Author Archives: LED Editor

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 6-9 Oct 2017

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U.S. National Space Council Plans For Human Return To Moon

Vice President Pence Declares America Will Work To Lead In Space By Sending Humans To Moon, Setting Up Lunar Base, Investing In Innovative Technologies, Partnering With International Interests And Enabling Human Expansion Across Solar System; Strong Emphasis Placed On Launching From American, USA Soil And Commercial Space; Experts From NASA, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Orbital ATK, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada Say Humans Could Return To Moon Within 5 Years With Committed Funding & Political Support; 2017 Astronaut Class May Be Part Of Inspiring, Historical Mission To Send First Woman To The Moon “In Peace For All”

Credits: NASA, NSC, R. Markowitz, ESA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 29 Sep – 2 Oct 2017

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First Woman On The Moon Advocacy
From 68th IAC, LEAG, Stanford On The Moon

IDEA 3G Breakfast “First Woman On The Moon” At 68th International Astronautical Congress In Adelaide, Australia 27 Sep Featuring Jean-Yves Le Gall, Steve Durst, Jan Woerner, Danielle Richey, Sandy Magnus, Mary Snitch Focuses On Epochal & Historic Event Of 1st Woman On The Moon – Asking Who? When? How? Why? And Confirming Significant International Interest To Reclaim Greatest Advance In Human History, Fulfill Spirit Of Apollo 11 Pledge ‘In Peace For All’, And Launch Multi World Civilization; Further Support For Women On The Moon Upcoming At Lunar Exploration Analysis Group Meetings Oct 10-13 And Stanford On The Moon Conference Oct 13 Featuring Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides

Credits: IAF, IAC, ILOA, SPC, Newsgallery Pty Ltd

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 22-25 Sep 2017

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LDSE 2017 Promoting Lunar And Deep Space Science, Technology, Planning, International Collaboration

The 3rd Beijing Lunar & Deep Space Exploration Conference With Chair Prof Ouyang Ziyuan Focusing On Major International Lunar Missions Including Chang’e Program Successes, China Upcoming Lunar Sample Return & Far Side Plans, India Chandrayaan-2, USA Orion / SLS, Deep Space Gateway, ESA Moon Village, JAXA SLIM, Commercial Moon Ventures, Human Moon Missions In 2020s; ESA-CNSA And Russia-CNSA Potential Agreements For Future Lunar Cooperation; Representatives Also Discussing Mars, Jupiter, Asteroids Exploration Before 2030

Credits: ILOA, CAS, CNSA, NASA, ESA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 15-18 Sep 2017

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New Moon Water Distribution Map Points To Lunar Poles As Vital Areas Of Exploration

Brown University Researchers Including Shuai Li (T) And Ralph Milliken Moon Water Study Shows Concentration In Lunar Soil Within Upper Millimeter Of Soil Reaches Average Max Of ~500 To 750 Parts Per Million In Polar Regions, Largely Uniform With Gradual Decrease Toward Equator; Permanently Shadowed Craters & Deeper Soil Not Analyzed; Concentration Fluctuates Over Day – Indicating Water Formation Is Active And “Raises The Possibility That Water May Re-accumulate After Extraction”; Water Is Important For Habitation (Drinking Water, Oxygen) And Transportation (Fuel); Further Analysis Needed Through Detailed Science Missions Preferably With Humans Landing On Moon

Credits: Brown University, LRO, LCROSS, ISRO MMM, GSFC, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 8-11 Sep 2017

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Moon Surface Supercomputer
RFI Being Sought By NASA

Radiation Tolerant Computer Which Could Be Used In Short Duration Moon Surface Mission, Operate In Vacuum Of Space Under -40°C To +70°C Temperatures, Provide 128MB Of Data Storage & 128MB Memory NASA RFI Due Sep 13; Vital Communications Infrastructure Will Be Needed For Multi-Payload & Human Missions To Moon Surface (Potentially Early 2020s), Far Side Moon, Deep Space, Mars, Beyond; Current 1-Year Testing Of HPE Linux Supercomputer At ISS; LADEE 2013 Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration Proved Record-Breaking Downlink Speed 622Mbps / Error-Free Uplink Speed 20Mbps, Revolutionary Technology Was 50% Weight Of Comparable Radio-Based Terminal & Used 25% Less Power

Credits: NASA, GNC, LADEE, CNN, HPE, LLCD, ESA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 1-4 Sep 2017

