China preps complex Chang’e 7 mission to study lunar water while US Artemis III rejigs.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Subscribe
Blog of Jatan Mehta, a globally published independent space writer, author of Moon Monday, and invited speaker.
- Generator
- Ghost 6.5
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Shedding light on solar activity and the Moon’s exosphere—a Diwali gift from Chandrayaan 2
Moon Monday #247 and Indian Space Progress #32
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
An assortment of lunar papers from around the world | Moon Monday #246
Like Moon-made M&Ms. 🍬😋
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Moon Monday #245: Blue origin to hunt for a lunar oasis
Plus mission updates.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Moon Monday #244: Towards lunar construction
Before we begin, a clarifying note about the title of the previous Moon Monday: An Amazon delivery for NASA’s VIPER rover? Well, I’ve received many emails saying how Amazon has a distinct space entity from Blue Origin. It’s fair to point that out but
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Moon Monday #243: An Amazon delivery for NASA’s VIPER rover?
Plus Chandrayaan 3 research updates and more.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Verses: Hope in desolation
Space just desolate…and yet humans launch hopeto explore some more
Image: Xinhua | See the first note at the end
On our Moonfrom where the Sun never shines,a new era will dawn.
The rim of the 10-kilometer-wide Erlanger crater on the Moon’s north pole.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Moon Monday #242: Artemis II advances, and so does Long March 10 🔥
Plus mission updates.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
We’re building future technologies for the Moon without closing missed milestones
A review of upcoming and past lunar missions of this decade shows a wide gap between notions of technological progress versus achieved reality.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Chandrayaan 4 will bring unique Moon materials—and maybe a giant scientific leap for India
Moon Monday #241 and Indian Space Progress #31
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
No, Starship’s latest success doesn’t favor the US over China in landing humans on Luna | Moon Monday #240
Plus mission updates.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Our Moon is valuable even beyond itself | Moon Monday #239
And how science does not exist in a (lunar) vacuum.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Moon Monday #238: The long march to Luna continues
Plus Artemis updates.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Notable nuances about NISAR and how it flows into planetary science for NASA and ISRO | Indian Space Progress #30
NISAR demonstrates peak peaceful uses of cutting-edge space technologies to solve humanity’s fundamental problems, and then some more.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
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.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
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.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
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
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
A story about open knowledge sharing in space
It was eight years ago that I wrote a guide on how to correctly and reliably install NASA’s popular HEASoft software on Linux, a software which is extensively used in high energy Astrophysics research.
I wrote it because the official guides on NASA HEASoft’s website
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Moon Monday #235: Artemis and other mission updates
Read to the end for a jolly Jovian update!
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Explore our Moon’s wild places and wonderful samples | Moon Monday #234
A special early edition of Moon Monday for International Moon Day, July 20.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Was Shukla’s Axiom-4 flight to the International Space Station worth it for ISRO? | Indian Space Progress #29
A complicated question to answer for a controversial flight intended to advance India’s grand ambition of indigenously sending humans to space.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Moon Monday #233: Visualizing a new Moon based on scientific discoveries by China’s Chang’e 6 mission
I’m over the Moon to share that Open Lunar Foundation is continuing to be a sponsor of my Moon Monday blog+newsletter for the fifth year in a row! 🌕
Open Lunar is a non-profit organization that actively promotes cooperative, peaceful, and sustainable
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Moon Monday #232: Still free mission updates
And encouraging information sharing.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
On SpaceNews going paywalled, and the broader disregard for archiving in journalism
This article is a break from my usual flair because space communities worldwide are affected by this important topic, and I have some thoughts to offer to add to the discussions.
SpaceNews, a well known media publication in the global space industry, went paywalled for its website on July 1
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Moon Monday #231: Achievements and shortfalls in Moon exploration this half year
A review of notable developments by country or region.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
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.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
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
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Moon Monday #228: The need for resilience in private lunar landing missions through expansive and collaborative testing
ispace Japan’s second Moon lander
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
A pressing PSLV rocket failure and orbital congestion to brood over | Indian Space Progress #28
Plus more mission updates.
jatan.space
• Jatan Mehta
Moon Monday #227: Proposed cuts, cancellations, continuations, and changes to NASA’s lunar missions
And other mission updates.