Category Archives: Lunar Orbiters

Tuesday / 1 Nov 2022

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Lunar Flashlight to Prospect for Water on Moon, Launch with ispace Mission-1 NET 22 November

Utilizing 4 shortwave IR lasers (1.064, 1.495, 1.85, 1.99 μm) and indium gallium arsenide spectrometer, 6U / 14kg Lunar Flashlight 2-month nominal cubesat mission led by PI Barbara Cohen of NASA GSFC to search for water ice hidden within permanently shadowed regions on Moon from 15 x 70,000 km elliptical near-rectilinear polar orbit with ~6 day period; Lunar Flashlight now launching with Hakuto-R M1, which has arrived at KSC for launch on SpaceX F9 NET 22 Nov carrying UAE Rashid rover, Canadensys-built 360° cameras, JAXA spheroid robot

Credits: NASA, ispace, Wikipedia

Tuesday / 25 Oct 2022

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Artemis Moon Return Advances with Analog Training, 3 Orion Capsules on Order as Cost Transparency Urged

NASA analyzing data gathered by NASA / JAXA Astronauts Drew Feustel, Zena Cardman, Jessica Meir, Stan Love, Akihiko Hoshide, Norishige Kanai during nighttime Moonwalk simulation (JETT field test #3) and 3-day pressurized rover sojourn (D-RATS) near Flagstaff AZ; Lockheed Martin to build Orion additional crew capsules for Artemis missions 6-8 at cost of US$1.99B; Wayne Hale of NASA Advisory Council recommends PPP contract details be public, expresses concern on program architecture and 1-way Starship landing test; Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine joining Advisory Board of CLPS provider Firefly

Credits: Lockheed Martin, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 21-24 Oct 2022

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Multiple International Lunar Missions Prepare to Launch as CAPSTONE and Danuri Near Lunar Orbit

NASA CAPSTONE mission team preparing to execute TCM-4 with possibility of ongoing thruster malfunction, spacecraft to enter lunar halo orbit NET 13 Nov; KARI Danuri following on similar low-energy route, to achieve lunar orbital (100km) insertion NET 17 Dec; Uncrewed Artemis 1 launch window to lunar flyby opens for 69 minutes at 00:07 EST on 14 Nov from KSC, where ispace is also aiming for M1 lander launch 9-15 Nov and NASA is prepping Orion heat shield for use in Artemis 3; Astrobotic Peregrine, Intuitive Machines Nova-C NET Q1 2023; Roscosmos Luna-25 NET July 2023; ISRO now targeting NET June 2023 launch of Chandrayaan-3 Moon lander / rover

Credits: NASA, Advanced Space, IM, Astrobotic, KARI, ISRO, Lockheed Martin

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 Oct 2022

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Stalwart Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Continues to Contribute to Cutting Edge Moon Science and Exploration

Team led by Vishnu Viswanathan of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center manipulate LOLA data to determine effect of asteroid impacts that created 5,200 Moon craters 20–1,200m in diameter over 4.25B years on True Polar Wander; Modeling suggests 10° / 300km variance, with implications for polar water ice location; LRO also actively in use for commercial exportation initiatives – in calibration testing of Intuitive Machines Lunar Telemetry and Tracking Network, set to support IM-1 mission NET Q1 2023 and in upcoming test of Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System on CAPSTONE

Credits: NASA, Advanced Space

Friday / 7 Oct 2022

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CNSA Offering Payload Rideshares on Chang’E-7 MSP Lander Launching NET 2026

International science experiments / technology demonstrations encouraged to apply for space on Chang’E-7 Moon mission to a crater rim within South Pole-Aitken basin less than 5° from Moon South Pole; Announcement of Opportunity specifies payload parameters: 300mm×150mm×150mm maximum physical dimensions, -180°C to 80°C lunar surface operating temperature, ≤10kg mass, ≤50W power consumption; Applicants to submit letter of intent by 1 Feb 2023 for 1 April preliminary selection, full proposals due 1 June 2023

Credits: CNSA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 30 Sep – 3 Oct 2022

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Autumn Moon Missions Striving Toward Launch While 2023 Queue Grows

NASA Artemis 1 cryogenic hydrogen fueling / tanking systems undergoing refurbishment, Flight Termination batteries being swapped in VAB, November launch to lunar DRO probable; ispace likely to lead commercial Moon lander efforts with launch window open Nov 11-15; Astrobotic holding to Q4 timeframe pending Blue Origin BE-4 certification / integration with ULA Vulcan Centaur; Intuitive Machines aiming for Q1 2023 as is ISRO Chandrayaan-3, JAXA SLIM; Roscosmos Luna 25 may launch July 2023; IM-2 / Lunar Trailblazer rideshare NET 2023

Credits: NASA, ispace, Astrobotic, IM, ISRO, JAXA, Roscosmos

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

Friday / 16 Sep 2022

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Capstone Team Working “Around the Clock” to Restore Spacecraft to Nominal Operational State

Advanced Space, Terran Orbital, and NASA focused on correcting anomalous behavior of ~US$30M Capstone, currently deemed stable, on trajectory to achieve lunar Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit and in communication with Deep Space Network, however still tumbling in safe mode after losing attitude control and comms in event associated with 8 Sep Trajectory Correction Maneuver 3; Sufficient solar power being generated to heat 8-thruster hydrazine propulsion system built by Stellar Exploration; Recovery operation may be possible, utilizing thrusters if 5° C thermal stability is achieved for 12 hours

Credits: NASA, Advanced Space

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

Labor Day Weekend Edition
Fri-Tues / 2-6 Sep 2022

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Artemis 1 Launch Now Set for Saturday 3 September with Next Window Opening on 5 Sep

With predicted weather conditions 60% favorable, leaky propellant lines replaced / retorqued and faulty RS-25 engine temperature sensor identified, NASA is “Go” for launch of flagship Artemis 1 (SLS + Orion); Engine bleed cooldown schedule modified 30-45 minutes earlier than originally planned; 2-hour launch window opens 14:17 at KSC, ~400k spectators expected to view historic launch nearby while space / Moon explorers around the world will witness launch on NASA Live and track 37-day mission with Artemis Real-time Orbit Website (AROW)

Pictured: SLS Chief Engineer John Blevins; Credits: NASA, @NASA_Orion