Author Archives: LED Editor

Friday / 20 May 2016

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Human Missions To Moon, Mars Will Happen States Astronaut Alexander Gerst

Gerst ISS, Moon, Mars

To Be 1st German ISS Commander, Astronaut Gerst Says Society Needs To Be Ready / Decide On Human Missions To Other Celestial Bodies Beyond The ISS, And “We Are Ready To Go, Basically”; Acknowledges Great Value Of ISS Research, Resource Conservation, Human Space Studies Toward Establishing Moon & Mars Missions And Outposts; ISS Funding Through 2024 Still Being Decided By Europe, Which Has Proposed A Moon Village As Next Logical Step, Before Mars, Asteroids

Credit: ESA, Orbiter Forum / Carmen Felix, NASA

Thursday / 19 May 2016

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Japan SLIM Moon Lander Advancing For 2018/2019 Launch

LED-5-18-16

JAXA Selects Mitsubishi Electric As Contractor For 1st Japan Lunar Lander Launching Fiscal Year 2019; Company To Work With JAXA, Several Japan Universities To Build 130-Kg Craft Capable Of Precision Landing, Goal To Improve Location Accuracy By Factor Of 10 Or More Over Similar Missions; Possible Destinations Scouted By Kaguya Include Vertical Shaft (Lava Tube Skylight?) 60m Diameter, 80m Deep; Total Project Budget JP¥18B (US$164M)

Credit: JAXA, Mitsubishi Electric

Wednesday / 18 May 2016

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Dutch Study Tests Vegetable Growth With Moon, Mars Soil Simulants

LED-5-17-16

Lunar Soil Simulant Being Tested As Grow Medium For Tomatoes, Peas, Rye, Radishes, Cress, Arugula By Agricultural Researchers At Wageningen University, Netherlands; Ecologist Dr. Wieger Wamelink Notes 1st Attempt Most Plants Died In Moon Dirt Due To Low Water Absorption, Adding Fresh Cut Grass Allowed Plants To Thrive; Risk Of Heavy Metal Contamination Could Be Mitigated By Growing Violets, Other Species That Take In Toxins; Soil Analogs Sourced From Arizona Desert (Moon) And Hawaii Volcano (Mars) Via NASA At Cost Of US$3,080 Per 100kg

Credit: Wageningen UR, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 13-16 May 2016

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LRO Greatly Advancing Lunar Knowledge, Up For 2 Year Extension In September

LED-5-13-16

In Moon Orbit Longer Than Any Other Spacecraft LRO Continues Intensive Study From Highly Elliptical Path Flying As Low As 20km Over South Pole Every 117.2 Minutes; Noah Petro (Lunar Geologist) Studying Evolution Of Moon Today And Over Last Billion Years And John Keller (LRO Project Scientist) Examining Polar-Crater Water-Ice Deposits, Both At NASA GSFC, Are Among Thousands Of Scientists Worldwide Who Pour Over Data Releases From 7 Onboard Instruments; Project Team Has Requested Extension From NASA

Credit: GSFC, NASA

Friday / 13 May 2016

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ESA Lunar South Pole Drill Undergoing Tests For Russia Luna-27 Mission ~2021

Russia Luna Program 25-29

Ice Drill Prototype Intended To Penetrate 1-2 Meters Into Lunar Surface Near South Pole Being Tested At -140°C (Will Aim To Test At -240°C); Drill Developed For ESA By Finmeccanica Of Italy, Will Allow Samples To Be Chemically Analyzed & Resources Identified; Aligns With Russia Luna Program Launching From New Vostochny Cosmodrome At 53°N & 128°E To Set Up Future Human Base Beginning With South Pole Missions: Luna-25 Lander (2018), -26 Orbiter (2020), -27 Lander (2021), -28 Sample Return (2023), -29 Lander & Rover (2025)

Credit: ESA, Finmeccanica, Roscosmos, Anatoly Zak, RussianSpaceWeb, NASA, LROC, LCROSS

Thursday / 12 May 2016

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India Launch Business Booming, USA Companies Missing Out As Feds Continue Export Restrictions