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International Human Moon, Deep Space Mission Simulations

Beijing, China 200-Day Moon Simulation With 2 Women & 2 Men Living In Yuegong-1 (Lunar Palace-1) Until Jan 25, 2018 Complete With Two 50m2 Greenhouses / Bio-Regenerative Life-Support Systems Experiments Vital For Lunar Settlement; Next Group Will Perform 105-Day Mission Jan 25 – May 10, 2018; Commercial Company Space Garden 6-Person Mock Lunar Mission Performing 20 Spaceflight Experiments In Pila, Poland “Habitat Lunares” Concludes Lunar Expedition 1, Planning For 2 Additional Missions In 2017; NASA Human Exploration Research Analog Campaign 4 Mission 2 In 148.1 m3 Habitat At JSC Houston TX Scheduled Aug 5 – Sep 18 Cut Short Due To Hurricane Harvey

Credits: Xinhua/Ju Huanzong, Monica Alcazar-Duarte, NASA, CCTV

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 Aug 2017

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Colorado School Of Mines Announces Plans For First-Ever Space Mining Graduate Program In 2018

Resource Exploration, Extraction and Processing On Moon, Asteroids, Mars And Beyond Is Focus Of New Graduate Level Program To Be Offered In 2018 By Well-Known And Highly Respected Science And Engineering Institution In Golden, CO; First Course “Space Resources Fundamentals” Being Run As Pilot Program In Fall 2017; Director And Research Assoc. Prof. Angel Abbud-Madrid Says Objective Is To Prepare Next Generation Of Engineers To Responsibly Access Natural Resources Of Space Including Water, Gases, Minerals And Metals To Fuel Space Development; ISRU Will Conserve Resources On Earth And Make Space Exploration Safer And More Affordable

Credits: Mines, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 Aug 2017

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USA Lunar Developments: Bridenstine Could Be NASA Admin, GLXP Extended Until 31 March 2018

Representative Jim Bridenstine R-OK (TL) Is Reported To Likely Become New NASA Administrator, Aerojet Rocketdyne Vice President John Schumacher May Be Named Deputy Administrator; Bridenstine Advocates For Human Return To Moon Before Mars, Permanent Lunar Outpost And Increased USA Space Activity; Google Lunar X Prize 5 Teams Remaining Have Until 31 March 2018 To Complete Mission; New Prizes Include US$1.75M For Teams That Complete 1 Lunar Orbit Or Enter Direct Descent Approach To Moon Surface, And $3M For Teams To Soft Land On Moon & Transmit Data To Earth Before Deadline; Still In The Race Is Moon Express, Team Indus With Hakuto, Synergy Moon, SpaceIL

Credits: GLXP, Moon Express, Hakuto, SpaceIL, Indus, Synergy Moon, NASA. J. Bridenstine

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 11-14 Aug 2017

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ILOA Of Hawaii Advances Contracts With Moon Express And Canadensys For Moon South Pole Astronomy 2019

International Lunar Observatory Association ILO-1 Astrophysical Observatory To Image Milky Way Galaxy, Conduct Communications From Moon South Pole And Catalyze Lunar Base Build Out Progressing Through Newest Contract With Moon Express Of Cape Canaveral FL To Develop Advanced Landing Technologies For The Mission; ILOA Also Commits To Multi-Year Contract With Canadensys Aerospace Of Bolton, Ontario To Develop Robust Lunar Optics; Recent Headline “Moon Express Looks To Astronomy For Lunar Foothold” Written By Mark Carreau / Aviation Week Sums Up Both Companies’ Vision To Utilize Moon Platform, Advance Lunar Settlement, See First Women On The Moon

Credits: ILOA, ME, Canadensys, NASA, GSFC

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 4-7 Aug 2017

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Buzz Aldrin Calls For International Return To Moon To Get Humans To Mars

Apollo 11 Moonworker Buzz Aldrin Encourages New U.S. National Space Council And President Trump To Formulate Strategic Leadership Plan To Create Lunar Highway Via International Partnerships With Space-Capable Nations Utilizing Moon As a Testing Ground For Technologies And Extracting Resources From Poles ASAP To Catalyze Human Missions To Mars, Rest Of Solar System; Hopes Revolutionary Plan Involving Other Countries, NewSpace Sector, New NASA Budgetary Focuses Will Be Announced 20 July 2019 On 50th Observation Of 1st Human Footsteps On Luna

Credits: NASA, JAXA, NHK, Boeing Co.