Category Archives: Lunar Landers

Thanksgiving Edition
Thu-Mon / 26-30 November 2015

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China Lunar Exploration Program,
Chang’e Missions 1-6 May Enable 2020s Human Missions

Chang'e-1-6

China Momentum For CE-5 Sample Return Mission 2017, CE-4 Lander / Rover / Orbiter To Far Side 2018, Potential CE-6 Sample Return 2020, And Possible 2020s Human Moon Missions Fueled By Success Of China Lunar Exploration And Technology Development Including CE-1 & 2 Orbiters, CE-3 Lander & Yutu Rover, CE-5-T1 Return Capsule, Long March Family Of Rockets & Newly Developing Spaceport On Hainan Island; China Well Positioned To Become 2nd Country To Land Humans On Moon

Table of China Lunar Program produced by ILOA / SPC

Credit: NAOC-CAS, CNSA, CCTV, Xinhua News Agency

Wednesday / 25 November 2015

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Korea First Lunar Mission To Begin Flight Development Phase Jan 2016

11252015Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) Lunar Exploration Program With Expected 2-Year Budget Of 197.8 Billion Won (US$172.5M) To Begin Call For Instrument Proposals In Jan 2016; Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) To Launch In 2018; Lander & Rover Expected 2020; Goal Is To Develop & Verify Lunar Technologies, Establish Korea Deep Space Network & Cooperate With International Partners In Lunar Exploration; Lander Mission Likely To Use Indigenous KSLV-2 Launch Vehicle; ISRO & KARI To Collaborate In India Deep Space Missions & Utilize Lunar Surface Data Collected By Chandrayaan-1; KARI Lunar Exploration Program Also Planning To Participate With NASA SSERVI To Gain Expertise In Solar System Science

Pictured: Dr. Seung-jo Kim, KARI President

Credit: Korea Aerospace Research Institute

Thursday / 19 November 2015

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Lunar Mission Efforts Highlight Resurgent Desire To Touch The Moon

Moon Landers

GLXP Teams Working To Land On Moon In 2017, Some Plan To Establish Permanent Presence On Surface; China Chang’e-5 Sample Return To Launch 2017 & Chang’e-4 In 2018; JAXA Planning SLIM Lander 2018-19 & SELENE-2 In 2019; Russia Hopes For Luna-25 Probe To Land In Boguslavsky Crater / Moon South Pole 2018; Golden Spike Co. Developing Human Moon Missions 2020; South Korea Lander & Rover 2020; Chang’e-3 & LADEE Most Recent Missions To Touch Surface; 1990-2015 Lunar Lander / Impactors Detailed By SPC / ILOA

Credit: CCTV, CNSA, NAOC-CAS, Lavochkin Scientific Prod. Association, ME, GSC, JAXA

Wednesday / 18 November 2015

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Astrobotic Signs MoU With Germany DLR For Lunar Payload Commercial Partnership

11182015DLR MoU To Explore Concepts For Possible Payload On Astrobotic Lunar Lander; Dr. Gerd Gruppe (L) Of German Space Agency DLR Executive Board States “Astrobotic Is A Representative Of The New Space Economy”; DLR Research & Development Work In Aeronautics, Space, Energy, Transport Will Be Supported By Astrobotic Delivery Service; “This Collaboration With DLR Underscores The Strong Interest Of Government Space Agencies Across The Globe In Growing Commercial Partnership To Fly To The Moon” States Astrobotic CEO John Thornton (R)

Credit: Astrobotic, DLR

Friday / 13 November 2015

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Japan Proposing Moon Lander 2018-19,
Human Support Technologies ~2030

SLIM, JAXA Robot ISRU

JAXA Designing Smart Lander For Investigating Moon (SLIM) Mission, Hoping To Secure Funding Fiscal Year 2016 To Begin Developing Craft With Capability To Land Within 100 Meters Of Target; Would Launch Fiscal Year 2018 (Apr 2018 – Apr 2019) & Help Prepare For SELENE-2 & Human Missions; JAXA Prof Hitoshi Kuninaka Putting Together Plan For Robotic Technologies (Including Automobiles, ISRU) To Support Human Moon Bases ~2030, Mars Bases ~2040; Will Create Moon Analog Test Site At Sagamihara JAXA Campus

Credit: JAXA

Wednesday / 28 October 2015

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AngelicvM Joins GLXP Collaboration With Astrobotic & Hakuto

