Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 Jan 2022

Posted on by

New Zealand May Lead Artemis Moon Fleet with Orbital Wayfinder CAPSTONE Cubesat in March

Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment now scheduled to be first probe in USA-led Artemis Return to Moon; Launching to Earth orbit on Electron from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 located on Māhia NZ (39.2°S, 177.8°E) NET March under US$9.95M NASA contract; 12U, 25-kg cubesat will be delivered to TLI via Photon Kick Stage after 9-day elliptical orbit raising; 1600 x 70000 km polar near rectilinear halo orbit around Moon may provide optimal trajectory with minimal corrections (under 10 m/s ∆v) achievable with Maxar solar / electric propulsion element for Gateway (NET 2024)

Credits: Rocket Lab, Maxar

Friday / 7 January 2022

Posted on by

MIT Researchers Investigating Electrostatic / Ion Propulsion Concept for Moon and Asteroid Exploration

With current propulsion technologies capable of operation in atmosphere-free environments limited to chemical rockets and ground-based locomotion, MIT supported by NASA is pioneering novel technique harnessing electrical charge found on such bodies via repulsive effect of Mylar; Initial experiments published in AIAA Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets suggest with micro ion booster augmentation sufficient lift to raise a 0.9kg craft 1cm can be achieved; Levitation technique would allow traversing otherwise impassable “very rough, unexplored terrain” per study co-author Paulo Lozano (B)

Also pictured: Oliver Jia-Richards (T); Credits: MIT

Tuesday / 4 January 2022

Posted on by

Land of the Rising Moon:
Japan Plans Human Lunar Landing as Early as 2026, Two 2022 Robotic Landers

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announces hope for Japan to be 2nd nation (and 1st from Asia) to land Astronaut on Moon via Artemis missions 4-8 (2026-2029); Canada Astronaut to fly around Moon 2024 / Artemis 2, two USA selected to land 2025 / Artemis 3; JAXA Astronaut recruitment period open until 4 March; SLIM lander preparing for launch 2nd half 2022; ispace HAKUTO-R launch NET July with 2 rovers; Japan budgeting for Cislunar Gateway tech contributions, HTV-X cargo ships ~2026, human lunar surface rover ~2029

Credits: JAXA, ISAS, NASA, ispace

New Year Holiday Edition
Fri-Mon / 24 December 2021 – 3 January 2022

Posted on by

Lunar Year Ahead: 3 National and 4 Independent Moon Landings Underway in 2022

New robotic landers are to join Chang’e-4 / Yutu-2 on lunar surface: NASA CLPS providers Intuitive Machines and Astrobotic lead Artemis Program with IM working on 2 Nova-C missions, IM-1 to Vallis Schröteri in Q1, IM-2 to Shackleton connecting ridge Q4; Astrobotic Mission One with Peregrine, likely mid-2022 per ULA; Roscosmos aiming to land Luna-25 at Boguslavsky crater in July; ISRO has similar timeframe and landing location for Chandrayaan-3 (70.9°S, 22.8°E) ~150km distant from Boguslavsky; JAXA SLIM targeting Shioli crater (13.3°S, 25.2°E); ispace HAKUTO-R Mission One heading to Lacus Somniorum

 

Credits: NASA, Intuitive Machines, Astrobotic, ispace, Roscosmos, JAXA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 Dec 2021

Posted on by

Artemis Accords and International Lunar Research Station Advance Partnerships on Moon Surface

Humanity is set on a return to the Moon, with two major efforts: Artemis program, codified under Artemis Accords with 14 partner counties and an estimated US$86B cost through 2025, with focus on commercialization of cislunar space and human Moon landings via SLS / Orion / Starship system; Perhaps in conjunction, ILRS emphasis on robotically conducted science led by anchor nations China and Russia with possible human landings late 2020s; Countries being courted by both coalitions include Vietnam (to begin talks with USA Q1 2022 per VP Harris), France, India, Thailand, Malaysia

Credits: NASA, ASI, ASA, AEB, CSA/ASC, JAXA, KARI, LSA, NZSA, PSA, SSAU, UAESA; CNSA, Roscosmos

Friday / 17 December 2021

Posted on by

China Scientists Analyzing 50mg Moon Rock for Helium-3, Possible Key to Unlocking Controlled Fusion

Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology studying 1,731g of regolith returned by Chang’e-5 for 3He, an isotope possessing 1 neutron / 2 protons used in medical diagnostics and cryogenics, and considered a fusion material candidate since 1986 by nuclear scientist Gerald Kulcinski, working in collaboration with Moonworker Harrison Schmitt at UW-Madison Fusion Technology Institute; While logistics of returning sufficient material to Earth are complex, ISRU application may be feasible soon, as fusion reactor breakthrough producing 1.3MJ from 250 kJ validation in progress at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Credits: ESA, Wikipedia

Tuesday / 14 December 2021

Posted on by

ESA to Work with ispace Europe and ArianeGroup on ‘Highway to the Moon’ Transit Program

Seeking to establish commercial access to the lunar surface, pilot phase of Lunar Transportation / Exploration Program began November 24 with MoU signing specifying 15-kg lander payload space / 5-kg rover payload space on missions beginning 2024 if ESA evaluation panel approves partnership NET 2022; Arrangement would see ispace landers launched on Ariane 6 rockets; ArianeGroup currently enjoys good working relationship with ispace EU, building propulsion elements for series 1 lander set for late 2022 launch on SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5

Credits: ispace EU, ESA, Arianegroup

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 Dec 2021

Posted on by

Awareness of Cislunar Space Logistic Importance Growing within Government and Think Tanks

As prospects of sustained operations on the Moon nears, unique orbital mechanics of Earth-Moon system draw attention of mission planners and commentators; Chang’e-5T1 service module DFH-3A currently occupies Earth-Moon Lagrange Point 2 serving as communication relay, while stable L4 and L5 will be strategic locations for necessary infrastructure such as fuel / supply depots, habitats, factories; Air Force Research Laboratory Primer on Cislunar Space suggests research on theoretical Shamrock and Aldrin cycler orbits

Credits: Paul Spudis, Aerospace Corporation, NASA

Friday / 10 December 2021

Posted on by

Colorado School of Mines and Industry Investigate Sustainable Lunar Resource Extraction

A world leader in terrestrial excavation technology, Colorado School of Mines is fostering new generation of engineers intent on Moon prospecting within Center for Space Resources directed by (L-R) Angel Abbud-Madrid; Graduate student Justin Cyrus, in possession of precedent-setting US$0.10 NASA contract for Lunar extraction, plans Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) to support Nokia LTE buildout NET Q4 2022; Startup Petra, led by Tesla cofounder Ian Wright, working on thermal boring machine ‘Swifty’ capable of 982° C heating while moving through rock at 12m / hr; $30M raised after Sioux Quartzite demonstration

Credits: CO School of Mines, NASA, Twitter, Youtube

Tuesday / 7 December 2021

Posted on by

Yutu-2 Moon Rover On Route to Investigate Unusual Rectangular Object within Von Karman Crater

The first mission to explore surface of the lunar far side, already traversing ~840m, soon reaching 3rd full year since landing 3 Jan 2019, has sighted a novel structure on 36th lunar day and is now in transit to it, ~80m distant from present location NW of Chang’e-4 lander, as reported by Andrew Jones via Our Space of China; While natural origin / geological formation is assumed, SETA advocates such as James Benford argue that lunar artifacts may be viable source of ET clues

Credits: CNSA