Category Archives: Lunar Landers

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

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

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 23-26 Sep 2022

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International Assortment of Robotic Landers Preparing for Launch to Lunar Surface

ispace Hakuto-R reportedly set to launch on SpaceX F9 during 9–15 Nov window, carrying UAE Rashid 1 rover to Moon on 3-month low-energy trajectory; Astrobotic holding to Q4 Peregrine launch amid USSF statement that BE-4 successfully demonstrated full engine performance, raising hopes for timely integration with ULA Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle; Intuitive Machines aiming for Q1 2023 Nova-C launch via SpaceX F9; ISRO Chandrayaan-3 to launch on GSLV NET Feb 2023; JAXA SLIM targeting March 2023 for launch on H-IIA

Credits: JAXA, IM, Astrobotic, ISRO, ispace

Friday / 23 Sep 2022

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Artemis and Starship: Mega Rockets Intended for Human Moon Exploration Advance Towards Flight

NASA to update on cryogenic tanking test which saw 7% hydrogen leak from 20-cm seal largely mitigated by reducing fueling pressure at 23 Sep press briefing; Next launch opportunity 27 Sep pending weather & flight termination system battery waiver; Starship ‘Ship 24’ and Super Heavy ‘B7’ prototypes to undergo full stack WDR / hot fire testing at SpaceX Starbase in TX, from which possible October or likely November orbital test launch is to occur, with B7 splashing down in Gulf of Mexico and Ship 24 soft landing in Pacific 100-km NW of Kauaʻi

Credits: NASA, SpaceX

Tuesday / 20 Sep 2022

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Moon South Pole is Target for Increasing Number of International Robotic and Human Missions 2023-28

CLPS provider Intuitive Machines to redirect IM-1 mission NET Q1 2023 from mid-latitude to MSP at NASA request, IM-2 already slated for Shackleton Connecting Ridge (89.5°S); ISRO Chandrayaan-3 targeting 71°S NET Feb 2023; Roscosmos Luna-25 aiming for 70°S NET 2023; Astrobotic to deliver VIPER rover to 85°S NET Nov 2024; CNSA Chang’E-7 to land near (L-R) Shackleton (90°S), Nobile (85°S) or Haworth (87°S) craters NET 2026; Artemis 3 to target 1 of 13 regions within 6° of MSP via SpaceX HLS; 6.25-day Polar Sortie Mission and 33-day Polar Excursion Mission on 2nd HLS to be awarded May 2023, launch NET 2028

Credits: NASA, IM

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

Tuesday / 13 Sep 2022

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Chang’E Program Moving Forward, Water / Helium-3 Content Confirmed in Returned Samples, Agriculture on TSS

CNSA has state approval for phase 4 of Chang’E lunar program, consisting of CE-6 farside sample return (NET 2024), CE-7 MSP exploration with rover / hopper (NET 2024), and CE-8 ISRU study (NET 2027) after CE-5 1.731-kg lunar samples show ~170 ppm OH/H2O, per CAS Institute of Geochemistry infrared / ion mass spectroscopy analysis; Additional study by Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology discovers 10 μm crystal of new mineral Changesite–(Y) and reportedly determines concentration and outlines extraction of 3He; China students participating remotely in thale cress / rice study on Tiangong Space Station under “Growing Plants Together with Astronauts” program

Credits: China National Space Agency, Chinese Academy of Sciences

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

Friday / 2 Sept 2022

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As Danuri Orbiter Approaches L1 Trajectory Correction, KARI Seeks Funding for 2031 Moon Lander

Nearing Lagrange Point 1, ~1.5 million km (0.01 AU) distant from Earth, Korea Aerospace Research Institute preparing to execute Trajectory Correction Maneuver 2 Sept (14:00 KST, 05:00 UTC) to propel 678-kg Danuri spacecraft away from Sun gravity towards Moon per fuel efficient ballistic lunar transfer protocol; Meanwhile KARI, led by (BR) Lee Sang-Ryool, reportedly requesting US$459M (₩618B) from South Korea government to support 1,800-kg Moon lander powered by solar & RTG, carrying 15-kg rover, to launch NET 2031 on next generation Nuri rocket

Credits: KARI, Korea Ministry of Culture

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 Aug 2022

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Artemis Program Getting New Director as Critics Sound Alarm on Need for Organizational Coherency

As directed by congress in NASA Authorization Act of 2022, the agency is to appoint Director of Moon to Mars office, responsible for development of “an integrated master plan, integrated master schedule, and integrated risk management procedures” and reporting to Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Administrator (T-B) Jim Free; Executive restructure comes amid stern warnings from prominent space community members to Politico, including NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel Chair Patricia Sanders and AIAA Director Daniel Dumbacher; VP Kamala Harris to discuss “new rules framework” at National Space Council meeting 9 Sep

Credits: NASA