policy Directive 1; Blue Origin With Vision Of ‘A Trillion People Living & Working In Space’ Planning New Armstrong Rocket, Blue Moon System For 4,500-kg Cargo Deliveries

Credits: Moon Express, Astrobotic, Masten Space Systems, Blue Origin, Bigelow Aerospace

Wednesday / 28 Mar 2018

USRA And Space Policy Institute Hold “Return To The Moon” Symposium In DC Today

Universities Space Research Association & George Washington University SPI Host Annual Joint Symposium On 28 March, Focusing On “Partnership Of Government, Academia, And Industry” For Human Moon Exploration; Key Participants Include (L-R) NASA Acting Director Robert Lightfoot, ESA Director Jan Wörner (Via Video), SPI Director Henry Hertzfeld, Astronaut Jack Schmitt, Former NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan; From Industry Will Be Christie Iacomini Of Blue Origin & Dan Hendrickson Of Astrobotic; Exploring Strategies To Align USA Space Initiatives With Those Of Other Nations; ~150 People Expected At Evening Reception

Credits: USRA, SPI, NASA, ESA, Blue Origin, Astrobotic