Category Archives: NASA

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

Wednesday / 13 Feb 2019

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USA Human Lunar Landings Advancing Via Industry Forum And NASA RFP

On 14 February NASA Hosts Media And Industry Forum Revealing Human Lunar Exploration Plans; Speakers Include Administrator Jim Bridenstine And Thomas Zurbuchen (L) Of Science Directorate; NASA RFP For Human Landers Due 25 Mar; William Gerstenmaier (R) Of Exploration Systems Directorate Will Describe Human Lunar Landing Architecture: Descent Element, Ascent Module And Transfer Vehicle Would Be Launched By Commercial Partners; During 2028 A Four-Person Crew Would Land On Surface, Perhaps With China, Other Cooperation, Potentially Beginning Human Landings No. 7-11 And The First Women On The Moon

Credits: NASA

Friday / 8 Feb 2019

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CNSA-NASA First Lunar Collaboration Could Initiate Future Breakthroughs

USA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) In Eccentric Polar Mapping Orbit (20-km Altitude South Pole, 165-km North Pole) Since 2015, Captures Image Of China Chang’e-4 On Moon Far Side In Von Kármán Crater On 30 Jan 2019; Information Sharing Between The 2 Countries Amidst Restrictions Highlights Potential To Expand Upon Mutually Beneficial Cooperation, Combine 21st Century Technologies Of Leading Spacefaring Nations – Both Of Which Plan Human Moon Missions, Lunar Bases

Pictured: NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and CNSA Administrator Zhang Kejian 

Credits: NASA, GSFC, Arizona State University, CNSA, NAOC-CSA

Tuesday / 5 Feb 2019

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USA Space Launch System Assembles For EM-1 And EM-2 Moon Missions

Construction Of US$10B Space Launch System Continues Since January Throughout Government Shutdown; Top Half Of First Core Stage Is Assembled In Vertical Stacking Cell At NASA Michoud Assembly Facility In New Orleans; Manufacture And Checkout Of 10 Solid Rocket Booster Segments Is Completed At Northrop Grumman In Utah; SLS Will Produce 8.8 Million Pounds Of Thrust, More Than Saturn V; Uncrewed Orion Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) Scheduled To Orbit Moon In 2020; Second Core Stage Beginning Construction At MAF; EM-2 Projected For 2022 Will Carry Crew Of 4, Potentially Including First Woman To Orbit Moon

Credits: NASA

Tuesday / 22 Jan 2019

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USA / PRC Moon Collaboration To Be Discussed At UN Vienna Mid-Feb

NASA Headed By Jim Bridenstine (L), Will Work With China On Lunar Landing Research Following Discussions With CNSA, Headed By Zhang Kejian (R); NASA Scientists Are Exchanging Data With Chang’e-4 Science Team; Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Expected To Image Chang’e-4 Landing Site On 31 January; Lunar Data Will Be Shared With Global Research Community At Scientific And Technology Subcommittee Of UN Committee On Peaceful Uses Of Outer Space In Vienna 11-22 Feb; NASA Cooperation With CNSA To Be Transparent, Reciprocal And Mutually Beneficial

Credits: NASA, CNSA

Tuesday / 8 Jan 2019

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Space Cooperation Advocated For Benefit Of Mankind And Womankind

As Chang’e-4 And Yutu-2 Rover Explore Von Karman Crater On Far Side Of Moon, China Daily Editorial Describes “Exploring Outer Space For Benefit Of Mankind” And For Peaceful Purposes; Editor of NASA Watch Suggests Rules On Cooperation Can Be Softened; USA Offers To Aid China With Data From Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter; NASA Lunar Scientists Have Independently Pinpointed Chang’e-4 At 45.47084° S By 177.60563° E; Russia Provides Radioisotopes For Chang’e-4 Power Source; Sweden, Germany And Netherlands Also Contribute To Mission; China Invites International Partners For Upcoming Space Station

Credits: CNSA,NASA, Arizona State University

New Year Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 4-7 Jan 2019

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Observing Apollo By Aiming For Moon

2019 Will See 50th Observation Of Apollo 9 Lunar Module Test Flight, Apollo 10 Descending To Within 16 Km Of Lunar Surface, Historic Apollo 11 “For All Mankind” Footsteps, And Apollo 12 Precision Landing; The Commercial Space Industry Meets At The International Space Development Conference 6-9 June In Arlington, Near Washington DC; American Institute Of Aeronautics And Astronautics (AIAA) Is Hosting The International Astronautical Congress in Washington 21-25 Oct; While Other Nations Land Spacecraft On The Moon, NASA And Commercial Partners Plan To Make An American Contribution

Credits: NASA, IAC

 

Thursday / 13 Dec 2018

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NASA Advancing Small, Mid-Size, And Human-Size Lunar Landers

NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program Funding Small Lunar Landers, Seeking Larger Lander For Payloads Of 300-500 Kg To Fly By 2022; Jason Crusan (L), Head Of NASA Advanced Exploration Systems Division, Studying Three-Piece Human Landers With 15-Ton Components Designed To Use Commercial Launchers; Lockheed Martin Promotes Plan For Reusable Lunar Lander With Empty Mass Of 22 Tons And Fueled Mass Of 62 Tons; NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (R) Hopes To Test Elements Of Human Lunar Lander By 2024 And Land People On Moon By End Of 2020s, Though China May Go Earlier

Credits: NASA, Lockheed Martin, Moon Express

Friday / 30 Nov 2018

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First USA Private-Public Lunar Contracts Worth Up To US$2.6B To Enable ‘More Moon Missions, More Science’

NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services Contracts Max Value US$2.6B Awarded To Astrobotic, Deep Space Systems, Draper, FireFly, Intuitive Machines, Lockheed Martin, Masten Space Systems, Moon Express, Orbit Beyond; “To Provide All Activities Necessary To Safely Integrate, Accommodate, Transport, And Operate NASA [Lunar] Payloads”; Hopes To Get To Lunar Surface “Fast” – As Early As Next Year, Launch 2 Payloads Per Year For Next 10, Starting With 10+ kg Cargo; Payloads Could Include Instruments From Lunar Resource Prospector, And Lunar Surface Instrument & Technology Payloads Proposed 19 Nov Advancing To Next Step 17 Jan 2019

Pictured: NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (L) and Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen; Credits: NASA

Tuesday / 6 Nov 2018

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Moon Village Symposium Reveals International Plans

2nd International Moon Village Workshop & Symposium Is 5 November At University Of Southern California; Scott Pace Of US National Space Council Delivers Presentation; NASA Plans Lunar Orbital Platform And Demonstration Of Human Lunar Lander Around 2024; Former NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green Talks About Radio Astronomy On Lunar Farside; Consul General From Luxembourg, Which Has Space Agency Since Sep 2018, Encourages Companies With Space Fund; SpaceBit Capital, Leading Space Venture Capital Crypto Fund, Reveals Partnership With Moon Village Association; Apollo Astronaut Will Be SpaceBit Board Member

Credits: Moon Village Association, NASA