Category Archives: ESA / Europe

Tuesday / 28 January 2020

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TRAILER Robotic System Under Development By ESA For South Poles Of Earth And Moon

ESA Technology Development Element Program Contracts With French COMEX Company And Vienna-Based Liquifer Systems Group, Directed By Barbara Imhof, To Develop TRAILER Robotic System; Two Robots, The Highly Mobile TRACTOR And Trailer Unit WAIN, Will Be Controllable From Earth Or Lunar Orbit; Rovers Will Be Tested In Antarctica By 2021 For Eventual Use In South Pole-Aitken Basin Of Moon; ESA Also Developing HERACLES Lander To Place Payloads Supporting Humans On Lunar Surface

Credits: Liquifer Systems, Moon Village Association,  ESA

New Year 2020 Edition
Fri-Tues / 20 Dec 2019 – 7 Jan 2020

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Artemis Moon Generation:
Multi-Partisan, International, Entrepreneurial

NASA Gains Funding In Bipartisan Budget For Space Launch System, Exploration Upper Stage, And Artemis Lunar Lander For First Women On The Moon In 2024; Private Companies Are Participating In Commercial Crew, Cargo, And Lunar Landers; Canada Supplying Robotic Arm For Lunar Orbit; JAXA Contributing Habitation Modules And Lunar Rover; ESA Partners Agree To Greatly Increased Budget And Providing Orion Service Modules For Artemis 1-4; Cooperation Possible From India, Russia, Crescent Moon Countries And Zhongguo (China)

Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA / CAS

Tuesday / 12 November 2019

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Broad International Support For Artemis At IAC

At 70th International Astronautical Committee Meeting In Washington DC, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine Reaffirms Commitment To International Cooperation For Artemis 2024 In Meetings With Heads Of Space Agencies; IAC Emphasizes International Cooperation For Independent Commercial Spaceflight; ISS Partners Canada And Japan Are Already Committed To Participating In Lunar Program; Europe And Russia Expected To Follow With ESA Seeking To Build Lunar Orbit Modules And Cargo Lander; International Cooperation Could Include India, China, Crescent Moon Countries And Africa

Credits: Boeing, NASA, Blue Origin

Friday / 20 Sep 2019

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ESA Seeks Ideas For Exploring Lunar Caves

ESA Open Space Innovation Platform Seeks Proposals For Exploring Lunar Caves; Lava Tubes On Moon, Similar To Those Found On Volcanic Islands Including Hawai’i, Are Sheltered From Space Radiation And Seen As Future Sites For Lunar Science And Settlement; Themes Of Proposals To Include Robotic Concepts For Cave Access Along Vertical Walls, Navigation In Horizontal Cave Segments, And Science Payloads; Proposals Are Due 27 September For Program Selection Closing 31 Oct

Credits: NASA, National Park Service

Tuesday / 27 Aug 2019

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BIG Challenge Seeks Ideas For Permanently-Shadowed Regions Of Lunar South Pole

NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate Is Sponsoring Breakthrough, Innovative & Game-Changing Idea Challenge; BIG Seeks Capabilities To Study Dark Permanently Shadowed Regions Of Moon; Craters And Caves In Lunar Polar Regions Have Remained Hidden For Billions Of Years; Proposals May Include Collecting Lunar Regolith, Transporting And Storing Water; Competition Is Open To Space Grant-Affiliated Universities; Separately ESA Open Space Innovation Platform Is Seeking Ideas For Detecting, Mapping And Exploring Permanently Shadowed Lunar Caves

Credits: NASA, JAXA

Friday / 26 July 2019

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Artemis Spacecraft, Service Module, And Habitability Module Making Progress Toward 2024 Human Lunar Landing  

Orion Is Ready For Integration Into Artemis-1 Mission Planned By 2021; Vice President Pence At KSC Unveils Spacecraft Accompanied By Buzz Aldrin And Rick Armstrong Before Visiting Launch Complex 39A; Northrop Grumman Is Awarded Contract To Develop Minimum Habitation Module Based Upon Cygnus Spacecraft; ESA Formally Agrees To Contribute Additional Orion Service Module For Artemis-3 Human Lunar Landing; White House Reaffirms Commitment To Send Next Man And First Woman To Moon In 5 Years

Credits: NASA

Tuesday / 14 May 2019

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European Lunar Symposium Draws NASA And International Scientists 

The 7th European Lunar Symposium Opens 21-23 May At Museum Of Science And Industry In Manchester UK; On Opening Day NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green (L) Will Talk About The Importance Of The Moon; Astronomer Tim O’Brien (R) Will Describe The 76-m Lovell Radio Telescope At Jodrell Bank And Its Historic Role Tracking Lunar Missions; On 23 May Emily Law Will Talk About Lunar Laser Retroreflectors; The Symposium Is Sponsored By ESA And The NASA-Created Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, A Worldwide Collaboration

Credits: NASA, Earth Science Information Partners, BBC

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 29 Mar – 1 Apr 2019

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Moon By 2024 Goal Will Call Upon Resources Including International Partners

Administrator Jim Bridenstine Hosts NASA Town Hall 1 April On USA Moon To Mars Plans, Including Human Return To Lunar Surface By 2024; VP Mike Pence Explicit Directive To Reach Moon “By Any Means Necessary” Invites Military Comparisons; Pence Challenges Government, Private Industry And Entire Space Enterprise To Reach Lunar South Pole; National Space Council Reiterates Space Policy Directive 1 To Involve Current And Future International And Commercial Partnerships; Orion Service Modules For Lunar Missions Will Be Built In Europe

Credits: NASA, Lockheed Martin

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 8-11 Feb 2019

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Europe Enterprises Pursue Lunar Initiatives

European Space Agency Aims For Moon Village; ESA Astronaut Center (EAC) In Cologne Building 10,000 Square Meter ‘Luna’ Analog Site, Partners With Architecture Students For Moon Base Concept With Inflatable Modules; Airbus Sponsors ‘Moon Race’ Competition For New Technologies; Germany PTScientists Plan Lander For Taurus-Littrow Site Of Apollo 17; ArianeSpace And PTScientists Are Contracted By ESA To Study Mission For Mining Lunar Resources; David Parker, ESA Director Of Human And Robotic Exploration, States ‘The Moon Is A History Museum And We’ve Only Visited The Gift Shop’

Credits: ESA, PTScientists

Friday / 25 Jan 2019

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Europe Funds Studies On Lunar Mining, Astronaut EVAs, Lunar Gravity Effects

ESA Signs 1-Year Lunar Regolith Feasibility Study Contract With Arianespace To Launch “Ariane 64” Vehicle With PTScientists Lunar Lander By 2025 To Search For Oxygen, Water, Helium-3 To Produce Fuel; Pangaea-X Test Campaign In Lanzarote Spain Advancing Lunar EVA Simulations, Communications, Tools, Science Protocols; ESA-DLR-NASA Collaborate On Moon 1/6th Gravity Study To Understand Physiological Impact Of Living, Working On Moon

Credits: ESA, PTScientists, Ariane Group