Friday / 20 December 2019

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 / 13-16 Dec 2019

Moon Village Association Awards Chang’e-4 And Emphasizes International Cooperation

3rd International Moon Village Association Workshop And Symposium Held 5-8 Dec In Japan; MVA President Giuseppe Reibaldi (L) Awards ‘Moon Village Principles – Mission Prize’ To Chang’e-4 And Chief Designer Wu Weiren (R); Astronaut Koichi Wakata Of JAXA Talks About ISS Cooperation And The Moon; MVA And Other Presenters Will Be Advancing International Human Moon Landings And Astronomy From The Moon At ILOA Galaxy Forum Hainan 2020 China On 25-28 Feb

Credits: Moon Village Association

Tuesday / 12 November 2019

Broad International Support For Artemis At IAC

At 70th International Astronautical Committee Meeting In Washington DC, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine Reaffirms Commitment To International Cooperation For Artemis 2024 In Meetings With Heads Of Space Agencies; IAC Emphasizes International Cooperation For Independent Commercial Spaceflight; ISS Partners Canada And Japan Are Already Committed To Participating In Lunar Program; Europe And Russia Expected To Follow With ESA Seeking To Build Lunar Orbit Modules And Cargo Lander; International Cooperation Could Include India, China, Crescent Moon Countries And Africa

Credits: Boeing, NASA, Blue Origin

Friday / 25 Oct 2019

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

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 23-26 August 2019

Chandrayaan-2 In Lunar Orbit Prepares For Landing And Chandrayaan-3 Joint Lunar Mission

India Chandrayaan-2 Photographs Moon From 4,212 km x 118 km Orbital Ellipse, Will Perform Another Orbit Change 28 Aug; 1,470-kg Vikram Lander And 27-kg Pragyan Rover Scheduled To Land 7 Sep Near Manzinus C And Simpelius N Craters At 70° S Latitude; Project Director M Vanitha (L) And Mission Director Ritu Kridhal (R) Expect To Operate 14 Days On Surface; ISRO In Talks With JAXA Planning Chandrayaan-3 Joint Lunar Polar Exploration Mission In 2023

Credits: ISRO

Friday / 16 Aug 2019

Japan Lunar Surface Society Plans Pressurized Rover And Future Lunar Activities

JAXA, Toyota And Mitsubishi Are Joining In A Lunar Surface Society In September To Study Sustainable Lunar Activities; Toyota Is Teamed With JAXA To Study Pressurized Lunar Rover For Crew Of 2-4; Fuel Cells Would Give 6-Wheeled Rover 10,000-km Range; JAXA, Led By Hiroshi Yamakawa, Hoping To Send Rover To Moon In 2029; Avatar X, A Partnership Between JAXA And All Nippon Airways, Building Futuristic Lunar Robotics Center On Island Of Kyushu

Credits: JAXA, Cloud Architects, Avatar X

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 5-8 Apr 2019

Major Spacefaring Powers Joined By Other Nations Reaching For Moon

Canada Launches US$150M Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP) As USA Seeks Partners For Lunar Gateway; JAXA Investigates Using Robotics To Build Lunar Base; Germany PTScientists Rover May Launch In 2020; Russia Hopes To Develop Heavy Launcher For Moon Landings; Drop Test Delays India Chandrayaan-2 Until May; Zhongguo Chang’e-4 Operates During Its Fourth Lunar Day; Korea KSLV-II Booster Planned For 2021 Launch Of Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter; SpaceIL Beresheet In Orbit Photographs Hidden Side Of Moon

Credits: SpaceIL, ISRO, PTScientists, CNSA

Friday / 22 Mar 2019

Multiple Moon March Activities Planned By Commercial Industry And Nations Including USA

Current Lunar Activities Include SpaceIL Beresheet On Course To Vicinity Of Moon By 4 April And Planned Landing 11 Apr; 6-Person International Crew Of SIRIUS-19 In Moscow Simulating 122-Day Lunar Mission; Astrobotic Uses LIDAR-Equipped Drone To Map Iceland Lava Tube In Preparation For Lunar Applications; Japan, Canada And Lockheed Martin Plan Modules For Moon Orbit; US National Space Council Meets 26 Mar As NASA Plans Lunar Rover In 2023; Administrator Jim Bridenstine Says Next Human Landings Will Include First Woman On The Moon

Credits: SpaceIL, NASA, Astrobotic, DLR

Friday / 1 Feb 2019

Japan Looks To Lunar Landings, Sample Return, Gateway, International Collaborations

JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa Details Smart Lander For Investigating Moon Mission Launching 2021 To Achieve Precision Landing On Moon, Potential Life Support And / Or Rendezvous Tech Contributions To NASA For Lunar Human Gateway, Partnerships For Lunar Sample Return With Canada & Europe, And Lunar Landers With India; While Cooperation With China Has Yet To Happen, Yamakawa Notes That International Teamwork Is Essential For Space Development, And ISS Privatization Can Free Up Funding To Concentrate On Moon And Beyond Missions

Credits: JAXA, ISAS

Thursday / 13 Sep 2018

NASA, JAXA Announce Cooperation On Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway

NASA And Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Sign Joint Statement Of Cooperation On Space Exploration Including Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway; Following Summit Meeting Nov 2017 Of US President And Japan Prime Minister; Building On History Of Cooperation Between NASA And JAXA On ISS And Other Programs; Intending To Extend Human Presence To Cislunar Space And Eventually To Solar System; Aiming For Future Missions To Mars

Credits: William Gerstenmaier NASA, Takashi Hamazaki JAXA