Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 Jan 2022

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SLS ‘Mega Moon Rocket’ with Integrated Orion Spacecraft Prepares for Rollout / Wet Dress Rehearsal

Simulated countdown sequencing software / hardware test is last step before highly anticipated (12th year of $23B+ program) rollout of USA flagship Space Launch System from KSC Vehicle Assembly Building to historic Launch Pad 39B, as problematic RS-25 engine controller replaced and checked; Fueled dress rehearsal set to occur NET mid-Feb followed by hot fire and inaugural Artemis 1 uncrewed lunar flyby NET March; Elements of Artemis 2-4 crafts currently being manufactured with ULA Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (Decatur AL) and Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25 engines (New Orleans LA) being readied for KSC shipment

Credits: NASA

Friday / 14 January 2022

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Intuitive Machines and Partners Build Commercial Communications Network Ahead of 3 Moon Missions

Lunar Telemetry and Tracking Network (LTN) commercial cislunar communications system first tested with Goonhilly Earth Station (UK) GHY-6 deep space antenna / ESA INTEGRAL gamma ray space observatory, now validated with Live Sky test utilizing Morehead State University 21-m Space Tracking Antenna / NASA LRO feeding data to Houston-based Nova Control; CSIRO Parkes 64-m Radio Telescope (Australia) is largest receiver in LTN; Network communications hardware and software provided by Clear-Com of Alameda CA; IM-1 / IM-2 launching 2022, IM-3 in 2023

Credits: Intuitive Machines, NASA, MSU

Tuesday / 11 January 2022

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Russia Holding Firm on July 2022 Launch of Luna-25, Possible World’s First Soft Landing In MSP Region

In a country noted for scientific achievement, Russian Academy of Sciences President Alexander Sergeyev heralds Luna-25 as “main scientific event of 2022” for nation; The long-awaited mission features a 1,750kg Luna-Glob craft with 30kg payload capacity for 9 science experiments probing exosphere plasma/dust, regolith, and imaging local environment to be launched from Vostochny spaceport via Soyuz-2.1b with Fregat upper stage; Landing site near Boguslavsky crater at 69.55°S, 43.54°E would be southernmost lunar soft landing in history (currently held by Chang’e-4 at 45.5°S, 177.6°E)

Credits: Roscosmos, NASA, Kremlin

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 Jan 2022

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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