Artemis Coalition And International Lunar Efforts Show Steady Progression
SLS Rocket, Central To Achieving USA Space Policy Directive 1 / Human Moon Landings, To Conduct Fueled Rehearsal Test Of Core Stage NET 7 Dec, Hot Fire NET 21 Dec; NASA Expanding CLPS Program, Releasing RFP For Payloads And Research Investigations On The Surface Of The Moon (PRISM), Lunar Science Slated For Late 2023 / Early 2024 Delivery; Zhongguo / China To Attempt First Lunar Sample Return In 44+ Years On 23 Nov (21:00 UTC); ESA Ground Stations Providing Support For Chang’e-5 Month-Long Mission Also To Assist In Artemis Series
Credits: NASA, ESA, CNSA
Canadian Space Society (Société Spatiale Canadienne) Is Premier Space Advocacy Organization Of Canada With Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg Chapters; Canadian Space Summit 2020 Continues Mission To Inform, Educate, Engage And Shape Policy In Advancement of Human Activity In Space With Theme ‘To Lunar And Beyond’; Keynote Speakers Include (L-R) Parshati Patel Of Institute For Earth And Space Exploration, Former UN COPUOS Chair David Kendall, Kate Howells Of Planetary Society And IIAS Space Medicine Director Shawna Pandya; Montreal Student Space Associations To Give “180-Seconds To A Degree” Award Selected From Submissions Due 21 Nov
Moon Exploration Company ispace, Fueled By US$125M+ Funding, Opens Location In Denver CO; 1st Generation Lander Hakuto-R Set For 2022 / 2023 Missions Has ~30-kg Payload Capacity, Design Of New Heavier Class Lander Meeting CLPS / Artemis Requirements To Be Overseen By USA Lander Program Director Kursten O’Neill (L) And CEO Kyle Acierno (R), Production To Be Contracted To General Atomics; ispace Has Grand Vision Of “One Earth-Moon Ecosystem” Actualized Through Mission Sequence In Which “Swarms Of Rovers” Facilitate Human Activity On Lunar Surface
USA Newspace Company Intuitive Machines Set For
Administrator Jim Bridenstine Signals Term Will Not Extend Into Biden/Harris Government, Reported By Aerospace Daily; Current NASA Head Ranks “Continuity Of Purpose” As Vital Aspect Of Program Success, Which Has Seen Lunar Progress Stymied By Inter-Administration Reprioritization In Past; “Bipartisan, Apolitical… Strong Support For Artemis” Found On “Both Sides Of The Aisle”, Bridenstine Assures; With Appointment 23 April 2018, The 13th NASA Administration May Be Shorter In Duration Than Historically Typical, However Achievements (Building Artemis Coalition, Human Lander Contracts) Have Significantly Advanced Space / Lunar Exploration Momentum
Administrator Jim Bridenstine Says NASA Wants To Recreate “The Awe Of Apollo For A New Generation – The Artemis Generation” By Utilizing Contemporary And Innovative Visual Technologies Such As High Definition Recording, Wide Angle/Panoramic Lenses, Virtual Reality, Digital Compression, Selfie Sticks And Body Cameras During Artemis II, 2023; Media, Academia, Industry, Organizations And Individuals Are Encouraged To Submit Imagery Ideas NLT 11 Dec; Bridenstine Widely Praised Within Space Community For Deftly Steering Major Powers Toward Moon Exploration Coalition Despite Uncertain Political Realities, And Ought To Be Retained
Canadian Space Agency LEAP Offering Capability Demonstration Funds From US$115M / 5-year Allocation; Projects Intended To Display Canada-Produced Technology Useful To International Artemis Partnership; $1.9M Already Granted To Canadensys Aerospace Of Ontario For Development And Deployment Of 360° Panoramic Lunar Surface Imager, $644,000 Awarded To NGC Aerospace For GNSS-style Moon Network Which Will Aid Precision Landing, Both Are Expected To Launch NLT April 2024; Upcoming LEAP Cycles 3 And 4 (Due 26 Feb And 27 Aug 2021, Respectively) Are To Distribute Up To $3.1M/Each
LRO Data Indicates ~10-20% Of PSRs Sufficiently Cool (<110 K) To Allow Ice Formation Are Depressions Casting 1-cm – 1-km Shadows, Widely Dispersed Across Moon Polar Regions (>80° Latitude); Inclusion Of “Mini Cold Traps” In Study By UC Boulder / PSI Researchers Suggests Total Possible Lunar Ice Containing Area Is ~40,000 km2 (23,000 km2 Within <20° Moon South Pole, 17,000 km2 Within <20° Moon North Pole); Total PSRs Comprise Just 0.15% Of Total Surface Area; Relatively Small Cold Traps May Offer More Favorable Mission Parameters Than Large Craters
With Regular Moon Delivery Of Equipment, Experiments, Supplies Commencing With CLPS 1 And 2 Missions In 2021, NASA Considering Unique Load-Out Challenges On Lunar Surface; Utilizing HeroX Crowdsourcing Platform Founded By Peter Diamandis (T), Led By CEO Christian Cotichini (B), Competition To Award US$10K For 1st Place Solution, 2 $4500 Prizes For 2nd, 3 $2,000 Prizes For 3rd ($25k Total); Concepts To Be Judged On 6 Criteria: Lunar Surface Applicability, Design Flexibility, Proposal Quality, Autonomy, Mass / Volume Optimization, Reliability/ Feasibility; Contest Ends January 19, 2021 17:00 EST
First Session Of International Astronautical Federation Global Networking Forum Space Conversations Series 28 Oct Will Feature JAXA Space Exploration System Technology Unit Director / ISECG Chair Naoki Sato Presenting On