Category Archives: Cislunar Space Development

Friday / 14 June 2019

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Moon Maps, Composition Analyses Advance With Future Artemis Payloads, Current LRO, Past Missions Data

In Support Of First Planned Human Moon Landings 2024 & Potential Lunar Base, Projected Late 2020 Uncrewed Artemis 1 First Flight Of SLS Will Carry 6 Secondary Payloads To Study Lunar Ice, Hydrogen, Radiation, Spectroscopy, Thermography, Test Cislunar Propulsion Methods; LRO Reaching 10 Full Years / Entering 11th Year At Moon Next Week, Remains In Polar Mapping Orbit Since 2015; LRO Combined Data With 2011-12 GRAIL Mission Shows Potential Metal Deposit 5x Size Of Hawai’i Island Beneath South Pole-Aitken Basin

Credits: NASA, LRO, GRAIL, JPL, SPC, ILOA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 June 2019

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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

Friday / 31 May 2019

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Artemis / NASA ‘Astronomy From The Moon’ Commitment Could Gain AAS Support

American Astronomical Society President Megan Donahue States Organization Decides Against Taking Official Position On Artemis So Far, And Voices Concerns Over Potential Budgetary Shifts, Transfer Authority & Undefined Science Program; Astronautic Return To Moon Should Include New Astronomy Opportunities From New Frontier Of Moon South Pole Such As That Of ILOA; Identifying Artemis Program 2024+ Astronomy & Science Instruments To Be Positioned, Enhanced By Humans On Stable Lunar Platform May Inspire Approval From More Communities

Credits: AAS, NASA, Bill Ingalls, International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA)

Friday / 10 May 2019

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Chang’e-4 Lunar Far Side Missions Continue On Surface, NCLE Astronomy Payload At L2 Likely Collecting Data

Von Kármán Crater Inhabitants Chang’e-4 Lander And Yutu-2 Rover Operating Nominally In Lunar Day 5, Are Estimated To Enter Hibernation 11 May, Before Sunset 12 May At ‘Statio Tianhe’; Low Frequency Spectrometer And Lunar Lander Neutrons & Dosimetry Experiments Running On Lander; Official Confirmation Awaited For NCLE Low-Frequency Astronomy Payload Aboard Queqiao Satellite, Which Now Should Be Observing Cosmic ‘Dark Ages’ And Solar System According To Timeline Since Rover Exceeded Its Lifetime Of 3 Months

Credits: CNSA, CLEP, Radboud Univ., ISIS, ASTRON, NASA, et al

Wednesday / 1 May 2019

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Lunar Exploration Is Topic Of Panel Discussion Held By Purdue University President

In Context Of USA Human Moon Landing 2024 Initiative, Former Governor Of Indiana Mitch Daniels Hosts Speakers On Future Of Space Exploration At Purdue, Alma Mater Of Neil Armstrong; NASA Associate Administrator Of Human Exploration Bill Gerstenmaier Says “Not Back To The Moon But Forward To The Moon”, Director Of Cornell Center For Astrophysics And Planetary Science Jonathan Lunine States “The Moon Is The Crossroads And The Touchstone”

 

Credits: NASA, ML Dittmar Via Twitter, Purdue University, Carl Sagan Institute

Wednesday / 13 Mar 2019

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Administrator Of NASA Jim Bridenstine Declares: Commercial Delivery Missions To The Moon [To Begin] As Early As This Year

 The First CLPS Mission Could Occur As Soon As October 2019; NASA May Begin Preparing The Surface Of The Moon For Human Landing As Early As 2020; Proposals For Human-Rated Landers Due 25 March; Would Be Supported By ‘Funding’; Bridenstine Characterizes FY2020 NASA Budget Proposal Of US$21B As One Of The Strongest On Record – $363M To Support Commercial Development Of A Large Lunar Lander To Carry Cargo And Then Astronauts To The Surface Of The Moon

Credits: NASA/Joel Kowsky

Friday / 8 Feb 2019

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CNSA-NASA First Lunar Collaboration Could Initiate Future Breakthroughs

USA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) In Eccentric Polar Mapping Orbit (20-km Altitude South Pole, 165-km North Pole) Since 2015, Captures Image Of China Chang’e-4 On Moon Far Side In Von Kármán Crater On 30 Jan 2019; Information Sharing Between The 2 Countries Amidst Restrictions Highlights Potential To Expand Upon Mutually Beneficial Cooperation, Combine 21st Century Technologies Of Leading Spacefaring Nations – Both Of Which Plan Human Moon Missions, Lunar Bases

Pictured: NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and CNSA Administrator Zhang Kejian 

Credits: NASA, GSFC, Arizona State University, CNSA, NAOC-CSA

Friday / 21 Dec 2018

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SpaceIL ‘Genesis’ Lunar Lander Ready For February SpaceX Launch, May-June 2019 Touchdown At Mare Serenitatis

Genesis “Beresheet” בְּרֵאשִׁית)‬) Is Scheduled For Falcon 9 Launch From Cape Canaveral AFS NET 13 Feb As Secondary Payload With PSN-6 Satellite; After Launch, Lander (Dry Mass ~200 kg, Wet 585 kg) Will Orbit Earth 3 Times, Perform Orbit ‘Raising’ Over 2.5 Months To Maneuver Into Lunar Orbit, And Take 2-4 Weeks To Soft Land Near “Sea of Serenity” 28.0°N, 17.5°E; Reported US$95M Mission Carries Digital Time Capsule, Magnetometer, Laser Retroreflector Array; Israel Aerospace Industries Located SE Of Tel Aviv Is Mission Control; Could Be 5th Entity To Land On Moon After India NET Feb

Credits: SpaceIL, IAI

Friday / 14 Dec 2018

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Chang’e-3 Enters 6th Year Of Operations, ‘Twin’ Chang’e-4 In Lunar Orbit To Land Far Side Early Jan 2019

China Chang’e-3, In Lunar Day 62, Begins 6th Year Of Operations 14 December At Sinus Iridum / Mare Imbrium, 44.12°N, 19.51°W; LUT Instrument Reportedly Working, Powered By RTG And Solar Panels; Chang’e-4 Lander And Rover In Elliptical Lunar Orbit With Perilune At ~100 km, Will Have Queqiao Relay Satellite Communications Link Tested Before Landing In Very Early January 2019 At Von Kármán Crater / South Pole-Aitken Basin About 46°S, 177°E; Lander Carries Low Frequency Spectrometer And Lunar Lander Neutrons & Dosimetry Experiment, Queqiao Equipped With NCLE Low-Frequency Pathfinder To Detect Cosmic Dark Ages Radio Signals

Pictured: CNSA Administrator Zhang Kejian; Credits: CNSA, CAS, NAOC, CAST, NASA, GSFC, DLR, ASU, LRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 30 Nov – 3 Dec 2018

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Russia Lunar Plans Include Woman On The Moon

0.2 Grams Of Lunar Sample Returned By Luna 16 In 1970 Sell At NYC Auction 29 November For US$885K; Long-Delayed Russia Luna-Glob (Luna-25) Mission Targeting Boguslavsky Crater Near Lunar South Pole; Yevgeny Mirkin, Energia Space Rocket Corporation Deputy CEO, Reveals Moon Plans: Russia Completing ISS Segment By 2022, Launching Module Into Lunar Orbit In 2025, Testing Human Lunar Landers From 2025 To 2035, And Constructing Lunar Base After 2035; Dmitry Rogozin, Head Of Roscosmos, States That A Woman Will Likely Head First Lunar Mission

Credits: China Daily, Sen.com, Roscosmos