10282015Team Astrobotic To Carry Chile Team AngelicvM 5kg Rover ‘Uni’ On Mission To Moon; Japan Team Hakuto Also Sharing Cost Of Mission & Potential Prize; Astrobotic To Deploy Uni, 2 Hakuto Rovers & Its Own Andy Rover To Travel 500 Meters On Lunar Surface; Astrobotic CEO John Thornton States “Team AngelicvM Shares Our Vision Of Uniting And Inspiring Individuals To Look To The Moon As The Next Great Destination For Exploration And Discovery”; Astrobotic Goal To Fill Payload Space On Lander By Early 2016 With Inclusion Of Lunar Mission One, Mexican Space Agency & 1 Possible Other GLXP Team; Launch Proposed With SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket NET 2017

Credit: GLXP, Astrobotic, Hakuto, Tohoku University Research News of Engineering, Angelicvm

Thursday / 22 October 2015

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Russia-Europe To Collaborate On Human Lunar Settlement At Late 2016 Meetings

10222015Moscow Space Research Institute Prof Igor Mitrofanov (TL) Asserts “We Have To Go To The Moon” Due To Commercial, Astronomical Observation & Utilization Of Lunar Resource Benefits; Meeting Of Ministers To Decide Europe Participation Late 2016; Russia Vostochny Cosmodrome For Lunar, Planetary, Human Missions Described As “Biggest & Most Ambitious Projects” By Pres Putin (TR); ESA Lunar Exploration Head, Bérengère Houdou (BL) States “Ambition To Have European Astronauts On The Moon” & Lead Scientist Dr. James Carpenter (BR) Notes Moon South Pole Unique Characteristics Includes Possible Water Ice For “Use As Rocket Fuel; Luna-25 Luna-Glob Lander Expected 2018 & Luna-Resurs 1 Lander Expected 2020

Credit: ESA, EPA/ Alexei Nikolsky, University of Bristol, IKI

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 October 2015

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2017 Lunar Lander Prospects:
Astrobotic, Chang’e-5, Chandrayaan-2, Moon Express, SpaceIL, Moonspike

101720152017 Moon Exploration Progressing With Private-Funding & International Initiatives; Team Astrobotic Earlier Announced Potential SpaceX Launch With Confirmation Of Contract Pending; China Chang’e-5 & India Chandrayaan-2 Lunar Missions Reveal International Desire To Advance Human Exploration; Moon Express Five Launch Deal With Rocket Lab, Including GLXP Launch, Demonstrates Momentum; Team SpaceIL To Be World’s First Verified Moon Launch Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9; Moonspike Kickstarter Fundraising Effort Underway To Design & Construct Fully Fledged Three-Stage Moon Rocket

Credit: CCTV, CNSA, CAS, Astrobotic, Moon Express, Space IL, Moonspike, ISRO

Friday / 16 October 2015

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China Makes Public 18-Month Performance Survey Of Chang’e-3 LUT Operating On Moon Surface

Chang'e-3 18 month survey

First Robotic Telescope Working On Moon Acquiring ~10,000 Images Per Month, Displaying Highly Stable Photometric Performance During 51-Run Observation Of 17 IUE Standard Stars (Used For Calibration); Continuously Monitoring Bright Variable Stars, Performing Sky Survey At Low Galactic Latitude; Exceeding Planned Lifetime (Now In Lunar Night 23), Mission Providing Data For NextGen Telescopes; Paper Published in Astrophysics and Space Science Gains International Attention For China Accomplishments / Science, Establishing Astronomy From The Moon; Chang’e-3 LUT Mission Awaits Official 2016 Extension

Credit: CAS, NAOC, CNSA, CCTV, ILOA, NASA

Thursday / 8 October 2015

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Israel Google Lunar XPrize Team SpaceIL Declares Launch Contract With SpaceX

1082015With Competition Extension Deadline Approaching SpaceIL Ticket Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 For Second Half Of 2017 Extends Competition; GLXP Vice Chairman Bob Weiss (BL) Confirms SpaceIL “As The First And Only” Team To Have Verified Launch Contract; Launcher Was Purchased Via Spaceflight Industries With President Curt Blake (BC) Sharing Excitement In Achieving “SpaceIL’s Quest To Win The Google Lunar XPRIZE”; In Order To Win Team Will Need To Land On Moon & Rover Must Explore 500 Meters Then Transmit Images Back To Earth; Contender Moon Express Announcement With Rocket Lab Also Supporting Its Competition Goals; Teams Astrobotic & Hakuto Planning Cooperative Launch Also Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket

Pictured (BR): SpaceIL Team

Credit: GLXP, SpaceX, SpaceIL, Spaceflight Industries, Moon Express, Astrobotic, Hakuto