Category Archives: Moon Exploration

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 23-26 June 2017

Posted on by

Next Gen Spacesuits Needed For Women And Men IVAs, EVAs At LEO, Moon, Mars

2017 Audit Discusses Spacesuit Advances Required For Future Cislunar Gateway, SLS / Orion Flights, Moon & Mars Surface, Accommodations For Astronauts Of Various Sizes, Improvements In Glove, Hydration, Nutrition Systems; Lunar Dust Mitigation Technologies Integrated Into Spacesuits Proposed By Kavya Manyapu Includes Carbon Nanotube Flexible Electrodes To Eject Sharp, Magnetic Moon Dust; Lockheed Martin Proposes 8-Legged, Rocket-Powered Spacesuit For Mars Moons; NASA Has 11 Fully Functioning Extravehicular Mobility Units (145 kg) & Agency ‘Years Away From Deep Space Suits’; China Currently Utilizing Feitian EVA Suit (120 kg, Cost US$4.4M) Modeled After Russia Orlan Suits (104 kg); Final Frontier Design, SpaceX, Boeing Working On Light-Weight, Flexible, Low-Cost IVA Suits

Credits: NASA / Eugene Cernan, SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, CNSA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 June 2017

Posted on by

Moon South Pole Missions With Strong International Collaboration Being Advanced By China

Chang’e-4 Lander / Rover Launching To Far Side / Moon South Pole Aitken ~Oct 2018 To Carry 11 Payloads Including 4 Developed By Other Countries; China Likely To Cooperate With Europe On Common Goals Such As International Moon Village Or Research Station According To Liu Jizhong; Russia NPO Lavochkin In Talks With China Since CE-4, 5, 6 Similar To Russia Luna-26, 27, 28; CE-5 Set For Late Nov 2017 Launch, CE-4 Orbiter May 2018 For Moon Far Side, CE-6 Sample Return Far Side 2019-20, Possibilities For CE-7 & CE-8; China Developing Low Cost Long March 7 & Heavy Lift March 5; Advocacy For China Sending Women To Moon

Credits: CNSA, NAOC, CAS, ESA, Roscosomos

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 9-12 June 2017

Posted on by

China Preparing For Human Moon Mission

Yang Liwei, Deputy Director General Of China Manned Space Agency & First Person From China In Space, At GLEX 6-8 June 2017 In Beijing Announces Preliminary Preparations For Crewed Lunar Missions Consisting Of Crewed Spaceship, Propulsion Vehicle, Lunar Lander; Yang Says If Given The Opportunity He Would ‘Be Thrilled’ To Land On The Moon; China Working Toward Chang’e-5 Sample Return Launch November To Mons Rumker Region 40.8° N 58.1° W, CE-4 To Far Side 2018, CE-6, -7 And -8, With Tiangong-2 and Tianhe-1 Developments – Leading To Human Moon Missions And Lunar Base Build Out Before ~2036

Credits: CNSA, ILOA, GLEX, China Manned Space Engineering, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 June 2017

Posted on by

ILOA Galaxy Forum China 2017 Precedes IAF Global Space Exploration Conference In Beijing

Astronomy From The Moon & International Human Moon Missions Focus Of 3-Hour 2-Part Program 5 June At BICC, On Eve Of GLEX 2017, Highlights Global Lunar Exploration Priorities; Organized By International Lunar Observatory Association Of Hawai`i; Part 1) Wang Jing Of NAOC On CE3 Lunar Ultra-Violet Telescope, Hakim Malasan Of ITB On Indonesia Future Astronomy, Steve Durst Of ILOA On Galaxy First Light Imaging; P2) Christian Lange Of CSA On Canadian Lunar Payloads & Technology, Guo Linli Of CAST On China Lunar Base Concept, Andrew Aldrin Of ShareSpace Foundation On USA / International Human Missions To The Moon

Credits: ILOA, NAOC, CNSA, CSA, ShareSpace, ESA, NASA

Memorial Day / Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 26-29 May 2017

Posted on by

ISDC 2017 Accentuates American
Moon Mission Interests

Breakout Sessions With Lunar Focus At NSS ISDC 25-29 May In St. Louis MO Include Back To The Moon, Space Settlement, Living In Space, Space Business; Madhu Thangavelu, David Schrunk, William Gerstenmaier, Brad Blair, Peter Kokh, Henk Rogers, Dennis Wingo, Ben Bussey, Michael Laine & Others Will Cover All Aspects Of A Human Return To Moon, L1 & L2 Transportation Nodes, International Lunar Decade Declaration, Moon Mining, Lunar Base Planning Underway At NASA & Private Ventures Including Cislunar & Surface Architectures, Deep Space Gateway, SLS / Orion EM-1 Mission & CubeSats; New NASA Administrator May Also Be Announced (Perhaps Jim Bridenstine)

