Category Archives: Human Moon Missions

Tuesday / 7 Feb 2023

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Artemis 2 ‘Mega Moon Rocket’ Construction on Track for 2024 Crewed Mission as SpaceX Starship Preps for Orbital Test

Build of next NASA Moonship advances with Artemis 2 SLS core stage nearing completion / integration with 4 Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25 engines at Michoud Assembly Facility; Sets of SRBs for Artemis 2 & 3 await vehicle readiness at Utah Northrop Grumman plant; Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) in final assembly at Florida ULA factory; Orion European Service Module build progressing at KSC Neil Armstrong Building with acoustic tests slated for spring; Orbital test of Starship, the SpaceX vehicle planned to land Astronauts on the Moon (NLT 4 July 2026) may launch orbital test in March if imminent static fire of 33-Raptor engine Super Heavy prototype is successful

Credits: NASA, SpaceX

Friday / 27 Jan 2023

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13 Proposed Artemis III Landing Sites to be Scrutinized at Virtual Lunar Surface Science Workshop (LSSW)

With institutional support from LPI, USRA, NASA / convened by Samuel Lawrence (JSC) and Noah Petro (GSFC), LSSW The First Steps in a Bold New Era of Human Discovery: Candidate Artemis III Landing Sites will be held online 4-5 April; Locations under consideration are within Artemis Polar Exploration Zone (poleward of 84° S); Artemis 3 to conduct sample collection over ~6 days of surface operations, ≤4 EVAs within 2 km of SpaceX Starship lander; Abstacts due 1 March and will be available for review 21 March

Credits: NASA, LPI

Tuesday / 24 Jan 2023

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JAXA Tests Skills of Astronaut Candidates in Lunar Simulation with Eye Towards Artemis Surface Missions NET 2025

2 woman and 8 men (out of 919 and 3,208 respective applicants) awaiting JAXA new astronaut class selection following final testing of rover / EVA aptitude in Space Exploration Field, a 400m2 lunar training replica containing 425,000 kg of silica sand (SiO2) within Space Exploration Innovation Hub Center at JAXA Sagamihara Campus; 2023 class of Japan Astronauts to be first including women since 1999 group, may also include candidates lacking formal postsecondary education; Space tourists Yusaku Maezawa and Steve Aoki may make lunar flyby on SpaceX Starship with #dearMoon NET 2023

Pictured: Exploration Hub Director Ikkoh Funaki, 2009 JAXA astronaut group; Credits: JAXA, @Astro_Wakata

 

Friday / 20 Jan 2023

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Happy 93rd Birthday to Buzz Aldrin as Artemis Generation on Cusp of Resuming Human Activity on Moon 

In a recent op-ed tribute to Apollo 7 Astronaut Walt Cunningham, second person to reach lunar surface Buzz Aldrin reiterates “Human exploration is essential. We must return to the Moon, and then go farther”; The first woman will walk on Moon with Artemis 3 (landing NLT 4 July 2026), a historic event which may be advanced at upcoming State of the Union address 7 Feb; Where crew will land within South Pole area TBD, sites under consideration will be discussed at NASA-sponsored Lunar Science Surface Workshop 4-5 April

Credits: NASA, Twitter / @TheRealBuzz

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 Nov 2022

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Cislunar R&D: Antarctica Peace Treaty May Serve as Model for International Cislunar Activity

Peaceful use norms regulated by Antarctic Treaty Secretariat in Buenos Aires, Argentina may be useful example as Cislunar Technology Strategy Interagency Working Group of USA OSTP predicts human activity in cislunar space over coming decade ≥ all previous since 1957, issues 4 main guidelines in National Cislunar S&T Strategy: support for long-term growth, international cooperation, space situational awareness and comms / PNT; JHAPL issues advice for Cislunar Security; AFRL Cislunar Highway Patrol Satellite now ‘Oracle’ to be operated by Advanced Space near Earth-Moon L1 under US$72M contract

Pictured: (Clockwise) OSTP Director Arati Prabhakar, Assistant Director Matthew Daniels, Policy Fellow Kathrine Bretl, Acting Executive Director Kei Koizumi; Credits: OSTP, NASA, LinkedIn, Antarctic Treaty Secretariat

Tuesday / 25 Oct 2022

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Artemis Moon Return Advances with Analog Training, 3 Orion Capsules on Order as Cost Transparency Urged

