> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://jatan.space/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Moon Monday #203: Artemis updates, China and Luna, ESA<>JAXA, and more - URL: https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-203/ - Published: 2024-11-25T10:43:30.000Z - Updated: 2024-12-19T15:59:52.000Z - Author: Jatan Mehta - Tags: Moon Monday, US Artemis, China and Luna *Thank you for having signed up for my no-award winning* [*Moon Monday*](https://jatan.space/tag/moon-monday) *blog+newsletter! Its motivation was to exist because nothing like it did to capture the world’s march to the Moon.* 🌝 *If you’re one of the 8,000+ lunatics who enjoys this free curated community resource, you can* [*copy this subscribe link*](https://jatan.space/subscribe) *to share it with other humans who might find it useful too. As an* [*independent writer*](https://jatan.space/about)*, every boost helps.* 🚀 ## Artemis updates - SpaceX performed the [sixth launch](https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=starship-flight-6) of its [Starship Super Heavy](https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship) rocket on November 19, successfully demonstrating the Starship upper stage [reigniting in space](https://www.youtube.com/live/DjDFirLcQDM?feature=shared&t=13034) as well as splashing back intact despite more aggressive atmospheric reentry conditions than prior flights, clearing the way for orbital tests next year. Between this latest Starship success, the US Federal Aviation Administration’s intent to [authorize increase in Starship launches](https://spacenews.com/faa-updates-environmental-review-for-increased-starship-launches/) to 25 next year, and the company’s [appetite for more](https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/11/spacex-president-predicts-rapid-increase-in-starship-launch-rate/) later in the decade, NASA’s road to putting astronauts on the Moon again continues [inching through Starship](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-197/). ![](https://jatan.space/content/images/2024/11/ppe-lunar-gateway-firing-illustration.jpg) Illustration of the PPE module firing on NASA‘s upcoming Gateway lunar orbital habitat. [Image: NASA / Alberto Bertolin](https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/gateway/gateway-tops-off/) - Technicians have added the [xenon and liquid fuel tanks](https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/gateway/gateway-tops-off/) to the [PPE propulsion module](https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-awards-artemis-contract-for-lunar-gateway-power-propulsion) of the upcoming NASA-led [Gateway lunar orbital habitat](https://www.nasa.gov/mission/gateway). Once ready, PPE will be mated with the Gateway’s also-being-assembled [HALO habitat module](https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-northrop-grumman-finalize-moon-outpost-living-quarters-contract/) for a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch [no earlier than 2027](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-187/#artemis-cannot-catch-a-break). - Lunar Outpost [signed an agreement](https://www.lunaroutpost.com/post/lunar-outpost-signs-with-spacex-for-starship-moon-mission) with SpaceX to fly Outpost’s version of the versatile Artemis [Lunar Terrain Vehicle](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-171/) (LTV) called [Lunar Dawn](https://www.lunaroutpost.com/ltv) on a Lunar Starship by end of decade. The company also [closed a Series A funding round](https://www.lunaroutpost.com/post/lunar-outpost-secures-series-a-funding-to-accelerate-commercial-pursuits-on-the-moon)—of an unspecified amount—the majority of which will go towards the LTV’s development so as to [compete for Artemis rover contracts](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-171/). Relatedly, Jeff Foust [reported](https://spacenews.com/leidos-replaces-lockheed-martin-on-artemis-rover-team/) in September that Lockheed Martin left Lunar Outpost’s LTV team, which made Outpost significantly change their rover design to remove Lockheed’s intellectual property contributions. Separately, and not replacing Lockheed’s role, Leidos joined the team to support work on astronaut safety and operations. This is based on their experience serving NASA at the International Space Station, and that NASA has [contracted](https://www.leidos.com/insights/leidos-awarded-476-million-nasa-cargo-mission-support-contract) Leidos to support cargo processing and management for Artemis missions too. [More Artemis updates 🚀](https://jatan.space/tag/artemis/) ## China’s Moon march continues ![](https://jatan.space/content/images/2024/02/https-3a-2f-2fsubstack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f8527c977-0027-4b01-8c2c-fb398ba88ebd_1084x850-jpeg.jpg) Illustration of the Chang’e 8 lander on the Moon’s south pole. [Image: CNSA](https://spacenews.com/china-outlines-change-8-resource-utilization-mission-to-the-lunar-south-pole) - Of the rather massive 200-kilogram payload capacity CNSA has reserved for international payloads on their upcoming [Chang’e 8](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-175/#prepare-for-crew-and-double-down-with-mission-eight) mission to explore the Moon’s south pole, about 35 kilograms might be grabbed by [Pakistan’s lunar rover](https://tribune.com.pk/story/2509494/suparcos-rover-to-explore-lunar-surface). If so, just like how [China helped Pakistan kickstart its lunar exploration](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-175/) with an orbiter on [Chang’e 6](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-174/) this year, Chinese engineers would aid development of Pakistan’s first lunar rover too. Targeting launch on a Long March 5 rocket in 2028, Chang’e 8 will explore the nature of local lunar polar resources like its soil and [water ice](https://jatan.space/ultimate-guide-to-water-on-the-moon/) and assess their utility with a [comprehensive suite of payloads](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-175/#prepare-for-crew-and-double-down-with-mission-eight). This will inform China’s strategies for when it begins [sending humans](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-176/) starting end of decade. - Andrew Jones reports that CALT [successfully conducted](https://spacenews.com/china-performs-fairing-separation-test-for-crewed-moon-mission-rocket/) a 5-meter-fairing separation test of China’s upcoming heavy-lift, crew-capable [Long March 10](https://spacenews.com/chinas-new-rocket-for-crew-and-moon-to-launch-in-2026/) rocket. Long March 10 will have a three-booster lunar variant with a larger fairing, whose separation system will be tested in the future. More tests of the Long March 10 systems are also in the pipeline according to the parent organization [CASC’s release](http://english.spacechina.com/n17212/c4228397/content.html). As such, coupled with China’s recent advances in designing a [suit](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-195/#a-sino-suit-for-luna) and [rover](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-200/) for lunar astronauts, the country continues its steady march to [land a human on the Moon](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-176/) by end of decade. ![](https://jatan.space/content/images/2024/11/long-march-10-fairing-separation-test-1.jpg) Payload fairing halves of the Long March 10 rocket lying beside a large test structure after a fairing separation test (humans on the edges for scale). [Image: CALT](https://spacenews.com/china-performs-fairing-separation-test-for-crewed-moon-mission-rocket/) - China tested [its first inflatable space module](https://spacenews.com/china-quietly-tested-its-first-inflatable-space-module-in-orbit/) in Earth orbit sometime by October 10 but only revealed the same on [November 21](https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/exwqb4SbyWSjjkw7gYrOVA). An [accompanying CASC release](http://english.spacechina.com/n17212/c4228415/content.html) notes that technological advancements stemming from this demonstration “will provide technical support for China’s major space projects, such as its space station and manned lunar landing projects”. The latter would notably include China’s Moonbase on the lunar south pole called the [International Lunar Research Station](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-177/), which the country plans to build in the 2030s for long-term habitability of astronauts as well as to have continuous robotic science and exploration operations. A related development of [lunar soil simulant bricks](https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3277453/chinese-astronauts-will-test-sample-bricks-moon-research-base) is captured well on November 22 [by Celestial Citizen](https://celestialcitizen.substack.com/p/starships-most-fruitful-flight-test): > When it’s not throwing around its lunar rocket parts, China is sending spacecraft to Tiangong, with the nation’s Tianzhou-8 cargo ship arriving at the space station just last week. The spacecraft [delivered 6,000 kg of supplies](https://spacenews.com/tianzhou-8-spacecraft-delivers-supplies-key-experiments-to-tiangong-space-station/) for Shenzhou 19, a crew of three, including some bricks made of lunar regolith simulant. The astronauts will install the bricks outside the space station to test their durability in high-radiation conditions, as a way to assess whether the soil could be a reliable material to build lunar habitats. [More China and Luna updates 🌗](https://jatan.space/tag/china-and-luna/) --- *Many thanks to* [***Open Lunar Foundation***](https://www.openlunar.org) *and* [***Joseph J. Biernat***](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-j-biernat-24858425) *for sponsoring this week’s Moon Monday! If you too appreciate my efforts to publish this curated community resource for free,* [*support my independent writing*](https://jatan.space/support)*.