NASA Artemis and CLPS lunar mission updates minus the PR fluff, as all things should be
Moon Monday #296
Latest
Chandrayaan 3’s rigorous Moon landing approach reminds us of the testing regime key to future global success in space
Moon Monday #295 and Indian Space Progress #44: The story of an automated lunar descent done right.
Why explore our Moon
Moon Monday #294. Plus a poetic ode to Luna.
Water on the Moon and Chandrayaan the first, collaboratively catalyzing a global lunar rush
Moon Monday #293 and Indian Space Progress #43.
Poem: Always around
Gracious gray amid the blue & bright Surreal silver against the night Sometimes an uncanny crescent or a gibbous glow in ascent Other times a hollow halo or a cloud glow Reflective and rolling, when near Stony stark skyline, when on it Cosmic microcosm, when held Enticing enigma, when leaving
Moon Monday #292: An obsessively linked rundown of recent global lunar exploration and cooperation updates
I link so you can click.
China is building a lunar navigation and communications network. Lasers shine again in latest demonstration.
Moon Monday #291: A comprehensive review of each major component China has demonstrated towards such a lunar network.
The fiery origin of our Moon tied to Earth, as unraveled by scientists through Apollo and now modern missions
Moon Monday #290: Lunar samples brought by Apollo missions transformed our understanding of the Moon’s formation and Earth’s past. Chang’e and Chandrayaan missions have newly enriched the endeavor as scientists continue unraveling its complex layers.
Exploring the marvel that are mountains on the Moon
Moon Monday #289: They form near-instantly and offer a peak into the Moon's interior, improving our understanding of planets across the Solar System and beyond.
Skyroot Vikram-1, the least worst case scenario for India’s launch crisis
Indian Space Progress #41-42: A garden does not save the forest.
Rocket equation 101: Revealing our Moon’s value as a launchpad
Moon Monday #288: Realizations from fundamental physics at the heart of the rocket equation. Paired with memes for fun and poetry for ethics.
Poem: On the edge
Craft launched from Luna, no tether can go farther, faster while being lighter Exploring more worlds with joy and curiosity hosting ideas, deploying empathy and even skepticism for humanity From the edge of a gravitational well they can push the discourse and shape its course All of these futures can
Moon Monday
Moon Monday #287: Mission updates from China, the US, Europe, and Japan
Before we begin, I’m thrilled to share that Open Lunar Foundation is continuing as a sponsor of my Moon Monday blog+newsletter for the sixth year! 🌕 Open Lunar is a US-based non-profit organization with a global team that develops bottom-up tools of lunar governance to enable
Articles
Our Moon is two-faced. Science missions unravel its layers.
Moon Monday #286: China’s Chang’e 6 samples have helped scientists decipher enigmatic layers of the lunar farside, leaving a curious trail for future missions to build upon.
Moon Monday
Upcoming missions to the Moon’s farside—that’s definitely not its dark side.
Moon Monday #285
Explore
Articles on asteroids, comets, and dwarf worlds
* Why explore asteroids, comets, and other small worlds * When to worry about an asteroid hitting Earth * Psyche, exploring a metal world * Japan wants to sample Mars’ moon Phobos with its MMX mission * Weirdest types of moons in our Solar System Related: Articles on moons other than our Moon Like my
Explore
Explore our Moon!
A curated page of resources to learn and share how countries worldwide have explored our stellar cosmic companion.
Explore
Slightly different articles on Mars and missions to it
I’m very much a Moon person but I’ve written a bit about Mars over the years as well, highlighting a few key aspects about the red planet’s exploration which I thought aren’t discussed as much or in detail. NASA explores Mars * Looking back at Pathfinder as
Moon Monday
The Moon’s south pole is a place of promise and perils. Effective data sharing will benefit and save everyone.
Moon Monday #283: Some engineers and scientists are leading by example.
Moon Monday
Achievements and shortfalls in global lunar exploration this half year | Moon Monday #282
A contextualized overview of the world’s Moon exploration efforts.
Moon Monday
Lessons on lapses in lunar missions operations from the 20th century | Moon Monday #281
Announcement before we begin: I’m excited to welcome PierSight as a returning sponsor of my independent space writing for another year! 🌙 Ahmedabad-based PierSight is building a constellation of SAR satellites equipped with AIS sensors for persistent, all-weather ocean studies and monitoring. With $8 million raised in funds,
Moon Monday
Smashing success: The time NASA figured out our Moon is cratered all the way down | Moon Monday #280
Plus: What the agency’s planning in the lead up to safe Apollo astronaut landings teaches us about preparing for the next frontier this century.
Moon Monday
Artemis III, test like you won’t fly?
Moon Monday #279: “Artemis updates inside”, like “intel inside”. All puns intended.
Indian Space
India and the dream of an orbital launch trifecta | Part 5 of ISRO’s rocket crisis
Indian Space Progress #39-40: How a multitude of causes slow down the pace of India’s launch vehicles, and what would it take for the country to achieve an optimum “hat-trick” state given its many needs and ambitions in space.
