Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 Aug 2020

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Roscosmos Luna 25 To Moon South Pole Region 2021, And Japan ispace Hakuto-R 2022 Forge Ahead With Landing Plans

Russia Luna 25, Destined For Boguslavsky Crater Launching 1 Oct 2021 From Vostochny, Commences Science Instruments Integration; Its Soyuz Launch Secondary Payload Capacity Being Offered To Customers Via GK Launch Services; Hakuto-R Commercial Lander To Launch 2022 On SpaceX Falcon 9 Surpasses Critical Design Review; Now Plans For 30-kg Of Total Payloads To Be Delivered On Smaller, Light Craft (2.3-meter Tall, 2.6-meter Wide, 1,050-kg) Taking 2X As Long To Reach Moon Mid-Latitude Site; 2nd Lander On Track For 2023

Pictured: ispace Team Members; Credits: ispace, Lavochkin, Roscosmos, NASA

Friday / 7 Aug 2020

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India Chandrayaan-3 Progresses While LRO Gives Hope That Pragyan Rover Survived Crash

ISRO Chair K Sivan (R) States Agency Analyzing Data After Space Enthusiast Compares NASA LRO Chandrayaan-2 Images Taken Nov 2019 & Jan 2020 Finding Possibility That Pragyan Rover May Be Intact And Rolled Out After 6 Sep 2019 Impact Near 70°S; Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter With 8 Payloads Continues Operations & Will Contribute To ~US$86M Chandrayaan-3 Mission Launching Q2 2021; VSSC Director S Somanath Confirms Plans For Chandrayaan-4 And Beyond; Partnership With JAXA May Produce 2024 Lunar Polar Exploration Mission Of South Pole Lander + Rover

Credits: NASA, LRO, ISRO, Shanmuga Subramanian via Twitter

Tuesday / 28 July 2020

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Nuclear Power R&D Sought From USA Private Sector To Support Sustainable Moon-Mars Settlements

Dept Of Energy (DoE) Solicits Ideas For Off-Earth Fission Surface Power System Which Will Be Evaluated By Idaho National Lab & NASA; 2-Phase Plan Could See 10-kW Artemis Test Reactor, Flight System + Lander On Moon 2026; Operating Without Need For Water Cooling Is Major Advantage Of Micro-Reactors; Power Source Independent Of Sun To Survive Lunar Night & Establish Deep-Space Settlements Is Vital; ‘Kilopower‘ Reactor In Development With DoE Since 2012; After Nuclear Fusion & Lunar Mining Are Established, Helium-3 Utilization Could Be Next

Pictured: Idaho National Lab at bottom right; Credits: NASA, Pat Rawlings, Office of Enterprise Assessments, US DoE

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 July 2020

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Leaders Unveil Positions On Human Moon Missions While International Robotic Fleet Depart For Mars

As UAE / Japan, China, USA Launch Inspirational Interplanetary Expeditions, Domestic Political Dynamics Closely Monitored By Space, Lunar Community — Artemis Moon Program At Critical Stage Of Development, Needing Multipartisan Support; Scott Pace (L) Of National Space Council Releases Strategy Document ‘A New Era For Deep Space Exploration And Development’ In Which Primary Nature Of SPD-1 Emphasized, As Is Enterprise, Adequate Funding, R&D, Infrastructure; DNC Party Platform Also Expresses Support For Human Moon Landing, ISS, NOAA; John Logsdon Of GWU Credited With Influencing Emerging Consensus On Vital Nature Of Moon Activity, Habitation

Credits: Blue Origin, SpaceX, Dynetics, NSC, GWU; Also Pictured: Sen. Kamala Harris

Friday / 24 July 2020

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ISRO Releasing Chandrayaan-2 Data Globally In October, Preparing Chandrayaan-3 For 2021 Launch

Chand-2 Orbiter 8 Payloads Performing Nominally In 100-km Lunar Polar Orbit, Now >1 Year Into Mission As Of 22 July; ISRO Planning To Share Internationally: Highest-Res 3D Moon Map, Science Data Sets On Surface Water-Ice And Minerals / Metals, Argon-40, Exosphere, Solar X-rays; ISRO Chair K. Sivan States Chand-2 Mission “Has Achieved 98% Of Its Objectives”; Chand-3 Lander + Rover Estimated Cost ~US$91.2M, Will Utilize Chand-2 Orbiter, Launch To Moon South Pole Region 1st Half 2021

