Weekly Roundup for SpacePolicyOnline.com: January 22-28, 2024

Here are links to all the articles published on SpacePolicyOnline.com over the last week, January 22-28, 2024, including our “What’s Happening in Space Policy” for this coming week. Click on each title to read the entire article.

What’s Happening in Space Policy January 28-February 3, 2024

January 28, 2024.  Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of January 28-February 3, 2024 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session this week.

JAXA’s SLIM Literally Lost an Engine, and NASA’s LRO Spots SLIM on the Surface

January 26, 2024.  A NASA spacecraft orbiting the Moon has spotted JAXA’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, that landed on the surface last week. The lander already was imaged much more closely by one of SLIM’s tiny rovers, LEV-2, showing it landed upside down. Now it turns out one of the engine nozzles fell off during descent.

Farewell to Ingenuity, NASA’s Plucky Mars Helicopter

January 25, 2024. NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter has made its last flight on Mars. The plucky technology demonstrator that engineers were not sure would fly at all in the thin Martian atmosphere made 72 flights over almost three years. A damaged rotor blade brought an end to its flying days.

Japan’s SLIM Lunar Lander Notches More Successes

January 25, 2024.  The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency confirmed today that the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, achieved its primary objective of demonstrating pinpoint landing accuracy. By JAXA’s criteria, that alone makes SLIM fully successful even though an engine malfunction caused it to land upside down in a position where the solar cells cannot recharge the battery. It operated for only for a few hours, but they are holding out hope operations may be restored when the sun angle changes.

Artemis Accords: Belgium Makes it 34

January 23, 2024.  Belgium became the 34th country to sign the Artemis Accords today. The Accords are a set of non-binding principles of responsible behavior on the Moon. Belgium joins ten other members of the European Space Agency in agreeing to them.

Weekly Roundup for SpacePolicyOnline.com: January 15-21, 2024

January 22, 2024. Here are links to all the articles published on SpacePolicyOnline.com over the last week, January 15-21, 2024, including our “What’s Happening in Space Policy” for this coming week. Click on each title to read the entire article.15-21