Moon Monday
Moon Monday #237: China completes large lander test in latest milestone to put humans on the Moon
Reviewing all recent advances from China as it prepares to perform crewed Moon missions. Plus more mission updates.
US Artemis
By Jatan Mehta | Coverage, with context, of NASA’s Artemis and CLPS programs to return humans and robots to the Moon after Apollo. This time to (hopefully) stay.
Moon Monday
Moon Monday #236: A third orbiter-lander-rover trio to fire-and-fly
I’m thrilled to welcome Astrolab as a continuing yearly sponsor of my Moon Monday blog+newsletter! California-based Venturi Astrolab Inc. (Astrolab) is developing the large multi-purpose rovers of FLEX and FLIP for advanced exploration of our Moon this decade and next. Through FLEX, Astrolab leads one of the three
Articles
Everything you need to know about NASA CLPS Moon landing missions
A look at the armada of robotic landers NASA is riding to the Moon this decade.
Moon Monday
Moon Monday #235: Artemis and other mission updates
Read to the end for a jolly Jovian update!
Moon Monday
Moon Monday #232: Still free mission updates
And encouraging information sharing.
Moon Monday
Moon Monday #231: Achievements and shortfalls in Moon exploration this half year
A review of notable developments by country or region.
Moon Monday
Moon Monday #230: China leaps again in its steady march to Luna while NASA’s progress on Artemis remains a mixed bag
A look at recent Chinese milestones in the build up to crewed lunar missions, another blow(up) for Artemis, how Firefly’s Ocula can fill critical gaps for NASA, and more.
Moon Monday
Moon Monday #229: China extends lead in lunar orbital infrastructure, gets an edge in future crewed missions over the US
Plus: Examples of how Western media narratives of Chinese lunar activities misjudge capabilities and intent
US Artemis
Moon Monday #228: The need for resilience in private lunar landing missions through expansive and collaborative testing
ispace Japan’s second Moon lander RESILIENCE launched in January with the aim of a Moon landing. But just like its predecessor Hakuto-R’s fate about two years ago, RESILIENCE crashed into the Moon during its landing attempt on June 6. It was a moment of heartbreak for several lunar
US Artemis
Moon Monday #227: Proposed cuts, cancellations, continuations, and changes to NASA’s lunar missions
And other mission updates.
Moon Monday
Moon Monday #226: Blue Origin aims to launch its first two Moon missions by next year—with nearly no NASA payloads
Plus: Firefly to carry UAE’s second lunar rover and more.
US Artemis
Moon Monday #225: Lots of global lunar mission updates 🌙
Key news of the month: China has achieved daytime Earth-Moon distance measurement wherein a 1.2-meter telescope reflected an infrared laser off of a small retroreflector on the 61-kilogram Tiandu 1 lunar orbiter. This was the first ever daytime laser distance measurement using an orbiter, accomplished despite massive interference from