Lunar Landings News and Discussions

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Private Companies Race to the Moon: Japan Spacecraft Set to Take Early Lead
by Elizabeth Gibney
November 14, 2022

Introduction:
(Nature) A lunar craft made by a Japanese company is vying to become the first commercial mission to land on the Moon. ispace’s M1 lander is scheduled to launch around 22 November from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The lander will carry payloads, including Moon rovers, for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Japanese Space Agency, JAXA. If the mission is successful, the vehicles will mark both countries’ first forays onto the Moon’s surface; so far only the space agencies of the United States, China and the Soviet Union have successfully landed there.

M1, part of ispace’s Hakuto-R programme, will launch on a rocket built by SpaceX, based in Hawthorne, California. The craft will take a circuitous route to the Moon, so it will land sometime at the end of March or in early April 2023, depending on its final launch date. This means that it could yet be overtaken by other commercial missions launching in 2023.

Destination, Moon!

The Moon has become a popular destination among national space agencies and private companies. The success of the missions by ispace and other firms will be a “huge, important step to developing the lunar ecosystem”, says Ryo Ujiie, chief technology officer at ispace. This system is ultimately geared towards harvesting water on the Moon. Some companies hope that lunar water can be used to produce rocket fuel that could eventually make Solar System exploration cheaper.

A successful mission for a private company funded by its customers will be “pretty exciting”, because it will show that the model works, opening the door for other firms, says Calzada Diaz, who previously worked at ispace. And research is likely to benefit, she adds. “Just knowing that it’s easier, faster and possible to go to the Moon more often is already important for science.”
Read more here: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-03675-8
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NASA Just Successfully Launched Its Artemis 1 Moon Rocket
November 16, 2022

Introduction:
(Science Alert) After two failed attempts, NASA has successfully launched its Moon-bound megarocket the Space Launch System, which will travel beyond the far side of the Moon and back – further than any other habitable spacecraft so far.

The Artemis 1 mission is the first step in NASA's plan to return to the Moon for the first time in 50 years, and eventually travel to Mars in the 2030s.

The rocket launched at 0648 UTC Wednesday 16 November 2022 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

By 0657 UTC NASA announced that the SLS rocket had reached main engine cutoff in the mission timeline. The RS-25 engines powered off and the core stage had separated.

The next step is for the solar arrays to be deployed so that the rocket can be powered by the Sun.
Read more here: https://www.sciencealert.com/breaking- ... on-rocket
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Don't mourn, organize.

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NASA capsule on way to moon after launch by giant new rocket
Source: AP

By MARCIA DUNN
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A space capsule hurtled toward the moon Wednesday for the first time in 50 years, following a thunderous launch of NASA’s mightiest rocket in a dress rehearsal for astronaut flights.

No one was on board this debut flight, just three test dummies. The capsule is headed for a wide orbit around the moon and then a return to Earth with a Pacific splashdown in about three weeks.

After years of delays and billions in cost overruns, the Space Launch System rocket roared skyward, rising from Kennedy Space Center on 8.8 million pounds (4 million kilograms) of thrust and hitting 100 mph (160 kph) within seconds. The Orion capsule was perched on top and, less than two hours into the flight, busted out of Earth’s orbit toward the moon.

“It was pretty overwhelming,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. ”We’re going out to explore the heavens, and this is the next step.”


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/nasa-moon-ro ... osition_10
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NASA Awards SpaceX Second Contract Option for Artemis Moon Landing

Nov 15, 2022

NASA has awarded a contract modification to SpaceX to further develop its Starship human landing system to meet agency requirements for long-term human exploration of the Moon under Artemis.

With this addition, SpaceX will provide a second crewed landing demonstration mission in 2027 as part of NASA’s Artemis IV mission.

“Returning astronauts to the Moon to learn, live, and work is a bold endeavor. With multiple planned landers, from SpaceX and future partners, NASA will be better positioned to accomplish the missions of tomorrow: conducting more science on the surface of the Moon than ever before and preparing for crewed missions to Mars,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa ... -landing-0


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Artemis: Nasa expects humans to live on Moon this decade
Humans could stay on the Moon for lengthy periods during this decade, a Nasa official has told the BBC.

Howard Hu, who leads the Orion lunar spacecraft programme for the agency, said habitats would be needed to support scientific missions.

He told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that Wednesday's launch of the Artemis rocket, which carries Orion, was a "historic day for human space flight".

Orion is currently about 134,000km (83,300 miles) from the Moon.

The 100m-tall Artemis rocket blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center as part of Nasa's mission to take astronauts back to Earth's satellite.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63688229

Not sure if they mean a moon colony or a small moon outpost but realistically i would think more like the 2040s?
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The orbital mechanics. :shock:

To know is essentially the same as not knowing. The only thing that occurs is the rearrangement of atoms in your brain.
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raklian wrote: Mon Nov 21, 2022 8:40 pm The orbital mechanics. :shock:

Why until Dec. 11? Such an expensive (?) spacecraft should last more I guess.
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