Category Archives: Lunar Landers

Friday / 15 November 2019

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Pence At NASA Ames Applauds Artemis Progress

USA Vice President Mike Pence Says “Artemis Is Here To Stay” At NASA Ames Research Center In California 14 November, Promises NASA Administrator Bridenstine The Resources Needed; Space Launch System And Orion Spacecraft Being Tested For Projected Late 2020 Artemis-1 Mission; Boeing, And Blue Origin Team (With Lockheed Martin And Northrop Grumman) Both Submit Proposals For Artemis Human Lunar Lander; Pence Practices On Vertical Motion Simulator Expected To Be Used For Lunar Landings

Credits: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 1-4 November 2019

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Where Will Artemis Land?

Artemis 3 Mission, To Land Next Man And First Woman On The Moon, Planned To Spend Up To 6.5 Earth-Days On Surface; Landing Announced For South Polar Region In 2024; Shackleton Rim Near South Pole Is Possible Site Of Future Settlement; Long-Term Radiation Exposure Expected To Be A Hazard; City-Sized Lava Tubes Discovered In Equatorial Regions Like Marius Hills Seen As Possible Shelters; GRAIL Gravity Probe Finds Moon Full Of Hidden Lava Tubes

Credits: JAXA, Kaguya, NASA, JPL, Caltech, MIT, GSFC, Lockheed Martin Corp.

Thursday / 31 October 2019

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Canadensys / ILOA Agreement To Place ILO-X, ILO-1 Instruments On Moon, South Pole 2021/2022

ILOA To Sign Strategic 2-3 Year ‘Astronomy From The Moon’ Partnership Contract With Canadensys Aerospace Corporation 1 November During ILOA Annual Board Of Directors Meeting Held At CFHT HQ In Kamuela, Hawai’i; Year 1 To Complete Final Flight Build Of ILO-X Imaging Instruments For Flight On CLPS 2021 Lunar Lander, Or Adapted For Flagship ILO-1 Advanced Payload For Moon South Pole Mission 2021/22; Year 2 For Design & Development Of ILO-1 & ILO-2 Communications Instruments

Credits: Canadensys Aerospace Corp., International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA)

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

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 4-7 Oct 2019

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Intuitive Machines And Astrobotic Achieve Steps Toward Landing On Lunar Surface In 2021

Houston-based Commercial Lunar Payload Services Provider Intuitive Machines Signs Contract With SpaceX For Launch Of Nova-C Lander On Falcon 9 In July 2021; 3-meter Nova-C (L) Will Carry At Least 100 Kg In Payloads, Including 5 NASA Payloads And More From Other Customers; Fellow CLPS Provider Astrobotic, Which Has Won NASA ‘Tipping Point’ Award To Develop Small Rovers, Advances Agreement To Launch Peregrine Lander On First Flight Of United Launch Alliance Vulcan Booster In 2021

Credits: Intuitive Machines, Astrobotic

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 20-23 Sep 2019

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China-Russia To Cooperate On Chang’e-7 And Luna-26

Roscosmos Head Dmitry Rogozin (L) And Zhang Keqiang Of CNSA (R) Sign Cooperation Agreement In Saint Petersburg; Zhongguo Planning Chang’e-5 Sample Return And Chang’e-6 Mission To South Pole On Long March 5 Booster; Russia Planning Luna-25 Landing In South Pole Region In 2021; Luna-26 Orbiter To Cooperate With Chang’e-7 In 2023-24; Russia Hoping For Lunar Sample Return In 2028; Both Nations Will Open Joint Data Center For Lunar And Deep Space Research

Credits: Roscosmos, IAF, NAOC

Tuesday / 17 Sep 2019

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Masten Space Systems Testing Technology For Future Lunar Landers

Masten Space Systems Testing Lunar Surface Navigation System On Xodiac Rocket In Mojave, California; System Developed By Draper Aerospace Will Provide Real-Time Mapping Of Lunar Surface With Images Laid Over Satellite Maps; NASA Safe Precise Landing Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) Project Seeks To Improve Upon The Primitive Apollo Landing Computers; Terrain Navigation Systems Will Aid Future Human Lunar Landings Starting In 2024; Founder Dave Masten Developing XL-1 Lander To Carry 100-kg Payload To Lunar Surface

Credits: Masten Space Systems

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 August 2019

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Orion Tests Propulsion System; NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Managing Artemis Lunar Lander

European-Built Orion Service Module Completes Critical 12-Minute Firing Of Propulsion System At White Sands, New Mexico, Simulating Insertion Into Lunar Orbit And Return Trajectory To Earth; NASA Administrator Bridenstine With Members Of Congress Announce Marshall Space Flight Center Will Manage Artemis Lunar Lander With Large Portion Of Work At Johnson Space Center In Houston; Lisa Watson-Morgan Will Manage Lander Program; Orion Environmental Tests Will Be Conducted At Glenn Research Center

Credits: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 August 2019

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China Advancing International Collaboration With Chang’e-6 While Longjiang-2 Fulfills Its Mission

47-kg Micro Lunar Orbiter Longjiang-2 Makes Controlled Impact On Lunar Surface After 437 Days In Orbit Around Moon, Launched 20 May 2018 With Queqiao Communications Relay Satellite As Part Of Chang’e-4 Far Side Exploration; International Support From Japan, Germany And The Netherlands On Development; Payload Included Saudi Made Optical Camera; CNSA Offers 20 Kg Payload Space To Domestic and International Partners On Planned Chang’e-6 Sample Return Mission – Deadline To Apply Is 31 Aug 2019

Credits: CNSA / CLEP, NASA Scientific Visualization Studio

Friday / 2 Aug 2019

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New USA Commercial Lunar Lander Provider Contracts Could Be Awarded Before Oct 2019

As Announced By NASA Solicitation 80JSC019R0013, New Contracts For Lunar Landers Capable Of Delivering >10kg Payloads To Lunar Surface By 31 Dec 2023 Planned To Be Awarded To Begin 15 Oct 2019 And Possibly Extend Through 28 Nov 2028; RFP Responses Due By 29 Aug 2019; Urgency To Support Artemis Human Moon South Pole Landing By 2024, This Opportunity Will Add New Contractor(s) To Existing CLPS Contracts Which Are Now Held By Astrobotic ($79.5M) And Intuitive Machines ($77.2M), After Orbit Beyond Withdraws From Its $97M Contract

Credits: International Lunar Observatory Association, Astrobotic, Moon Express