Credits: ISRO

Tuesday / 21 July 2020

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Gender Equality, Human Flourishing Are Driving Forces In Artemis Moon Return

First Woman / Next Man To Set Foot On Moon Are Among Current NASA Astronaut Corps Who Have Worked On ISS —  A Requirement That 9 Women Now Meet, 7 Other Female Astronauts Including Zena Cardman Of VA May Fly Before 2024; Per Administrator Bridenstine, A “Transformational”, “Incredible” Event “For Young Women… All Across The World”; Uplifting Motivation Will Expand Woman Sphere Of Influence / Domain, A Necessary Condition For Equality; Increasing Humanity Area Of Habitat Will Mitigate Terrestrial Carrying Capacity Issues In Progressive, Inspiring Manner

Credits: NASA, SPC, ILOA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 July 2020

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Humanity Strives Toward Achievement Of Multi-World Habitation

As UAE/JAXA, China, USA Prepare Vessels Destined For Mars Orbit, Atmosphere And Surface, Chang’e -4 Lander And Yutu-2 Rover Continue Pioneering Geophysical / Astronomical Observation And Traversment Of Lunar Farside Surface, Citizens Of Earth Pause To Reflect On Incredible Accomplishments Of The First Space Era; Apollo 11 Moon Landing Commemorated For 51st Time On Moonday, July 20 As Space Exploration Day; Inscription “We Came In Peace For All” On Mare Tranquillitatis Landing Site Remains Poignant Moral Guidance, As Does Antarctica Treaty Model Allowing Only Peaceful Military Presence

Credits: CNSA, NASA, UAESA, Antarctic Treaty System

Friday / 17 July 2020

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NASA JPL Miniaturized Payload Concept Contest Advances Lunar Exploration Technology

Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative Awards US$160K Through ‘Honey I Shrunk The Payload’ Competition; Design Parameters Constrain Surface Probes To Mass Of 0.4kg, Physical Dimensions Of 100mm x 100mm x 50mm; 14 International Teams And Individuals Selected From 132 Entries; Team Sun Slicers Led By Phil Jobson Takes Lunar Environment Category 1st Place ($30K) For XRAY Spectrometer, Puli Space Technologies Led By (L-R) David Lucsanyi And Tibor Pacher Wins 1st In Resource Potential Category For Lunar Water Snooper ($30K); Crowdsourcing Platform HeroX, Created By Peter Diamandis, Utilized Throughout Contest

Credits: NASA, Puli Space Technologies, Team Sun Slicers, HeroX, Team Stardust, Monash Nova Rover Team

Tuesday / 14 July 2020

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China, Argentina, USA Student Teams Design Rovers To Be Raced On Moon

Intuitive Machines, Builder Of Nova-C Lander – Set To Be (October 2021) One Of The First Commercial Craft To Land On Moon – In Conjunction With Education / Media Enterprise Moon Mark Awards 3 International Efforts From 35 Entries Spanning 11 Nations US$1000 Prizes For Lunar Race Car Design Challenge; IM VP Trent Martin Says Program Intended “Specifically To Inspire The Next Generation” And With STEM Educations “They Might Eventually Change The World”; 6 Teams Will Begin Construction (January 2021) Of Racing Rovers Totaling 10kg Out Of 100-kg Lander Payload Capacity

Credits: Intuitive Machines, Moon Mark

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 July 2020

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USA And Japan Sign Joint Exploration Declaration Of Intent On Artemis

NASA Administrator Bridenstine Signs JEDI With Koichi Hagiuda, Japan Minister Of Education, Culture, Sports, Science And Technology; Specific Commitments Yet To Be Formalized, JAXA Will Likely Collaborate On International Habitation Module, Energy And Gas Storage On Gateway; Also Will Contribute Mission Data From 2022 Smart Lander For Investigating Moon And Offer Next Generation Cargo Capacity Via Uncrewed HTV-X Powered By H3 Rocket In 2022; Crewed Rover Being Developed In Conjunction With Toyota Motor Company For 2029

Credits: NASA, JAXA, Toyota