Category Archives: Japan

Friday / 13 November 2015

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Japan Proposing Moon Lander 2018-19,
Human Support Technologies ~2030

SLIM, JAXA Robot ISRU

JAXA Designing Smart Lander For Investigating Moon (SLIM) Mission, Hoping To Secure Funding Fiscal Year 2016 To Begin Developing Craft With Capability To Land Within 100 Meters Of Target; Would Launch Fiscal Year 2018 (Apr 2018 – Apr 2019) & Help Prepare For SELENE-2 & Human Missions; JAXA Prof Hitoshi Kuninaka Putting Together Plan For Robotic Technologies (Including Automobiles, ISRU) To Support Human Moon Bases ~2030, Mars Bases ~2040; Will Create Moon Analog Test Site At Sagamihara JAXA Campus

Credit: JAXA

Wednesday / 28 October 2015

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AngelicvM Joins GLXP Collaboration With Astrobotic & Hakuto

10282015Team Astrobotic To Carry Chile Team AngelicvM 5kg Rover ‘Uni’ On Mission To Moon; Japan Team Hakuto Also Sharing Cost Of Mission & Potential Prize; Astrobotic To Deploy Uni, 2 Hakuto Rovers & Its Own Andy Rover To Travel 500 Meters On Lunar Surface; Astrobotic CEO John Thornton States “Team AngelicvM Shares Our Vision Of Uniting And Inspiring Individuals To Look To The Moon As The Next Great Destination For Exploration And Discovery”; Astrobotic Goal To Fill Payload Space On Lander By Early 2016 With Inclusion Of Lunar Mission One, Mexican Space Agency & 1 Possible Other GLXP Team; Launch Proposed With SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket NET 2017

Credit: GLXP, Astrobotic, Hakuto, Tohoku University Research News of Engineering, Angelicvm

Wednesday / 19 August 2015

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GLXP Astrobotic Lands Commercial Clients For Lunar Missions

LED 081915Astrobotic Cites “Numerous Opportunities For Marketing On The Moon” When Contracted  To Deliver Japan Sports Drink Pocari Sweat Near Burg Crater Late 2016 For Undisclosed Sum; Future Rehydration With Lunar Water And Thirst-Quenching Enjoyment By Lunar Astronaut Expected; Time Capsule Container, Designed By Singapore’s Astroscale, Includes Messages And Music;  San Francisco Startup Elysium Space To Deliver Lunar Burial Services Via Astrobotic Griffin Lander; Founder Thomas Civeit Calls It An “Exceptional Tribute” 

Credit: Global Post, Astrobotic

Wednesday / 29 July 2015

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Further Details Of ESA Director’s Lunar Vision

7292015Johann-Dietrich Wörner, Director General Of  European Space Agency Clarifies His Vision “To Establish An Infrastructure On The Moon… To Do First-Class Fundamental Research”; International Research Station On Lunar Surface NET 2024 Should Serve As Next Foothold Of Human Expansion Into Solar System After ISS; Moon Focus Increasing ESA Collaboration With China, Russia, Japan & U.S. On Moon / Mars / Space Missions

Credit:  ESA, Foster + Partners

Weekend Holiday Edition
Friday-Monday / 3-6 July 2015

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Moon South Pole Landers 2017-19
Point To 2020s Human Lunar Decade

July 4 Edition, Moon South Pole

International Fleet Of South Pole Lunar Landers Developing From India (Chandrayaan-2, 2017), China (Chang’e-4 & -5, 2017), Japan (SLIM, 2019), Russia (Luna-25, 2019), Korea (2020), As Well As Independent Enterprises Moon Express, ILOA, Canadensys, Golden Spike Company & Shackleton Energy Company; American Flags On Moon Commemorated 4 July As Pioneering Individuals Look Forward To Earth / International Flags & Multi World Species Endeavors

Credit: NASA, JAXA, CNSA, IIT-Kanpur, ISRO, ILOA, ME

Tuesday / 30 June 2015

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GLXP Teams Hakuto & Part Time Scientists Advancing

6302015Hakuto Japan Team Leader Takeshi Hakamada (BR) Stresses Importance Of “Commercialization Of Moon”; Lunar Rover To Seek “Cave For Possible Habitat Location” With Wheels Designed For Mobility In Fine-Grained Dust On Moon Surface; German Team Part-Time Scientists Add  Cooperating Partner Audi To Provide Technological Know-How From Quatrro All-Wheel Drive For Rover Optimization

Credit: NASA, GLXP, Audi, Team Hakuto, Team Part-Time Scientist

Thursday / 25 June 2015

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Team HAKUTO

Reveals Technology Developments

6252015 Japan Google Lunar XPrize Team HAKUTO Enters Agreement With Marubeni Information Systems For “Technological Assistance As Technology Partner”, Announcement Made At 26th Design Engineering & Manufacturing Solutions Expo 24-26 June; New Technology Includes 3D Printing & Scanning, Wheels Of Lunar Exploration Rover Shaped By Stratasys 3D Printer Have Heat Resistance & Adaptability To Harsh Temperatures In Space Environment

Credit: Lunar XPrize, Marubeni Information Systems

Friday / 5 June 2015

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Japan SLIM Moon Mission Now Planned For NET Oct 2019

JAXA SLIM

JAXA First Mission To Moon Surface – 120kg Smart Lander For Investigating Moon (SLIM) – Likely To Be Launched To Moon South Pole In Second Half Of Fiscal Year 2019 To Test Landing Capability Within A Few Hundred Meters; Will Launch On Epsilon Rocket From Tanegashima Space Center At 30.4° N, 130.97° E; Mission Will Advance Technologies Needed For Future Human Missions

Image Credit: JAXA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 15-18 May 2015

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Persuasive Reasons For Japan To Fulfill Lunar Aspirations

JAXALanderPersuasion

Japan Proposal For 2018 Lunar Lander Mission, Expected To Cost Between US$83M – $125M, Still Awaiting Final Approval; Public & Political Recognition Of Importance / Benefits Of Mission Needed To Garner Required Support; Standing As Global Leader In Space Would Be Enhanced If Japan Becomes 4th Or 5th (India 2017) Country To Soft Land On Moon; Could Stimulate Global Partners Like USA To Collaborate On Moon Surface Missions, Including Human Lunar Base; Resource Identification On Moon & ISRU Technology Demonstrations Could Ensure Permanent Sustainable Human Presence In Solar System

Image Credit: JAXA

 

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 1-4 May 2015

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International Space Powers Advancing Plans For Lunar Exploration

RussiaChinaESAMoon0515

Russia Invites China To Collaborate On Scientific Space Station In Lunar Orbit, Both Countries Have Stated Plans To Continue Robotic Exploration Of Moon Over Next Decade, Conduct Human Surface Missions By 2030; New ESA Leader Johann-Dietrich Wörner (L) Sees International Permanent Moon Station – Likely At Far Side – As Next Step After ISS; Japan Plan For ~2018 Lunar Lander Garnering Significant Attention From International Space Community

Pictured (R): Roscosmos Leader Igor Komarov, China Vice Premier Wang Yang

Image Credit: Russianspaceweb.com, RIA Novosti