LED-5-11-16

Affordable, Reliable PSLV Launch Opportunities For Commercial US Spacecraft Obstructed By Federal Policy Protecting US Launch Companies From ‘Unfair Market Competition’; India Department Of Space Secretary K Radhakrishnan Cites Possible Waiver Opening By US For Scientific, Educational (Non-Commercial) Missions; About 60% Of PSLV Launches In Last Decade Were For International Customers; ISRO Commercial Arm Antrix Achieved US$280M Revenue (Profit Of $30M) For 2014-15; GSLV Being Commercialized In Near Future, Will Carry Chandrayaan 2 Mission In 2017 / 2018

Credit: ISRO, ILOA

Wednesday / 11 May 2016

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Europe Focuses On Lunar Exploration And Moon Village

4th European Lunar Symposium 18-19 May At The Dutch Royal Academy Of Arts And Sciences, Amsterdam (TR), The Netherlands Is Co-Organized By NASA SSERVI; Inaugural Lecture On LRO ‘Seven Years Exploring The Moon’; A “Moon Village” Workshop Occurs At Nearby ESTEC (BL) 19-20 May To Expand, Enhance And Refine This Primary Initiative Of ESA Director General Jan Woerner Who Is Determined To Help Establish A Permanent International Outpost At Moon As Next Major Step For Global Space Endeavor Beyond ISS

Credit: SSERVI, NASA, ESA, ESTEC

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 6-9 May 2016

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China Prepares For 2017 Chang’e-5 Sample Return While Taking Proactive Steps For Human Mission

Change Human Missions

Chang’e-6 Could Serve As Precursor Accelerating China ~2030 Human Moon Mission Goal After CE5 Sample Return In 2017 Tests Related Technologies / Equipment; China Academy Of Space Technology Pang Zhihao States “Manned Lunar Spacecraft Will Be Different”; CE4 To Explore Moon Far Side NET 2018, May Carry Radio Telescope For Astronomy States Zou Yongliao Of Chinese Academy Of Sciences; CE3 Continues As Sole Operational Surface Mission; CE2 Orbiter Scouted Proposed Landing Sites; CE1 Inaugural Mission First Great Step

Credit: China Academy of Space Technology, China Academy of Sciences

Friday / 6 May 2016

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Two Conferences Supporting Moon, Mars, & Asteroids Investigate Opportunities

Two ConferencesStimulating Renewed Support In Moon / Space Activities Two Conferences Moving Into Year 8 Scheduled To Address: Lunar Exploration & Enterprise, Solar System, Near Earth Asteroids; 7-9 June Golden Colorado School Of Mines To Host  SRR, PTMSS & LPI With PISCES Rob Kelso Discussing ISRU Construction – Lunar Launch/Landing Pad; Ames Research Center Holding Annual Lunar & Small Bodies Graduate Conference (LunGradCon 2016) In Mountain View California 19 July; NASA SSERVI Topics To Include Missions & Human Exploration

Credit: SRR, PTMSS, LPI, NASA, SSERVI, PISCES

Wednesday / 4 May 2016

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Discussions Continue With Renewed Energy At ‘New Views Of The Moon 2’ Lunar Workshops 24-26 May

USRA LPI Wrokshop

Workshop In Houston Texas Held By USRA / LPI Soliciting Lunar Community Support, Proposing New Ideas, Collaborating & Developing Writing Teams; Clive Neal (L) & Charles “Chip” Shearer (R) To Host Welcome Reception / Opening Remarks; Goal Of Updating The 2006 (New Views Of The Moon 1) Publication Is Instrumental In Providing Current / Relevant Data From Lunar Missions & Up-To-Date Earth-Based Observations; Paul Spudis To Speak On “Development Of The Moon”; Plenary & Oral Presentations, Workshop Sessions, Extensive Poster Session Part Of Event Covering Topics Including: Volatiles, Magmatic Evolution, Future Lunar Exploration & Commerce

Credit: LPI, USRA, University of Notre Dame, University of New Mexico