Category Archives: Cislunar Space Development

Friday / 16 January 2015

Posted on by

Moon Express Steadily Advancing
Moon Lander Technologies

ME 2015

Moon Express Preparing For Phase 2 Test Flight Campaign Of Hydrogen Peroxide Fueled MTV-1X Lander After Successful Dec 2014 Test Flights At Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility “Moonscape” In Florida; Testing Is Being Conducted In Partnership With NASA Lunar CATALYST Program & In Pursuit Of GLXP Lander & Mobility Terrestrial Milestones Prizes; MTV-2X Vehicle Scheduled To Be Built & Tested In Q1 2015

Image Credit: Moon Express, NASA

Friday / 9 January 2015

Posted on by

Cube Quest Challenge Summit For
Missions Near & Beyond Moon

Cube Quest Challenge Summit 2015

2-Day Summit At Moffett Field CA Held 7 & 8 Jan Introducing US$5M NASA Program For Teams To Design, Build & Deliver Flight-Qualified, SmallSats Capable Of Advanced Operations Near & Beyond Moon; Winner(s) Qualify For Mission To Launch On Maiden Flight Of SLS ~Nov 2018; (L-R) Ames Research Center Director Pete Worden, Cube Quest Challenge Administrator James Cockrell, Planetary Protection Officer Cassie Conley & Others Discuss Mission & Engineering Details, Secondary Payloads, How Cube Quest Relates To Human Exploration

Image Credit: NASA, Ames Research Center

New Year / Holiday Edition
Thurs / 25 Dec 2014 – Mon / 5 Jan 2015

Posted on by

50 Years After Humans Return To Moon,
50,000 Lunar Visitors Per Year?

SPoleAnalogNewYear2015

Antarctica, A Valuable Analog Site For Testing Lunar Base Systems, May Also Be A Prophetic Model Of What Is To Come On The 8th Continent- Luna; Race To Earth South Pole Won In 1912, No Human Returned Until UN IGY 1957, Now About 50 Years Later The Site Receives About 50,000 Visitors / Year (90% Tourists), With 30+ Countries Maintaining Permanent Research Stations; Human Return To Moon Similarly Delayed, Now Expected ~2020; 50 Years Of Development Could Manifest A Situation Similar To Today’s Antarctica; International Space Powers – India, China, USA, Japan, Russia & NewSpace Enterprises Should Take Note: Those Making 1st Pioneering Steps To Settle / Develop Energy & Resource-Rich South Pole Moon Will Reap The Benefits & Be Well Positioned For 21st Century Solar System Leadership

Image Credit: JAXA / Michael Carroll, Amundsen South Pole Station

Friday / 12 December 2014

Posted on by

China Chang’e-4 Mission To
Moon South Pole?

Chang'e-4 MSP

Building Upon Success Of Chang’e-3 Mission, Backup Craft Chang’e-4 Could Be Launched 2015-2016 To Potentially Ignite The Race To New Frontier Of Exploration – Moon South Pole; With Other Nations / Private & Public Ventures Considering South Pole For Scientific Research, Resources Mapping & Mining, And Human Base Build Out, Chang’e-4 Could Provide Valuable Data As 1st Mission To Lunar Pole For Landing, Communications & Solar Power Technologies

Image Credit: CNSA, CCTV, NASA

Friday / 5 December 2014

Posted on by

Earth-Moon Images As Taken By
Interplanetary Craft

Earth Moon Images

Images Of Earth-Moon / Cislunar System Dating Back To (L-R, T-B) Lunar Orbiter 1 Aug 1966 First View Of Earth From Moon, Apollo 8 Dec 1968 ‘Earthrise’, And Voyager 1 Sep 1977 First Picture Of Whole Earth & Moon In Single Frame Change Human Mindset / Relationship With Earth, Moon, Solar System, Galaxy; 2 Most Recent Pictures Of E-M System Taken By Chang’e-5 T1 Craft Oct 2014; E-M As Seen By Galileo 1992, Venus Express 2005, MESSENGER 2010, Juno 2011, Cassini 2013; Additional Images / Video Of E-M Expected From GLXP Competitors In 2015

