Category Archives: Lunar Landers

Friday / 22 Feb 2019

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2019 Could See 4 International Moon Landers, Most Attempts Since 1970s

SpaceIL Beresheet “Genesis” May Become First Privately-Funded Lander To Reach Moon Surface ~11 Apr Depending On Falcon 9 Launch Set 21 Feb 20:45 ET; India Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter, Lander, Rover Launch On GSLV Mk 2 Scheduled Last Week Of March For 14-Day Journey To Manzinus / Simpelius Craters; Chang’e-4 Lander / Rover Operating On Far Side Since 3 Jan, And China Could Send Chang’e-5 Sample Return By End Of 2019 If Long March 5 Launch ~July Succeeds

Credits: SpaceIL, ISRO, CNSA, CLEP, NAOC, CAS, CCTV

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 15-18 Feb 2019

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USA And Partners Hope For 2019 Lunar Landing, Will Announce New Payloads And Commercial Contracts

Next Week NASA Will Announce 12 Science Payloads, Already Developed, For Commercial Lunar Service Providers; Commercial Partners Have 25 Mar Due Date To Submit Proposals For Transfer, Descent, And Ascent Vehicles Of Human Lunar Landing System With Selection In May; Award Of Up To US $9M In Contracts Expected By July Observation Of Apollo 11; Thomas Zurbuchen Of Science Directorate Hopes For USA Lunar Landing In 2019, Potentially Joining China Spacecraft Active On Surface 

Credits: NASA

Friday / 15 Feb 2019

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GSTC 2019 In Singapore Gathers 200+ Satellite, Launcher, Lunar Enterprises

SSTA Global Space & Technology Convention With Almost 700 Delegates From 30 Nations Meet 14-15 February At St. Regis Singapore; Some Of The Attending Companies Advancing Lunar Missions Include ILOA Hosting SEA Benefactors’ Reception / Developing ILO-1 To Moon South Pole, Astroscale Planning Lunar Dream Capsule For Astrobotic Lander, SSTL Working On Lunar Communications Platform, Moon Express Offering Lunar Transportation Services, Canadensys Developing Lunar-Tolerant Tech, Spaceflight Broker Of 1st Private Lunar Rideshare Mission

Credits: SSTA, SSTL, Goonhilly, ESA, ILOA, Astroscale

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 8-11 Feb 2019

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Europe Enterprises Pursue Lunar Initiatives

European Space Agency Aims For Moon Village; ESA Astronaut Center (EAC) In Cologne Building 10,000 Square Meter ‘Luna’ Analog Site, Partners With Architecture Students For Moon Base Concept With Inflatable Modules; Airbus Sponsors ‘Moon Race’ Competition For New Technologies; Germany PTScientists Plan Lander For Taurus-Littrow Site Of Apollo 17; ArianeSpace And PTScientists Are Contracted By ESA To Study Mission For Mining Lunar Resources; David Parker, ESA Director Of Human And Robotic Exploration, States ‘The Moon Is A History Museum And We’ve Only Visited The Gift Shop’

Credits: ESA, PTScientists

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 Jan 2019

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Canada Public, Private Organizations Expand International Lunar Exploration Initiatives

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Is Major Partner On Lunar Projects, Operates Fleet Of 11 Rover Prototypes; Maxar Technologies MDA Will Design Lunar Rover Via CSA MoU; Moon Express Canada Has MoU With CSA And 7 Other Canadian Organizations For Lunar Payload Delivery;  Canadensys Develops Energy Storage, Thermal And Telescope Technology For Moon; Canadian Lunar Research Network Partners With NASA SSERVI; #DontLetGoCanada, A Consortium Of Space Interest Groups, Advocates For Expanded Canada Role In Future Lunar Missions

Credits: CSA, Moon Express

Friday / 25 Jan 2019

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Europe Funds Studies On Lunar Mining, Astronaut EVAs, Lunar Gravity Effects

ESA Signs 1-Year Lunar Regolith Feasibility Study Contract With Arianespace To Launch “Ariane 64” Vehicle With PTScientists Lunar Lander By 2025 To Search For Oxygen, Water, Helium-3 To Produce Fuel; Pangaea-X Test Campaign In Lanzarote Spain Advancing Lunar EVA Simulations, Communications, Tools, Science Protocols; ESA-DLR-NASA Collaborate On Moon 1/6th Gravity Study To Understand Physiological Impact Of Living, Working On Moon

