Category Archives: Japan

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 Dec 2022

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Wave of Independent Moon Missions to Trail Artemis 1, Followed by National Efforts, Then Another Raft of Indies

As NASA / ESA Orion Moonship returns to Earth, Advanced Space-controlled, Tyvak-built, NASA-funded Capstone remains in NRHO and Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter Danuri on course to reach Moon orbit 16 Dec, planned commercial missions include ispace M1 awaiting SpaceX launch at KSC pending F9 review; Intuitive Machines IM-1 March 2023; Astrobotic PM1 Q1 2023; Followed by national missions from JAXA (SLIM, April 2023), ISRO (Chandrayaan-3, June 2023), Roscosmos (Luna-25, July 2023); Independents IM-2 (late 2023), SpaceX landing demo mission (2024), IM-3 (Q2 2024), Astrobotic GM1 (Nov 2024)

 Credits: NASA, ISRO, KARI, IM, SpaceX, Astrobotic,

Tuesday / 29 Nov 2022

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Japan Focuses on Moon with OMOTENASHI and EQUULEUS in Cislunar Space, ispace M1 Launching to Luna Surface

Despite 6U CubeSat OMOTENASHI ‘semi-hard impact’ failure, JAXA team led by Tatsuaki Hashimoto still working to reestablish communications and carry out testing in lunar orbit around March, at which time solar panels will be oriented towards Sun; Meanwhile fellow Artemis rideshare EQUULEUS, powered by 6-water thruster AQUARIUS propulsion system, on 18-month route to Earth-Moon L2 following 5,550-km lunar flyby / imaging; ispace expected to launch Hakuto-R lander via SpaceX F9 on Nov 30 with landing within Mare Frigoris (56°N, 1.4°E) in April-May 2023

 Credits: NASA, JAXA

Thanksgiving Holiday Edition
Wed-Mon / 23-28 Nov 2022

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8 International Lunar Missions May Follow Artemis 1, Capstone, Danuri in Remainder of 2022 and 2023

As Artemis Orion spacecraft occupies cislunar distant retrograde orbit (130 x 64,000 km) with splashdown expected 11 Dec, NASA Capstone tests cislunar near rectilinear halo orbit (1,600 x 70,000 km) and KARI Danuri on course to reach 100km lunar orbit 16 Dec, numerous global efforts work to follow with ispace M1 launching NET 29 Nov 2022; Throughout 2023: Astrobotic Peregrine Mission One NET Q1, Intuitive Machines IM-1 NET March, JAXA SLIM NET April, ISRO Chandrayaan-3 NET June, Roscosmos Luna-25 NET July; IM-2 and Turkish Space Agency AYAP-1 aim for late 2023

Credits: NASA, KARI, Astrobotic, IM, JAXA, ISRO, TSA

Friday / 11 Nov 2022

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Japan Authorizes ispace to Prospect on Moon During HAKUTO-R Mission 1 Launching NET Nov 22

First license under Japan Space Resources Act now held by ispace, which is set to lead wave of commercial Moon landing activity with M1, currently awaiting launch opportunity via SpaceX F9 at KSC SLC-40 to ~3-month low energy transfer, landing at Lacus Somniorum (37.56° N, 30.8° E) on Moon; ispace plans to collect and sell lunar regolith ‘in place’ to NASA during M1 under US$5,000 contract; CEO Takeshi Hakamada says “Space resource utilization is another step toward our goal of establishing the cislunar economy” in release

Pictured: ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada, Japan Minister of State for Space Policy Sanae Takaichi; Credits: ispace, Twitter, PM Office of Japan

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

Friday / 14 Oct 2022

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ispace Counting Down to Mission 1 Launch, Hoping to Achieve First Successful Commercial Lunar Lading

M1 lander with integrated payloads from NGK (solid-state battery), Canadensys (360° cameras), UAE Rashid rover, JAXA transformable lunar robot to depart testing site IABG Space Centre in Ottobrunn, Germany for KSC LC-39, launching as secondary rideshare on SpaceX F9 rocket NET 9-15 November window; 3-month low-energy lunar transfer, tracked by ESA ESTRACK ground stations in Guiana, Australia, Spain, Argentina and UK, to be followed by 12-day lunar mission; 200+ employee ispace has US$237M+ funding, planning M2 NET 2023, M3 with Draper under $73M CLPS award NET 2025

