Category Archives: India

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 Feb 2021

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NASA Acting Chief Of Staff Emphasizes Climate Change, Space Diplomacy, Artemis Moon Return, ISS, Mars, Diversity

Bhavya Lal, Formerly Of Science And Technology Policy Institute, Articulates NASA Priorities Going Forward Under Biden / Harris Administration In Wide-Ranging Comments Reported By Times Of India; Environmental Study Utilizing Earth Observation Is Top Initiative, With Lal Citing Climate Change As “Existential Threat” Affecting Human Health And Expressing High Hopes For US$1.5B NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar In 2022; Multilateral International Engagement With “Adversaries” In Addition To “Traditional Partners” To Be Advanced; Significance Of Artemis / First Women On Moon, Mars Sample Return, ISS Continuity And STEM Inclusiveness Also Indicated

Credits: NASA, Dynetics

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 Sep 2020

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Asia Lunar Exploration: Ongoing And Near Future

ISRO Second Soft Landing Attempt Slated For Early 2021 (Chandrayaan-3), During Which 350-kg Capacity Lander Technology Will Be Validated For Collaborative LUPEX Mission With Japan NET 2023; JAXA To Contribute H3 Launch Vehicle / Rover And Precision Landing Technology Trialed During 2022 SLIM; Meanwhile On Lunar Near / Far Sides CSNA Craft Continue Observations – CE-3 Operational ~7 Years, Returning Astronomical Observations / Data From Mare Imbrium; CE-4 Lander And Rover Hibernate On Far Side, Anticipate Reactivation For 23rd Lunar Day (644 Earth Days) On 8 Oct, Yutu-2 Has Traversed 547.17 m; CE-5 Sample Return LM-5 Launch Expected From Wenchang SLC On Hainan 24 Nov

 

Credits: CNSA, JAXA, ISRO

Friday / 7 Aug 2020

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India Chandrayaan-3 Progresses While LRO Gives Hope That Pragyan Rover Survived Crash

ISRO Chair K Sivan (R) States Agency Analyzing Data After Space Enthusiast Compares NASA LRO Chandrayaan-2 Images Taken Nov 2019 & Jan 2020 Finding Possibility That Pragyan Rover May Be Intact And Rolled Out After 6 Sep 2019 Impact Near 70°S; Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter With 8 Payloads Continues Operations & Will Contribute To ~US$86M Chandrayaan-3 Mission Launching Q2 2021; VSSC Director S Somanath Confirms Plans For Chandrayaan-4 And Beyond; Partnership With JAXA May Produce 2024 Lunar Polar Exploration Mission Of South Pole Lander + Rover

Credits: NASA, LRO, ISRO, Shanmuga Subramanian via Twitter

Friday / 24 July 2020

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ISRO Releasing Chandrayaan-2 Data Globally In October, Preparing Chandrayaan-3 For 2021 Launch

Chand-2 Orbiter 8 Payloads Performing Nominally In 100-km Lunar Polar Orbit, Now >1 Year Into Mission As Of 22 July; ISRO Planning To Share Internationally: Highest-Res 3D Moon Map, Science Data Sets On Surface Water-Ice And Minerals / Metals, Argon-40, Exosphere, Solar X-rays; ISRO Chair K. Sivan States Chand-2 Mission “Has Achieved 98% Of Its Objectives”; Chand-3 Lander + Rover Estimated Cost ~US$91.2M, Will Utilize Chand-2 Orbiter, Launch To Moon South Pole Region 1st Half 2021

Credits: ISRO

Friday / 26 June 2020

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India To Strengthen Its NewSpace Industry Through IN-SPACe Dept, May Accelerate Cislunar Startups

 Indian Space Promotion & Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe),To Be Established Within 3-6 Months And Regulate / Support Local Industry Partners To Provide Services For ISRO, A Regime Proven By USA / NASA Most Recently Through Commercial Crew, CLPS And Artemis Program; India Estimated To Work With ~150 Private Companies Currently, NASA >375; With Human Spaceflight And Chandryaan-3 Plans On Horizon, Groups Including Team Indus & Earth2Orbit Could Reap Benefits And Advance India Lunar, Deep Space Programs Via Low-Cost, Sustainable Methods

Pictured: ISRO Chairman K Sivan, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh

Credits: ISRO, Team Indus, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Press Information Bureau, USA DoD

Friday / 15 May 2020

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2020 Q4 Moon Landings: China Chang’e-5 Sample Return On Track, India Chandryaan-3 May Still Be Possible

China Lunar Exploration Program Pushes Forward With CE-5 Launch Planned Late 2020, Return To Earth With Up To 2-kg Sample From Mons Rümker Within 1 Month; Recent Successful Long March 5 Launch From Wenchang Site 19°N At Hainan Vital For Program; India Accelerated Chandrayaan-3 Plans To Achieve Moon Landing Near South Pole Before 2021 Could Be Possible, Potentially With Lower Cost, Depending On Health Concern Delay — Ad Astra Per Aspera

Pictured: CLEP Chief Scientist Ouyang Ziyuan, ISRO Chair K. Sivan
Credits: CNSA, NOAC-CAS, ISRO

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

Friday / 20 December 2019

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Chandrayaan-3 Planning Rush To Lunar Surface In 2020

Indian Space Research Organization Planning Chandrayaan-3 At Full Speed For November 2020 Launch; Mission Will Include Propulsion Module, Lander And Rover; 682-Kg Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter Is Successfully Operating In Lunar Polar Orbit; Orbiter High Resolution Camera And Onboard Terrain Mapping Camera-2 Will Be Part Of Chandrayaan-3 Mission, Which Will Likely Land In South Pole Region; India Partnering With Japan On Joint Lunar Polar Exploration Mission, Which Could Become Chandrayaan-4

Credits: ISRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 15-18 November 2019

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Chandryaan-3: India Reportedly Sets November 2020 Goal For Landing Near Moon South Pole

ISRO Second Effort At Soft Landing On Surface Of Moon In Late 2020; Chandrayaan-3 To Be Configured With Detachable Propulsion Module, Lander And Rover; Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter Currently Functioning And Imaging With Onboard Terrain Mapping Camera-2 And Orbiter’s High-Resolution Camera From ~100-km Elevation; Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre Head V Narayanan (R) Leads Inquiry Into Chandrayaan-2 Lander Failure; Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Director S Somanath (L) Leads Chandrayaan-3 Planning Committee

Credits: ISRO, NASA

Friday / 25 Oct 2019

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International Space Agencies And Private Enterprises Sign Agreements To Land On Moon

Heads Of Space Agencies Meet At 70th International Astronautical Congress In Washington DC; NASA Unveils New Woman-Focused Logo For Artemis; Scientists Report First Results From Netherlands-China Low-Frequency Explorer Aboard Queqiao Orbiter; Japan Formally Commits To Artemis And Partners With India For 2023 Moon Landing; Blue Origin Teams With Lockheed Martin And Northrop Grumman For Artemis Lunar Lander; Israel Renews Commitment To Land On Moon And Tours World With Moon-Themed Escape Room

Credits: NASA, SpaceIL