Category Archives: SpaceX

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 Jan 2020

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International Moon Landings 2020-2021 Begin Lunar Decade

Multiple Nations And Commercial Enterprises Prepare For Landings In First Years Of Lunar Decade; India Proceeding At Full Speed With Chandrayaan-3 (BR) For November 2020; China (Zhongguo) Plans Chang’e-5 (TR) NLT Dec 2020; NASA Commercial Lunar Services Providers Astrobotic And Intuitive Machines (L) Both Plan Landings NET July 2021; Chang’e-6 And Chang’e-7 Planned For Near Future; Chandrayaan-4 May Follow In Cooperation With JAXA, And Possibly Chandrayaan-5; SpaceX And Blue Origin (C) Also Plan To Land Payloads In Early 2020s

Credits: NASA, Blue Origin, CNSA, ISRO

Friday / 8 November 2019

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Boeing Bids For Lunar Landing ASAP With Fewest Steps

Boeing Reveals Design For Artemis Lunar Lander, Using Technology From Starliner To Reach Moon In Fewest Steps; Two-Stage Spacecraft Would Require Development Of Boeing Space Launch System And Exploration Upper Stage; EUS Requires Funding At US$300M Per Year, Cost Of Lander Unknown; Moonwalker Buzz Aldrin Favors Going To Moon With Minimal Gateway But With Cooperation From China; Boeing Faces Competition From Blue Origin Team Including Lockheed Martin And Northrop Grumman, And Possible Bid From SpaceX

Credits: Boeing, NASA, Veterans in Blue

Tuesday / 8 October 2019

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NASA Awards Funding And Requests Proposals For Lunar Fuel Production, Spacesuits And Cubesats For Artemis

NASA Awards US$17.4M To 4 Companies To Study Production Of Fuel On Moon Or Mars; Blue Origin, SpaceX, Utah-based OxEon Energy, And Connecticut-based Skyre To Receive Funding; Request For Information Also Issued By NASA For Companies To Produce Lunar Spacesuits That Could Also Be Used By Private Astronauts; Additional Cubesat Launch Initiative Seeks Secondary Payloads To Fly With Artemis 2 On Space Launch System, The First Crewed Lunar Orbit Mission Since 1970s, Planned For 2023

Credits: NASA, ILC Dover, Lockheed Martin

Tuesday / 20 Aug 2019

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National Space Council Faces NASA And Private Options For Reaching Moon

USA National Space Council Chaired By VP Mike Pence Meets 20 August At National Air And Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center, Venue Where Pence In 2017 Has Already Committed To Lunar Return; Former House Speaker And Free Enterprise Advocate Newt Gingrich Proposes US$2B Prize To First USA Company To Land Humans On Moon; SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell Claims They Can Land On Moon With Starship By 2023; Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Is Also In Competition

Credits: SpaceX, NASA, Blue Origin

Tuesday / 30 July 2019

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We Could Land On The Moon In Less Than Two Years, Says SpaceX CEO Elon Musk

In Wide-Ranging Interview July 12 With TIME Magazine, Musk, Founder Of The Only Launch Provider To Innovate Reusable Rockets, Makes Bold Statements On Moon Exploration And Settlement Timeline, Indicating That SpaceX Could Send Crewed Lunar Mission Within 4 Years, Uncrewed Within 2; Musk Emphasizes The Need For Permanent Antarctica-Style Science Base; Says ‘Overarching Philosophy’ Depends On Expanding Consciousness, Enlightenment, Sustainability, And ‘Making Life Multi-Planetary’

Credits: NASA, SpaceX

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 12-15 Apr 2019

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Call For Human Lunar Landings Inspires Private Enterprise

NASA Commits To Landing Next Man And First Woman On Moon By 2024; Lockheed Martin Releases New Design For Lunar Lander With Ascent Stage Based Upon Orion Crew Module And Descent Stage Modified From European-Built Service Module; SpaceX Designs Crew Dragon To Land On Planetary Surfaces Including Earth And Mars, Could Modify Dragon For Lunar Missions; Northrop Grumman, Builder Of Original Lunar Module, Proposes ‘New Eagle’ Family Of Spacecraft For Destinations Including The Moon

Credits: Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, NASA, SpaceX

Friday / 12 Apr 2019

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SpaceIL Attempt Leaves Way Open For 1st Commercial Lunar Landing

SpaceIL Beresheet Makes Impact 11 Apr, Meaning That First Privately Developed Soft Landing Is Yet To Reach Goal; SpaceX Falcon Heavy, Which Is Scheduled To Launch Arabsat-6A From Kennedy Space Center On Same Day, Being Considered By NASA For Launching Orion Spacecraft To Moon; United Arab Emirates Space Agency, Which Has Formal Cooperation Agreement With NASA And Is Sending First UAE Astronaut To ISS In 2019, Forms Arab Space Coordination Group With 10 Crescent Moon Countries, Joining Israel In Reaching For Landings

Credits: SpaceIL, SpaceX, UAE National Press

Wednesday / 3 Apr 2019

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NASA Considering Human Lunar Options Including SLS And Falcon Heavy

USA Urgently Pursuing Goal Of Human Lunar Landing At South Pole In 2024; Orion And Space Launch System Flights Will Be Accelerated; At NASA Town Hall Administrator Jim Bridenstine Says “Nothing Is Off The Table” And Suggests SpaceX Falcon Heavy With ULA Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage Could Carry Orion To Lunar Orbit; International Space Station Astronauts Nick Hague, Anne McLain And Christina Koch Are “Super Excited” About USA Reaching The Moon By 2024

Credits: NASA, SpaceX

Tuesday / 5 Mar 2019

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SpaceX Elon Musk Agrees With NASA On Need For Lunar Base

 

After Successful Uncrewed Launch Of Crew Dragon To ISS, Elon Musk States, “We Should Have A Base On The Moon” Agreeing With NASA Jim Bridenstine About SPD-1 Mandate; SpaceX Crew Dragon And Boeing Starliner Projected To Return Astronauts On American Vehicle In 2019; Musk Already Planning To Send Yusaku Maezawa And Artists Around Moon On SpaceX ‘Starship’ In 2023; SpaceX Supporters Believe Starship Can Provide Lunar Transportation For Less Than Cost Of Space Launch System

Credits: NASA, SpaceX

Thanksgiving Weekend Edition
Thu-Mon / 22-26 Nov 2018

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Upcoming Lunar Launches And Landings From Multiple Nations

8 December China Plans Launch of Chang’e-4, First Mission To Lunar Farside; Lander And Rover To Explore South Pole Aitken Basin; Landing Targeted For 30-31 Dec In 186 Km-Wide Von Karman Crater At 44.8° South Latitude; India Plans Launch 30 Jan Of Chandrayaan-2, First Mission To South Pole Region; 3,877 Kg Spacecraft On GSLV Mark 3 Launcher Composed Of Orbiter, Lander And Rover; Chandrayaan-2 Landing Site At 70° South Latitude; Israel SpaceIL Plans Lunar Launch On SpaceX Falcon 9 In Early 2019, Landing NET 13 Feb

Credits: CNSA, NASA, ISRO