NASA Moon Exploration Program is Advancing a Year After Artemis 1 Launch Despite Obstacles

As November 16 marks 1 full year since the launch of ‘Mega Moon Rocket’ SLS carrying crew-rated Orion spacecraft on 25.5-day lunar flyby which extended to ~483,000-km from Earth, the furthest any such craft has traveled, the Artemis Program continues its to work to reestablish human activity on and around the Moon. Artemis 2 is officially scheduled to launch from KSC, LC-39B NET Nov 2024, carrying (L-R) Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch, on a 10-day (nominal) mission to Moon powered by multiple trans lunar injection maneuvers followed by free-return trajectory back to Earth. However, technical issues with the SLS core stage liquid oxygen tanks and supply chain problems caused by ‘other government programs that out-prioritized our hardware’ have delayed shipping from Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF), per NASA SLS Core Stage Design Team Lead Jonathan Looser. The Artemis 2 exploration stage is also being constructed at MAF, while booster segments are at KSC being configured in Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility ahead of transfer to Vehicle Assembly Building for final assembly and integration. NASA Office of the Inspector General 2023 Report identifies several impediments to achieving Artemis schedule goals, predicting Artemis 2 launch will slip into 2025 primarily due to Orion Crew Module readiness, while Artemis 3 is predicted to slip from Nov 2025 to 2026 pending SpaceX Starship HLS. With USA quarter-millennial approaching, NASA should set Artemis 3 launch NLT July 4, 2026. (Image Credits: Josh Valcarcel / NASA)

MONDAY 

☆ Nov 13 — International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 70 seven-member crew working with cargo from Dragon CRS-29 including ILLUMA-T laser communication relay; performing EarthKam lens changes, EMU maintenance, and onboard water analyses.

☆ Nov 13 — Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou 17 three-member crew demonstrating internal robotic arm tasks; experiments returned from space via Shenzhou 16 begin research studies on Earth.

☾ = Moon activity

★ = Space and… ☆ = International space / astro events in Hawaii Standard Time unless noted. Add 10 hours to obtain UT (‘Universal Time’).

Space Age Prospects in Southeast Asia: Thai Astronomy, Singapore Comms, Indonesia Launch Capability

The 11 countries, 5 time zones and 4.5 million km² of land mass comprising Southeast Asia (SEA) are home to ~680 million peoples—making it demographically about the size of Europe. The diversity in culture, geography and assets make it an intriguing area to consider collaborative 21st century space efforts such as those managed by the International Space Station, Event Horizon Telescope and European Space Agency. Thailand is a strategic center for astronomy in SEA and now operating 9 telescopes. The 2.4-m Thai National Observatory atop Doi Inthanon produces the most astronomy research for NARIT which also runs Thailand’s most comprehensive astronomy learning center Princess Sirindhorn Astro Park. The 40-m, single-dish Thai National Radio Telescope will soon be operational also in Chiang Mai. Singapore commerce and communications continue to advance, particularly with NewSpace organizations. Annually, Singapore Space and Technology Limited (SSTL) hosts one of the largest industry events Global Space and Technology Convention. Headquartered in Singapore, Transcelestial Technologies is developing next-gen wireless laser space communications while Qosmosys, having received a US$100M investment, is aiming for lunar missions which will communicate with Earth. Indonesia is the largest island group in the world with >17,000 islands and could take advantage of equatorial flight paths over low-to-no population zones. Currently the Stasiun Peluncuran Roket at Garut, West Java 7.6°S launches sounding rockets. Postponed for the time being, National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) announced in 2019 its plan to build a spaceport on Biak Island. (Image Credits: NARIT, LAPAN, NASA, Hanwha Systems Co.)

★ NET Nov 13 — SpaceX, Launch Super Heavy / Starship Orbital Test Flight, Starbase, Boca Chica TX: Super Heavy and Starship (Booster 9, Ship 25) launch vehicle to attempt nearly 1 full orbit of Earth culminating with re-entry and splashdown in Pacific ~100 km NW offshore of Kauai; launch window opens 07:00 CST.

☾ Nov 13 — Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE), Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit / Cislunar Space: NASA 12-U CubeSat Capstone acting as pathfinder for planned International Lunar Gateway reaches its 1st full year / enters 2nd year at NRHO having launch June 28, 2022 via Rocket Lab Electron Rocket.

● Nov 13 — NASA, Online / Washington DC: Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) LIFT-1 Industry Forum.

● Nov 13 — Intuitive Machines, Online / Houston TX: Intuitive Machines Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results Conference Call; 08:30 EST.

● Nov 13 — Astra, Online / Alameda CA: Astra Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results Update and Conference Call; 13:30 PST.

o Nov 13-17 — International Astronomical Union, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: IAU Symposium 386: Dark sky and Astronomical Heritage in Boosting Astro-Tourism Around the Globe.

o Nov 13-17 — Edge Technologies, Tarsus Aerospace, UAE Space Agency, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, et al, Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Dubai Airshow 2023.

☾ Nov 13 — Moon: 2.36° SSW of Mars, 03:00.

TUESDAY

o Nov 14-16 — Space Tech Expo, SmarterShows, Bremen, Germany: Space Tech Expo Europe.