Category Archives: Orion

Friday / 3 July 2020

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Artemis 2024 Human Moon Landings, Dragon VS Orion: Space Experts Debate Best Path

As Astronauts Hurley And Behnken Continue ISS DM-2 Mission, NASA Kathy Lueders Moves From Head Of CCP To HEOMD, Aerospace Engineers (L-R) Robert Zubrin And Homer Hickam, Voice Strong Advocacy For Utilization Of US$3B SpaceX Dragon / Falcon Heavy Configuration For Artemis In Lieu Of  $18B SLS / Orion; Pair Argue That Orion Is Dependent On Orbital Gateway And As-Yet Unproven Capability, Cost, Readiness; Lockheed Orion Director Tony Antonelli Responds With Defense Of Current Artemis Mission Profile, Insisting Orion Is Better Suited To Deep Space

Credits: SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, The Mars Society, NASA

Friday / 26 July 2019

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Artemis Spacecraft, Service Module, And Habitability Module Making Progress Toward 2024 Human Lunar Landing  

Orion Is Ready For Integration Into Artemis-1 Mission Planned By 2021; Vice President Pence At KSC Unveils Spacecraft Accompanied By Buzz Aldrin And Rick Armstrong Before Visiting Launch Complex 39A; Northrop Grumman Is Awarded Contract To Develop Minimum Habitation Module Based Upon Cygnus Spacecraft; ESA Formally Agrees To Contribute Additional Orion Service Module For Artemis-3 Human Lunar Landing; White House Reaffirms Commitment To Send Next Man And First Woman To Moon In 5 Years

Credits: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 June 2019

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Next Decade Of Space Weather Favorable For Exploration Of Moon And Beyond

Study Conducted By Irina Kitiashvili Of NASA Ames Research Center Indicates Upcoming 11 Year Solar Cycle Least Active In 2 Centuries, Solar Sunspots At 2025 Maximum Estimated 30-50% Less Frequent Than 2013 Solar Maximum, Reducing Risk Of Deleterious Solar Storm Radiation For Artemis Mission Instrumentation And Astronauts, Including First Women On The Moon

Credits: NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, ESA

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

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 5-8 Oct 2018

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Lockheed Martin Unveils Lunar Lander Concept, Joins Multiple Nations And Enterprises Planning Moon Missions

Lockheed Martin Releases Detailed Concept For 62,000 Kg Reusable Human Lunar Lander, Launching From Lunar Orbital Platform To Support 4-Person Crew For 2 Weeks On The Surface; Also Soliciting Proposals For Payloads To Fly On Orion; Russia And China Express Interest In Joint Projects, Including Space Center On Hainan Island To Heavy-Lift Launch Vehicles; India Chandrayaan-2 And Israel SpaceIL Planning Moon Landings In Early 2019; Private Companies Aiming For Moon Include Blue Origin, Bigelow Aerospace, Astrobotic, Moon Express, ispace Japan, Golden Spike Company.

Credits: Lockheed Martin, Airbus

Wednesday / 19 Sep 2018

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NASA Moving Ahead With Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway Despite Questions

Planning For Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, NASA Requesting Industry Proposals For Power-Propulsion Element To Launch On Commercial Rocket By 2022; Orion To Rendezvous With PPE During Exploration Mission 3; EM-3 Will Also Bring European System Providing Refuelling, Infrastructure And Telecommunications (ESPRIT) Plus US-Built Habitation Module; Additional Modules To Be Brought On Exploration Missions 4 And 5; Critics Claim LOP-G Lacks Clear Mission Of Moon Or Mars

Credits: NASA

Wednesday / 20 June 2018

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Observance Of Sally’s Ride Begs The Question: When Will The First Woman Walk On The Moon?

This Week Marks 35 Years Since Sally Ride Became The 1st American Woman In Space, Commemorated By New USA Forever Postage Stamp; After Shattering The Ultimate Glass Ceiling, Ride Said “Weightlessness Is A Great Equalizer”; Another Of The “Original Six” Women Astronauts, Anna Lee Fisher — 1st Mother In Space On STS-51 Discovery, Becomes The Godmother To Viking Latest Ocean Ship, Orion, Same Name As NASA Crew Ship That Could Take The 1st Women To The Moon

Credits: USPS, Viking Cruises, NASA, SPC

Friday / 26 August 2016

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Humans To Moon: Beyond National Efforts, International And Commercial Entity Could Accelerate 21st Century Advancements

International Moon Efforts

USA 2017 Administration Could Support New Effort To Reclaim Greatest Achievement In History With SLS 2021-23; China Long March 9 Expected Completion 2025, Proposes Human Moon Missions 2031-2036; India GSLV Mk. 3 Might Launch Crews To Space ~2021; Russia Hopes For Human Lunar Orbit 2027, Surface Mission 2029 If Funding Remains Consistent; Japan Working On Robotic SLIM Mission; ESA Proposes Moon Village; Independent Astrobotic, Moon Express, ILOA Missions And / Or Formation Of International Entity Could Increase Momentum Toward Ultimate Goal Of Lunar Exploration, Science, Resources For Earth

Credit: NASA, ESA, CNSA, ISRO, JAXA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 June 2016

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Lunar CubeSats Queuing Up For Unique Boost Toward Moon

LED-6-24-16

13 CubeSats Hitching Ride To Translunar Space Aboard SLS EM-1 Test Flight 2018; Each No More Than 6 Units, 14 Kg; 10 Payloads Already Confirmed; 7 Selected By NASA Through NextSTEP (SkyFire, Lunar IceCube), Human Exploration & Ops Mission Directorate (NEA Scout, BioSentinel, Lunar Flashlight) And Science Mission Directorate (CuSP, LunaH-Map); 3 International; 3 TBD Pending Outcome Of CubeQuest Challenge; SLS Will Release Primary Payload Orion On Lunar Trajectory, Then 13 CubeSats To Deploy From Stage Adapter

Credit: NASA, Morehead State University

Thursday / 2 June 2016

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3 International Lunar CubeSats To Join Orion/SLS On Cislunar Journey

LED-6-1-16

Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) First Test Flight Of New Space Launch System With Uncrewed Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle On 21-Day Circumlunar Trajectory NLT Nov 2018; Will Also Carry And Deploy 10 Other CubeSat Missions; Latest Announcement Introduces JAXA EQUULEUS (EQUilibriUm Lunar-Earth point 6U Spacecraft) And OMOTENASHI (Outstanding MOon exploration TEchnologies demonstrated by NAno Semi-Hard Impactor), As Well As ASI / Agrotec ArgoMoon

Credit: NASA, JAXA, AIS / Argotec