NASA analyzing data gathered by NASA / JAXA Astronauts Drew Feustel, Zena Cardman, Jessica Meir, Stan Love, Akihiko Hoshide, Norishige Kanai during nighttime Moonwalk simulation (JETT field test #3) and 3-day pressurized rover sojourn (D-RATS) near Flagstaff AZ; Lockheed Martin to build Orion additional crew capsules for Artemis missions 6-8 at cost of US$1.99B; Wayne Hale of NASA Advisory Council recommends PPP contract details be public, expresses concern on program architecture and 1-way Starship landing test; Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine joining Advisory Board of CLPS provider Firefly

Credits: Lockheed Martin, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 21-24 Oct 2022

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Multiple International Lunar Missions Prepare to Launch as CAPSTONE and Danuri Near Lunar Orbit

NASA CAPSTONE mission team preparing to execute TCM-4 with possibility of ongoing thruster malfunction, spacecraft to enter lunar halo orbit NET 13 Nov; KARI Danuri following on similar low-energy route, to achieve lunar orbital (100km) insertion NET 17 Dec; Uncrewed Artemis 1 launch window to lunar flyby opens for 69 minutes at 00:07 EST on 14 Nov from KSC, where ispace is also aiming for M1 lander launch 9-15 Nov and NASA is prepping Orion heat shield for use in Artemis 3; Astrobotic Peregrine, Intuitive Machines Nova-C NET Q1 2023; Roscosmos Luna-25 NET July 2023; ISRO now targeting NET June 2023 launch of Chandrayaan-3 Moon lander / rover

Credits: NASA, Advanced Space, IM, Astrobotic, KARI, ISRO, Lockheed Martin

Tuesday / 18 Oct 2022

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Moon Village Association and Beyond Earth Institute Advance Lunar Sustainability and Habitation

MVA Global Expert Group on Sustainable Lunar Activities (GEGSLA) meeting for 21st time on 19 October to formulate recommendations on sustainable governmental and independent Moon exploration best practices to be presented to United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space; Meeting will conclude ‘Consensus Phase’, with ‘Harmonization Phase’ to follow for next 2 meetings (16 Nov, 21 Dec); Beyond Earth Institute also promotes guidelines for political, economic and environomental sustainability in paper Toward A Cislunar Ecosystem With Human Presence: The Underpinning For Permanent Lunar Communities

Credits: MVA, BEI

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 Oct 2022

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2023 Lunar Missions on the Horizon as Artemis 1 Flyby and M1 Lander Preparing for Launches

NASA and ispace poised for 2022 Moon flyby / robotic landing, while several missions now targeting 2023; Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, ISRO, JAXA to launch Peregrine, Nova-C and Chandrayaan-3, SLIM landers NET Q1; Roscosmos plans Luna-25 launch via Soyuz-2.1b NET Q3; Also within 2023 Intuitive Machines striving to launch IM-2 mission including first satellite of lunar data relay ‘Khonstellation’, μNova hopper, SHERPA-ES tug, Orbit Fab Tanker-002 in-space fuel depot; Rocket Factory Augsburg to begin deployment of Harmony cislunar constellation; SpaceX to take Yusaku Maezawa and 8 selected crew, 1-2 professional astronauts on dearMoon lunar flyby with Starship

Credits: ISRO, SpaceX, RFA, dearMoon

Tuesday / 27 Sep 2022

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ESA to Send 2 Astronauts to Lunar Gateway, 1 to Moon Surface with NASA / Artemis Program by End of NLT 2029

Joint Statement on Lunar Cooperation Activities, signed by ESA Director Aschbacher / NASA Administrator Nelson, outlines Europe contributions – Service Module for Orion, I-HAB and ESPRIT modules for Gateway; At least 3 seats for ESA Astronauts secured in exchange: 2 Astronauts on orbital missions, likely Artemis 4 (NET 2027) & Artemis 5 (NET 2028), 1 on later surface mission TBD; Candidates for Europe Moon Astronauts include Samantha Cristoforetti (IT), Thomas Pesquet (FR), Tim Peake (UK), Alexander Gerst (DE), Matthias Maurer (DE), Luca Parmitano (IT) and Andreas Mogensen (DK)

Pictured (L-R): ESA Director Josef Aschbacher, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson; Credits: ESA, NASA, Twitter