* --- ## ESA<>JAXA--@Luna ![](https://jatan.space/content/images/2024/11/esa-moonlight-graphic.jpg) [Image: ESA](https://www.esa.int/About%5FUs/Corporate%5Fnews/ESA%5Fadvances%5Fits%5Fplan%5Ffor%5Fsatellites%5Faround%5Fthe%5FMoon) ESA and JAXA [announced](https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2024/11/20241120-1%5Fe.html) that the two agencies will keenly examine opportunities for cooperation and collaboration across a whole range of space projects by both parties. Within the lunar exploration spectrum, options span: - JAXA’s upcoming polar-water-studying [LUPEX](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-183/#the-indo-japanese-rover-mission) mission with ISRO - ESA’s upcoming [Moonlight constellation](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-198/#moonlight-in-motion-and-contrasting-queqiao) of communications and navigation satellites ([navcom](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-185/)) - ESA’s existing projects of analog mission testing with [LUNA](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-195/) and astronaut training with [Pangaea](https://www.esa.int/Science%5FExploration/Human%5Fand%5FRobotic%5FExploration/CAVES%5Fand%5FPangaea/What%5Fis%5FPangaea) - upcoming [Gateway science](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-162/#a-gist-of-gateway-science) by both agencies - JAXA’s [upcoming pressurized habitable rover](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-172/) for Artemis astronauts - and ESA’s [Argonaut cargo lander](https://europeanspaceflight.com/esa-targets-2031-for-first-argonaut-lunar-lander-mission/) flying in the 2030s This sounds promising. ✨ ## More Moon ![](https://jatan.space/content/images/2024/11/canada-first-lunar-rover-prototype.jpg) A prototype of Canada’s upcoming first lunar rover undergoing testing on CSA's analog terrain in Canada which simulates lunar surface conditions. [Image: CSA](https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/multimedia/search/image/18892) - CSA is [calling all Canadians](https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/news/articles/2024/2024-11-20-what-should-we-call-the-first-canadian-rover-on-the-moon.asp) to vote for naming [the country’s first lunar rover](https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronomy/moon-exploration/first-canadian-rover-to-explore-the-moon.asp) as either *Athabasca*, *Courage*, *Glacier*, or *Pol-R*. I quite like *Glacier* since it alludes to the mission’s purpose of helping explore [water ice](https://jatan.space/ultimate-guide-to-water-on-the-moon) deposits on the Moon’s south pole but I’m not Canadian. CSA [chose Canadensys](https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronomy/moon-exploration/first-canadian-rover-to-explore-the-moon.asp) in November 2022 to develop the rover. It was supposed to launch on a NASA-funded [CLPS](https://jatan.space/nasa-clps-moon-missions) lunar lander in 2026 but since no specific vendor has been identified or made public yet, we should expect a launch delay. - In preparation for ISRO’s upcoming [Chandrayaan 4](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-194/) sample return mission, the ISRO-affiliated PRL institute conducted an in-person [inaugural workshop for students](https://metmess2024.ipsa-asso.in/assets1/img/ksc.pdf) to teach them via lab visits and hands-on sessions how to handle and analyze space and planetary samples. PRL’s Director [Anil Bhardwaj](https://www.prl.res.in/prl-eng/director) stressed at the [accompanying conference](https://metmess2024.ipsa-asso.in), which was also held in person and one I attended, that more such workshops are planned not just for students but for professional scientists across India since realizing Chandrayaan 4 necessitates building national capacity to thoroughly prepare, store, curate, characterize, and analyze the first set of space samples to be fetched by India. - **Explore:** [Views of our Moon 🌙](https://jatan.space/lunasights/) [Moon rocks in 3D 🪨](https://ares.jsc.nasa.gov/astromaterials3d/apollo-lunar.htm) [Apollo rocks in a virtual microscope 🔬](https://www.virtualmicroscope.org/collections/apollo)