Category Archives: Human Moon Missions

Friday / 24 May 2019

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Funding Moon, Mars & Beyond: 0.1% Annual Increase Of USA National Budget Through 2024

NASA Budget Remains <1% Since 1993; Agency Is Tasked With Landing The First Woman On The Moon In 2024 & Developing Sustainable Return To Moon Architecture; Request Of ‘Additional’ US$1.6B Dubbed As ‘Down Payment’ For Artemis Program By Administrator Bridenstine; Current Allotment Of ~0.5% Federal Budget Gaining 0.1% Per Year Would Give NASA 1% By 2024 – Which Would Align Visionary Ambitions With True Commitment, Real Support

Credits: Office of Management and Budget, Chart by Andrew Witherspoon / Axios with additions by SPC, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 May 2019

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Apollo 10: Fifty Years Downrange With Aquarius Age Rising — First Women Soon To South Pole Moon

USA Artemis Program, Named For Apollo’s Twin Sister, Works To Land First Women At Moon South Pole ASAP, By 2024; Commitment To Appropriate Federal Funding Of 1% Could Double NASA Budget With Little Effect On DoD – Advancing Celestial Aspirations Of Apollo Missions In The Spirit Of ‘In Peace For All’ And Aquarius Age Consciousness Of 1960s; NASA Announces 11 Companies Chosen For Human Lander Prototypes, Plans Scaled-Back Lunar Gateway & Sustainable International Moon Base

Credits: NASA, SPC, ILOA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 May 2019

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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

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 3-6 May 2019

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Apollo 10 ‘Snoopy’ Ascent Stage May Be Future Target Of Rendezvous

50th Observation Of Apollo 10 Launch Is 18 May; UK Astronomers Assisted By Former Apollo Flight Controllers Find Lunar Module ‘Snoopy’ In Space; Ascent Stage Named For ‘Peanuts’ Beagle Remains In Orbit After Descending To 14.4 km From Surface And Returning In 1969; Surviving Mission Commander Tom Stafford Recalls Having No Idea Where Module Went; Nick Howes Of Royal Astronomical Society Thinks The Unique Historic Crewed Spacecraft Is Future Target For Rendezvous Mission

Credits: NASA, Charles Schulz Museum

Tuesday / 30 Apr 2019

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NASA Plans South Pole Lunar Base In Parallel With Blue Origin 

USA National Space Council Leader Scott Pace (L) Says Lunar Base Is Part Of Sustainable Exploration Plan; Space Launch System May Undergo 4-Engine Static Test At Stennis Space Center, Potentially Delaying First Uncrewed EM-1 Flight To 2021; Exploration Chief Bill Gerstenmaier Calculates That SLS Crewed EM-2 May Still Occur In 2022 And Human Lunar Landing In 2024; Blue Origin Signs Contract For Unused Apollo-Era Test Stands, Hints At 9 May Announcement About ‘Endurance’ And Shackleton Crater At South Pole

Credits: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 Apr 2019

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NASA 1% Of US Govt Budget Would See Humans On Moon 2025, Mars 2030

USA Commitment To ‘MoonRush’ Seeks Funding; NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (R) Will Send Revised Budget Request To Congress; General Public Consensus Now Favors NASA Receiving 1% Of Federal Budget, Far Less Than The NASA 4% During Apollo Era, Which Would Double NASA Budget To US$40B With Little Effect On DoD $700B+ Outlay; MoonRush By 2024 Will Potentially Include Participation From International Partners, Such As China, India, Crescent Moon Countries, Among Others

Credits: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 12-15 Apr 2019

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Call For Human Lunar Landings Inspires Private Enterprise

NASA Commits To Landing Next Man And First Woman On Moon By 2024; Lockheed Martin Releases New Design For Lunar Lander With Ascent Stage Based Upon Orion Crew Module And Descent Stage Modified From European-Built Service Module; SpaceX Designs Crew Dragon To Land On Planetary Surfaces Including Earth And Mars, Could Modify Dragon For Lunar Missions; Northrop Grumman, Builder Of Original Lunar Module, Proposes ‘New Eagle’ Family Of Spacecraft For Destinations Including The Moon

Credits: Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, NASA, SpaceX

Wednesday / 3 Apr 2019

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NASA Considering Human Lunar Options Including SLS And Falcon Heavy

USA Urgently Pursuing Goal Of Human Lunar Landing At South Pole In 2024; Orion And Space Launch System Flights Will Be Accelerated; At NASA Town Hall Administrator Jim Bridenstine Says “Nothing Is Off The Table” And Suggests SpaceX Falcon Heavy With ULA Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage Could Carry Orion To Lunar Orbit; International Space Station Astronauts Nick Hague, Anne McLain And Christina Koch Are “Super Excited” About USA Reaching The Moon By 2024

Credits: NASA, SpaceX

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

Tuesday / 26 Mar 2019

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Accelerated Lunar Program To Include Astronomy From Moon 

USA National Space Council Chaired By Vice President Mike Pence Meets In Huntsville, Alabama 26 March; Pence And Former Astronauts Pushing For Early Human Lunar Landing, Perhaps By 2024; University Of Colorado Astrophysicist Jack Burns, Who Will Address NSC, Is Contracted To Develop Dark Ages Polarimetry Pathfinder Smallsat For Lunar Farside, With Ultimate Goal Of Placing Array Of Telescopes On Moon; Netherlands-China Low Frequency Explorer With Three 5-meter Antennae Will Begin Operating On Lunar Farside When Chang’e-4 Finishes Primary Mission

Credits: NASA, ISIS, CNSA, University of Colorado