Credits: ESA, PTScientists, Ariane Group

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 Jan 2019

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SpaceIL Lander Arrives At Cape Canaveral On Way To Mare Serenitatis

Israel SpaceIL Beresheet Lander Now At Cape Canaveral; Scheduled To Fly From Launch Complex 40 On SpaceX Falcon 9 NET 18 February; Will Be Carried Along With India PSN-6 Communications Satellite And Classified US Co-Payload; 585-Kg Loaded Mass (200-Kg Dry) Lander Is First Of Former Google X-Prize Contestants To Launch; Will Take ~2 Months To Reach Landing Site In Mare Serenitatis At 28.0°N, 17.5°E; NASA Contributes Communications Support And Laser Retroreflector Array To Complement Lunar Ranging Experiments From Previous Missions; Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Will Make Observations To Support Beresheet Landing

Credits: SpaceIL, NASA

Friday / 18 Jan 2019

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2019 Could Accelerate First Women On The Moon Initiative

Among Planned International Moon Landings, Cislunar R&D And Space Agency Lunar Priorities In 2019, Advocacy And Focus On Landing The First Women On The Moon Could Be A Strategic Game-Changer For Returning Humans To The Moon Fast; Organizations Which Would Do Well To Network This Initiative Include The UN, IAF, Moon Village Association, World Space Week, LEAG, American Astronautical Society, AIAA, National Space Society & Space Frontier Foundation; The 63rd Woman Scheduled To Reach LEO, Christina Hammock Koch, Prepares For Her March Mission, While Hopefuls Wish To Become The First Woman On The Moon – Expanding Women’s Sphere Of Activity And Influence In Space By A Billion, And Inspiring Next Generations

Credits: NASA, CSA-ASC, CNSA, KARI, ESA

Friday / 21 Dec 2018

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SpaceIL ‘Genesis’ Lunar Lander Ready For February SpaceX Launch, May-June 2019 Touchdown At Mare Serenitatis

Genesis “Beresheet” בְּרֵאשִׁית)‬) Is Scheduled For Falcon 9 Launch From Cape Canaveral AFS NET 13 Feb As Secondary Payload With PSN-6 Satellite; After Launch, Lander (Dry Mass ~200 kg, Wet 585 kg) Will Orbit Earth 3 Times, Perform Orbit ‘Raising’ Over 2.5 Months To Maneuver Into Lunar Orbit, And Take 2-4 Weeks To Soft Land Near “Sea of Serenity” 28.0°N, 17.5°E; Reported US$95M Mission Carries Digital Time Capsule, Magnetometer, Laser Retroreflector Array; Israel Aerospace Industries Located SE Of Tel Aviv Is Mission Control; Could Be 5th Entity To Land On Moon After India NET Feb

Credits: SpaceIL, IAI

Friday / 14 Dec 2018

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Chang’e-3 Enters 6th Year Of Operations, ‘Twin’ Chang’e-4 In Lunar Orbit To Land Far Side Early Jan 2019

China Chang’e-3, In Lunar Day 62, Begins 6th Year Of Operations 14 December At Sinus Iridum / Mare Imbrium, 44.12°N, 19.51°W; LUT Instrument Reportedly Working, Powered By RTG And Solar Panels; Chang’e-4 Lander And Rover In Elliptical Lunar Orbit With Perilune At ~100 km, Will Have Queqiao Relay Satellite Communications Link Tested Before Landing In Very Early January 2019 At Von Kármán Crater / South Pole-Aitken Basin About 46°S, 177°E; Lander Carries Low Frequency Spectrometer And Lunar Lander Neutrons & Dosimetry Experiment, Queqiao Equipped With NCLE Low-Frequency Pathfinder To Detect Cosmic Dark Ages Radio Signals

Pictured: CNSA Administrator Zhang Kejian; Credits: CNSA, CAS, NAOC, CAST, NASA, GSFC, DLR, ASU, LRO