Credits: National Space Society, ISDC, NASA, et al

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 May 2017

Posted on by

LRO Approaches 8 Full Years At Moon,
Data / Instrument Validation Aiding Future International Missions

LRO Traveling In Eccentric Polar Mapping Orbit (20-km Altitude South Pole, 165-km North Pole) Focusing On Permanently Shadowed Craters, Is 1-Month From Reaching 8 Full Years In Moon Orbit (23 Jun); Release 30 Of LRO Data Expected Mid Jun 2017, Mission Planned To Continue Until At Least Dec 2018; Science Team Designing Aug 21 Total Solar Eclipse Observations; Narrow Angle Camera Inspires Next-Gen ShadowCam To Be Used On Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter Launching Dec 2018; HD Full Model Of Whole Moon Produced

Credits: LROC, NASA, Arizona State University / Malin Space Science Systems

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 12-15 May 2017

Posted on by

China, USA Simulate Long-Duration Human Moon Missions In Closed Habitats

Beijing, China Hosts 1-Year Moon Mission Analog With 8 Volunteers In 2 Groups (2 Women, 2 Men In Each) Living In Yuegong-1 (Lunar Palace-1) Complete With Two 50m2 Greenhouses / Bio-Regenerative Life-Support Systems Experiments Vital For Lunar Settlement; 1st Group Will Remain For 60 Days, 2nd Group 200 Days, Then 1st Group Return For 105 Days; NASA Human Exploration Research Analog Campaign 4 (HERA-4) Is Ongoing From 6 May – 19 Jun At JSC, Houston TX 148.1 m3 Habitat; 4 Team Members Will Test New Space Food & Hardware Prototypes Including Simulated Exploration Vehicle, Use 3-D Printer; 3 Additional 45-Day Missions Run In Aug, Oct, Feb 2018

Credits: Beihang University – Beijing University for Aeronautics and Astronautics, Xinhua, Ju Huanzong, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 5-8 May 2017

Posted on by

Latest NASA RFI Seeks Commercial Lunar Surface Cargo Transportation Services

Requesting Proposals For Lunar Services Starting 2018 Through Next Decade, Thomas Zurbuchen States NASA ‘Remains Committed To High-Priority Lunar Science & Investigating Potential Resources For Exploration’; SLS / Orion Circumlunar Flight 2019 & Humans To Mars 2030s Goal May Solidify Plans To Return USA To Moon; Enterprises Advancing Landers Include Moon Express With MX-1, Blue Origin Blue Moon Lander / New Armstrong Rocket, Astrobotic Peregrine & Griffin Landers; Others Planning For Moon Operations Include Bigelow Lunar Habitats / Cislunar Depot, Shackleton Energy Co. Mining Pursuits, ILOA Instruments / Human Service Mission, SpaceX Crew Dragon Lunar Tourism, Liftport Group Lunar Elevator

Credits: Moon Express, Blue Origin, SpaceX, Astrobotic, ILOA, Bigelow, Liftport Group, Golden Spike Company, Lunarcubes / Flexure Engineering

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 28 April – 1 May 2017

Posted on by

China And ESA Discussing Permanent Human Moon Settlement

 China National Space Agency Secretary General Tian Yulong Confirms Talks With 22-Member States ESA On Potential International Moon Village; ESA Spokesman Pål Hvistendahl Notes China Advanced Moon Program, ESA Possible Analysis Of Lunar Samples From Chang’e-5 Mission, Plans For ESA Astronaut To Fly To China Space Station; ISS International Partners Developing Concept For Cislunar Orbiting Base; USA & Russia Aiming For Moon Surface Outposts; Human Multi World Species Status Most Likely To Be Regained And Sustained On Moon Through International Cooperation & Collaboration

Credits: ESA, CNSA, NAOC, CAS, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 21-24 April 2017

Posted on by

LunarCubes Workshop 2017 Focuses On Concepts / Challenges And New Technologies / Solutions

Two Day Event With 8 Sessions At Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo CA, In Coordination With CubeSat Developers Workshop April 25-28, Will Feature Presentations By Pamela Clark (JPL), Tilak Hewagama (UMD), Jon Freeman (GRC), Nadeem Ghafoor (Canadensys), Others; Experts Will Design Compelling LunarCube Missions, Plan Engineering, Power, Thermal, Communication & Transportation Needs, And Share Their Areas Of Knowledge; 13 Secondary Payloads Are Being Developed For EM-1 Launch Sep 2018 Including 4 Lunar CubeSats; 1st Commercial Payload To The Moon, 4M Launched 2014, Could Serve As An Example For Lunar / Planetary CubeSat Missions

Credits: OHB, NASA, ASU, UCLA, Morehead State University, Canadensys