Image Credit: CNSA, NASA, ESA, JHU, APL, Caltech, Malin Space Science Systems, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Thursday / 4 December 2014

Posted on by

ESA Affirms Moon Is A Key Exploration Destination

ESAMinisters1214

In 1-Day Council Meeting At Ministerial Level In Luxembourg, Ministers Of 20 ESA Member States Adopted 3 Resolutions: Development Of Ariane 6 & Vega C Rockets, Confirmation Of Vision For ESA Through 2030, & Resolution On 3 Destinations For Exploration – LEO, Moon & Mars; All 3 Destinations Viewed As Part Of Single Process by Maximizing Technology / System Synergies & Maximizing Benefits Of Robotic & Human Exploration; ESA Also Looking To Participate In International Human-Tended Space Infrastructure Development Beyond 2020

Image Credit: ESA

Wednesday / 3 December 2014

Posted on by

Demand For Moon Mining On The Rise

FuelDepots1214

Moon Mining Beneficial For Future Exploration & Economic Development Of Moon Through ISRU, Advancing Cislunar Space / Solar System Exploration With Fuel Depots, Satisfying Terrestrial Demand For Rare Resources; Ian Crawford, Science Advisor Of UK Lunar Mission One Project, Argues That Providing Products For Cislunar Infrastructure Is Most Compelling / Economically Viable Application In Near Future; Russia Indicates Importing Rare Earth Elements To Earth Is A Primary Goal Of Its Moon Mining Plans, Backed By US$2.5B In Private / State Funding

Image Credit: NASA, Birkbeck University

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 21-24 November 2014

Posted on by

ILOA Progressing With 4 Moon Missions,
International / Private / Public Collaboration

ILOA 4 Moon Missions 2015

ILOA Board of Directors Annual Meeting On Hawai`i Prepares For 2015 Advances With ILO-X Joint Venture Partner Moon Express Inc, ILO-1 Partner Canadensys Aerospace Corp, ILO Human Service Mission Partner Golden Spike Company, And ILOA / CNSA, NAOC Chang’e 3,4 / ISRO IIA Chandrayaan-2 Moon South Pole Collaboration: ILOA Principal Operating Partnerships (POP) Considered With Canada, China, Southeast Asia; Galaxy 21st Century Education Enabling New Solar System Vision

Image Credit: ILOA, ME, NAOC, GSC, ISRO

Thursday / 20 November 2014

Posted on by

UK Privately-Funded Mission To
Moon South Pole 2024

UK Moon South Pole

‘Lunar Mission One‘ Proposed By British Space Consultant David Iron To Send Lander To Moon South Pole, Bore At Least 20 Meters Into Crust, Extract & Analyze Samples; After 6 Months Of Science, Craft Will Then Seal Capsules Of Human DNA (Strands Of Hair) & Digital Data (Messages, Photos, Videos) In Boreholes; Planning To Launch 2024, Mission To Be Funded Entirely By Public, Estimated To Cost £500M (~US$784M); Initial £600K Crowdfunding Campaign Running Until 17 Dec

Image Credit: Lunar Missions Ltd

Friday / 14 November 2014

Posted on by

S Korea Advancing Toward 2020 Moon Mission

KARI 2020

S Korea Indigenous Lunar Orbiter & Module / Launch Vehicle-2 Feasibility Study Conducted By Ministry Of Strategy & Finance States Project May Create ~US$296M Added Value & 4,800 Jobs, Potential Value From Lunar Exploration Is ~US$3.5B (5.17 Times Budget Allotted – $677M); Hopes To Launch Orbiter In 2020 With Help From NASA Joint Research Agreement, 15 Government-Funded Research Institutions Led By KARI; Also Planning To Develop 10-20 Kg Rover To Look For Rare Minerals

Pictured: S Korea President Park Geun-Hye (L) & KARI President Seung Jo Kim

Image Credit: KARI