Credits: ispace, MBRSC

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 30 Sep – 3 Oct 2022

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Autumn Moon Missions Striving Toward Launch While 2023 Queue Grows

NASA Artemis 1 cryogenic hydrogen fueling / tanking systems undergoing refurbishment, Flight Termination batteries being swapped in VAB, November launch to lunar DRO probable; ispace likely to lead commercial Moon lander efforts with launch window open Nov 11-15; Astrobotic holding to Q4 timeframe pending Blue Origin BE-4 certification / integration with ULA Vulcan Centaur; Intuitive Machines aiming for Q1 2023 as is ISRO Chandrayaan-3, JAXA SLIM; Roscosmos Luna 25 may launch July 2023; IM-2 / Lunar Trailblazer rideshare NET 2023

Credits: NASA, ispace, Astrobotic, IM, ISRO, JAXA, Roscosmos

Friday / 30 Sep 2022

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Japan Spacecraft at Forefront of Lunar Return with ispace Lander, Cubesat Rideshares on Artemis 1

ispace HAKUTO-R mission reportedly targeting 9-15 November launch to Lacus Somniorum (Lake of Dreams) via SpaceX Falcon 9; ispace lander to deliver Rashid rover and collect regolith for sale to NASA under precedent-setting US$5,000 contract in accordance with Outer Space Treaty 1967; JAXA 6U CubeSats OMOTENASHI (Hospitality) and EQUULEUS to deploy from Artemis 1 Orion Stage Adapter, perform critical trajectory maneuvers to pathfind Earth-Moon L2 libration orbit and achieve semi-hard (~30 m/s) landing; OMOTENASHI retrorocket / airbag surface delivery system may serve as low-cost model for future Moon surface payloads

Pictured: (L-R) ispace CFO Jumpei Nozaki, ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Business Operations Casey Swails, ispace EU Director Julien-Alexandre Lamamy; Credits: NASA, JAXA, ispace

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 Sep 2022

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IAC73 Gathers Lunar Exploration Community, Optimal Landing Sites Including 4,990-m Malapert Under Consideration

Engaging 6,500+ world space professionals, International Astronautical Congress 2022 in Paris will be site of numerous high-level discussions during first Moon Exploration session 19 Sep: (L-R) Tatsuaki Hashimoto of JAXA to update on Omotenashi 6U CubeSat / micro-lander, to be deployed by Artemis 1; Daniel Andrews of NASA to share news on VIPER launching NET 2024; Steve Durst of ILOA Hawaii to present 5 Moon Missions September 2022 Update and rally support for prime South Pole landing area with Malapert Mountain: Moon High Ground Point E Awaits Landers interactive presentation

 

Credits: NASA, JAXA, ILOA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 9-12 Sep 2022

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2022/3 Moon Missions Approach as Capstone & Danuri Near Lunar Orbit, Artemis Team Working to Launch

NASA Capstone on route to 3,000 x 70,000-km near rectilinear halo orbit 13 Nov; Danuri not far behind on similar low-energy ballistic lunar transfer, to reach orbital insertion 16 Dec; Artemis 1 may launch 23 or 27 Sep if LH2 leak is remedied on launchpad, JAXA 6U Omotenashi semi-hard impactor is 1 of 10 CubeSat rideshares; ispace Nov launch of Hakuto-R / Rashid rover, also to 3-month low-energy trajectory, landing in equatorial Lacus Somniorum; Astrobotic Peregrine lander slated to launch before EOY; Intuitive Machines Nova-C lander striving for NET Jan 2023 launch; ISRO Chandrayaan 3 targeting Q1 2023; Roscosmos Luna-25 pushed to NET 2023; JAXA SLIM slated for NET March 2023

Credits: NASA, KARI, Advanced Space