Mastodawn

Apparently there's a new 225-meter #crater on the #Moon (as of spring 2024).
Reported at #LPSC by a team from #IntuitiveMachines based on #LRO imagery.
"a crater of this diameter should form every 139 years"
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2026/pdf/1896.pdf
#LunarImpact

Daniel Fischer 2d ago

The Radio-wave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the photoElectron Sheath (ROLSES) instrument onboard the #IntuitiveMachines-1 Mission to the Moon: https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.22600 -> "This paper describes the design and operations of the ROLSES instrument and presents initial observations made during transit and surface operations in February 2024. We also describe next version of this instrument (ROLSES 2) currently under development."

The Radio-wave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the photoElectron Sheath (ROLSES) instrument onboard the Intuitive Machines-1 Mission to the Moon

The Radio wave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the photoElectron Sheath (ROLSES) instrument is a radio telescope system designed to characterize the radio and plasma wave environment of the nearside lunar surface at frequencies between 2 kHz and 30 MHz. The ROLSES sensor consists of a set of four 2.5 meter radio monopole antennas onboard the Intuitive Machines (IM 1) lander, Odysseus. The antennas were stowed during launch and deployed after landing on the lunar surface using a frangibolt mechanism. The frequency range is well suited to observing radio waves at frequencies below 15 MHz that cannot be observed from Earth due to the ionospheric cutoff. Radio waves from the Sun, the Milky Way galaxy, Jupiter, Earth's auroral region, and ground-based radio transmitters were expected to be present on the lunar surface. Radio data from each of the 4 antennas, after passing through an isolating pre-amp and signal conditioning analog electronics, were digitized to 14 bits at 120 mega samples per second and then digitally processed by a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) that performs onboard spectral analysis via a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). Time averaged spectral values are then stored and returned. Also telemetered to Earth are raw waveforms (unprocessed time sequence data) that are useful in studying dust impact on ROLSES antennas. ROLSES data are sent to the lander and subsequently downlinked for further processing. ROLSES is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Odysseus landed close to the south pole at Malapert A (80 S). This paper describes the design and operations of the ROLSES instrument and presents initial observations made during transit and surface operations in February 2024. We also describe next version of this instrument (ROLSES 2) currently under development.

arXiv.org

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Spaceflight 🚀Mar 20

“The goal of #Isaacman is 30 landings in three years”. Only #Firefly’s #BlueGhost 1 mission a year ago was a complete success. The two #IntuitiveMachines landers fell over upon landing. #Astrobotic’s #Peregrine lander malfunctioned hours after launch and was unable to attempt a landing.

There are four #CLPS missions currently scheduled for launch this year: Astrobotic’s Griffin-1, #BlueOrigin’s #BlueMoon Mark 1, Firefly’s Blue Ghost 2 and Intuitive Machines’ #IM3 https://spacenews.com/nasa-considering-sharp-increase-in-robotic-lunar-landings/

NASA considering sharp increase in robotic lunar landings

NASA is proposing a sharp increase in the rate of robotic lunar lander missions, a move that has excited but also puzzled the space community.

SpaceNews

SpaceNews Mar 1

Intuitive Machines raises $175 million in stock sale

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://spacenews.com/intuitive-machines-raises-175-million-in-stock-sale/

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Linotype Pilgrim Feb 14

Remember this absolute clown show (Feb 2024) #intuitivemachines bsky.app/profile/symb...

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:osg2vzhifd2tjfsvfwua7scy/post/3km4qeexfnt2j

Yonhap Infomax News Feb 13

Deutsche Bank signals a pivotal shift in perceptions of the "Moon economy," citing imminent growth driven by renewed U.S. lunar ambitions and rising interest in companies like Intuitive Machines.
#YonhapInfomax #DeutscheBank #MoonEconomy #IntuitiveMachines #SpaceX #BlueOrigin #Economics #FinancialMarkets #Banking #Securities #Bonds #StockMarket
https://en.infomaxai.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=105380

Deutsche Bank - 'Moon Economy Set to Take Off—Perception Has Passed an Inflection Point' - Yonhap Infomax

Deutsche Bank signals a pivotal shift in perceptions of the "Moon economy," citing imminen

Yonhap Infomax

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Spaceflight 🚀Jan 19

2026 #lunar 🌙 missions

• #Astrobotic’s #Griffin lander is scheduled for July 2026, will carry #Astrolab’s FLEX rover
• #IntuitiveMachines' third #NovaC mission in the second half of the year will carry payloads for #NASA, #ESA, and #KASI
• #BlueOrigin's first lunar landing with its #BlueMoon #Mark1 craft
• #Firefly's #BlueGhost Mission 2 in November will carry five payloads to the lunar surface
• #China is planning a #ChangE 7 landing near the lunar south pole

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/01/space-science-2026-preview/

#Moon

Space Science in 2026: New lunar explorers, Mars missions, and space telescopes - NASASpaceFlight.com

With many missions on the manifest, the new year promises to be packed with space…

NASASpaceFlight.com

Spaceflight 🚀Jan 8

RE: https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/115853731744568358

• #Artemis 🌙 🇺🇸
• #Starship refueling ⛽, catch 🦾
• #BlueMoon 🌙
• #Neutron 🚀
• #Nova 🚀
• #Mengzhou ♻️🇨🇳
• #Zhuque3 ♻️️🇨🇳
• Roman #SpaceTelescope 🔭🇺🇸
• #ChangE7
• #Spectrum, #RFA One, #Miura5 🇪🇺🚀
• #TerranR 🚀
• #Eclipse 🚀
• #NovaC 🌙
• #BlueGhost 🌙
• #Astroscale refueler ⛽
• #Plato exoplanets 🔭🇪🇺
• #Gaganyaan 🚀🇮🇳
• #Martian Moons Exploration 🛰️ 🇯🇵