Wednesday / 23 February 2022

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JAXA-led Consortium Contracts with Ark Edge Space to Develop Cislunar Communication / Positioning Plan

Artemis member Japan advancing lunar network concept with Tokyo-based company Ark Edge Space, recently capitalized with US$3.5M seed investment, conducting study of lunar satellite constellation linked to Earth; Managed by JAXA with industry (Kiyohara Optical, ispace, KDDI Corp, Mitsubishi) and academic (University of Tokyo) partners, effort is part of ministerial STARDUST (Strategic Programs for Accelerating Research, Development and Utilization of Space Technology) initiative; ESA Moonlight, UK / SSTL Lunar Pathfinder, NASA LunaNet, IM Lunar Telemetry and Tracking Network striving to achieve similar functionality

Pictured: Takayoshi Fukuyo (L), Shuhei Matsushita (R)
Credits: NASA, JAXA, Ark Edge Space
 

Weekend Edition
Fri-Tues / 18-22 Feb 2022

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Leading Geostrategic DC Think Tank Emphasizes Importance of Cislunar Space, Chronicles Global Exploration Efforts

Deputy Director of Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Kaitlyn Johnson compiles international missions to Moon surface and surrounding space, 2022 highlights include: USA CAPSTONE orbiter (19 March); Intuitive Machines and Astrobotic CLPS missions; Artemis 1 lunar flyby + payloads Lunar Icecube, LunaH-Map and international rideshares from Japan (EQUULEUS, OMOTENASHI), Italy (ArgoMoon); Russia Luna 25 lander (MSP, May); India Chandrayaan-3 lander (August); Japan SLIM lander; Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter with USA rideshare ShadowCam; China Chang’e-3,4,5 operating on Moon + orbital relay satellite Queqiao, Chang’e-6,7,8 following

Credits: CSIS

Friday / 18 February 2022

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Precision Technology for Landing Within Shadowed Regions of Moon Surface Sought by NASA

Nighttime Precision Landing Challenge No. 1 offers ≤US$650,000/ea for 3 proposals on lunar landing sensing systems designed to function absent light from ≥250m altitude – a common condition especially in Moon polar regions rich in volatiles such as hydrogen, oxygen, water termed Permanently Shadowed Regions, cold traps on crater floors that are seldom / never illuminated; Hardware such as optical, radar and lidar sensors coupled with machine learning software are likely approaches to challenge; Submissions accepted until 19 May 17:00 PDT

Credits: NASA, Masten, Astrobotic

Tuesday / 15 February 2022

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Object on Course for Farside Lunar Impact Now Thought to be CNSA Chang’e 5-T1 Rocket Stage

Following consultation with Jon Giorgini of JPL, astrometry expert Bill Gray reevaluates premise used to determine identity of item on Moon impact trajectory (WE0913A – first observed by Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson AZ), ruling out Falcon 9 stage (2015-007B) and instead positing object is spent stage used to propel Chang’e 5-T1 lunar orbiter / return capsule (2014-065B); Gray advocates astrometry software, Guide, be utilized in “official, funded manner” on “international basis” to track deep space debris in light of increasing missions to cislunar space including human Moon landings

Credits: NAOC, CNSA, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 11-14 Feb 2022

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Wayward Falcon 9 Likely 1st USA Object to Impact Moon Since LADEE as Starship Prepping to Fly NET March  /// Corrected 14 Feb

Upper stage that inserted NOAA DSCOVR to Sun-Earth L1 in 2015 likely striking near Sea of Tranquility (5.18°N, 233.55°E) on Moon far side 4 March at 12:25:58 UTC, marking 1st USA impactor since 2014; Space archeologists and Moon heritage conservationists eager to study latest artificial object on Moon while cautious of debris considerations; Elon Musk says Starship prototype (Booster 4 / Ship 20) may be ready to orbit NET March pending FAA clearance from Starbase TX; CAPSTONE slated for 19 March, Artemis 1 / SLS NET April followed by Intuitive Machines, Astrobotic, Luna-25, Chandrayaan-3, KPLO, ispace; SLIM and IM-2 also possible in 2022

Credits: SpaceX, NASA

Friday / 11 February 2022

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New Analysis of LCROSS Impact Plume Suggests Cometary Source of MSP Volatiles

Revised assessment of data collected by LCROSS and LAMP instrument aboard LRO during 2009 Centaur rocket impact focuses on elemental prevalence of hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur compared to carbon; Study authors from Southwest Research Institute, Johns Hopkins APL, Aix-Marseille University, UT San Antonio conclude comet origin best fits composition profile, that 1-3 m of regolith within Cabeus crater (84.9°S, 35.5°W) may predate latest volcanism (~1 Gya) and “returning humans to the Moon presents an unprecedented opportunity to determine the origin of volatiles stored in PSRs”

 

Credits: NASA

Tuesday / 8 February 2022

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Shadowy Lunar South Pole Conditions Being Replicated for NASA Training Regimen in Texas

NASA Johnson Space Center shares Astronaut training exercise “simulating a Moonwalk” within specially outfitted 23,000,000-liter diving tank (62m X 31m x 12m) of Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, located within Sonny Carter Training Facility near Ellington Field / Houston Spaceport; Light containment used to replicate low angle of Sun relative to horizon in polar Moon regions (same effect is likely cause of water accumulation in cold traps / PSRs); Conditions pose novel challenge to Artemis astronauts set to explore area starting NET 2025

 

Credits: NASA, ESA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 4-7 Feb 2022

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Elon Musk to Give Update on Starship, Variant of which is to Land Humans on Moon During Artemis 3

Artemis SLS / Orion rollout now expected mid-March, while progress update on Starship prototype ‘Serial No. 20’ / SN20 to be given 10 Feb at 20:00 CST from Starbase TX; Expected topics include Raptor 2 engines (~230t thrust vs ~185 of Raptor 1) recently subjected to destructive testing, Moonship HLS variant, and orbital test flight landing 100km from Kauaʻi; FAA environmental assessment, “the schedule driver” of launch per Musk; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service contention that launch activity is deleterious to Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge may trigger full EIS review

 

Credits: SpaceX, NASA

Friday / 4 February 2022

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India to Launch Chandryaan-3 Lander / Rover in August to Explore Moon South Pole Region

ISRO intends to launch Chandryaan-3 via GSLV Mk 3 NET August, soft-landing near originally planned Chandryaan-2 site; Area is within southern lunar highlands ~160km from Boguslawsky crater, preferred landing site of Roscosmos Luna-25 aiming for 23 July launch, and ~350km from South Pole-Aitken basin, an area currently being investigated by CNSA Yutu-2 rover from Chang’e-4 mission with sample return planned for Chang’e-6 NET 2024; Spectral analysis from Chandrayaan-1 orbiter indicates site is rich in iron (4.2%), magnesium (5.4%), calcium (10%) and titanium (0.3%)

 

Credits: ISRO

Tuesday / 1 February 2022

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JPL Working Towards Blanket Communications Coverage of Lunar Surface with Commercial Partner

Recognizing communication needs of 90+ lunar missions under consideration for NLT 2030, Alessandro Balossino, Head of R&D for Italy microsatellite manufacturer Argotec and Faramarz Davarian, JPL Lunar Surface Communications Terminal Project Manager co-author announcement of Andromeda lunar constellation plan in which 24 relay satellites are to operate from 4 elliptical (720km periapsis, 8,090km apoapsis) 57° inclined orbits providing overlapping coverage of Moon poles; Lunar Crater Radio Telescope and Farside Array for Radio Science Investigations of the Dark ages and Exoplanets are primary science use cases

 

Credits: Argotec, SASAC, NASA