Author Archives: LED Editor

Friday / 12 June 2015

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Lunar Terminator Distilleries May
Provide Water Supply

LRO Moon Terminator

LRO Data Study Conducted By Tim Livengood (Top) & Team From NASA GSFC States Frost Buildup At Lunar Terminator May Be ~1/5 MM Thick Yielding 190 ML Of H2O Per Square Meter Each Lunar Day – Much Less Than Quantities At Lunar Poles But Advanced Technologies Could Produce Continuous Water Supply; Andrew Jordan From Univ Of New Hampshire Says LRO Measurements Could Also Indicate Hydrogen Is Leaking From Local Sources

Image Credit: NASA, Univ of New Hampshire

Thursday / 11 June 2015

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Mexico Space Agency (AEM) To Send Payload On Astrobotic Lunar Lander

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Mexico Seeks To Be First Latin America Country To Land / Operate Payload On Moon, Via Astrobotic GLXP Mission NET 2016; AEM Seeking Payload Proposals From Mexico Scientists, Selection In 4th Quarter 2015; Contract Moves Astrobotic 1 Step Closer To Securing Launch By End 2015 GLXP Deadline; Company Already Has Payload Contracts With GLXP Team Hakuto, 2 Private Companies, NASA, MoonMail Option For Average Citizens, Negotiating With 4 Other Teams, And Seeking Contracts From Several Other Of 50 Smaller Space Agencies

Image Credit: AEM, Astrobotic

Wednesday / 10 June 2015

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USA Advancing ‘NextSTEP’
Lunar Mission Concepts

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Cislunar Space To Be Center Of NASA Activity In 2020s As Country / Agency Develop Technologies / Experience To Conduct Long-Duration, Deep Space Missions; Companies Such As Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Bigelow Advancing Cislunar Habitat Concepts Under NASA NextSTEP Awards; Plans Incorporating Likelihood Of Cooperation From International & Commercial Partners Which May Lead To Lunar Surface Missions / Lunar Base Buildout; Sense Of Urgency To Define / Plan These Missions Growing As SLS / Orion Era Fast Approaching

Image Credit: Lockheed Martin, Bigelow Aerospace

Tuesday / 9 June 2015

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ESA To Collaborate On
China Chang’e-4 Mission

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China National Space Administration Officials Confirm That ESA Will Participate In Chang’e-4 Mission, Collaborating On Mission Science & Payload Development; Agreement Came Out Of Beijing Meetings With CNSA Administrator Wu Yanhua & ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain; Chang’e-4 May Launch 2020, Be 1st Craft To Land On Lunar Far Side, Likely In South Pole-Aitken Basin; Final Decisions Regarding Chang’e-4 Plan Expected Sep 2015

Image Credit: ESA, CNSA, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon 5-8 June 2015

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International Lunar Scientists Meet In Kazan, Russia At IAPS 2015

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International Association Of Planetary Sciences Forum Underway In Kazan, Russia; Leading Scientists From Russia, China, Japan, USA, Europe & Australia Are Discussing Timely Topics In Lunar & Planetary Science While Reviewing / Previewing Recent / Planned Missions Including Chang’e (3,4,5,6), Luna Glob, Luna Resource, GRAIL, LRO, European Lunar Lander, Selene-2; Event Also Includes 2nd International Chang’e Lunar Dynamics Workshop & 9th Russia-Japan Space Workshop

Image Credit: ROSCOSMOS, ESA, CNSA, kpfu.ru

Friday / 5 June 2015

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Japan SLIM Moon Mission Now Planned For NET Oct 2019

JAXA SLIM

JAXA First Mission To Moon Surface – 120kg Smart Lander For Investigating Moon (SLIM) – Likely To Be Launched To Moon South Pole In Second Half Of Fiscal Year 2019 To Test Landing Capability Within A Few Hundred Meters; Will Launch On Epsilon Rocket From Tanegashima Space Center At 30.4° N, 130.97° E; Mission Will Advance Technologies Needed For Future Human Missions

Image Credit: JAXA

Thursday / 4 June 2015

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New Horizons May Shed Light On Earth-Moon System Formation

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New Horizons Mission May Facilitate Better Understanding Of  Formation Of Earth-Moon System, Says Mission PI Alan Stern, As Charon Believed To Have Been Formed Through Similar Process; His Efforts To Study Pluto, Its Satellites & Kuiper Belt With New Horizons Mission Should Garner More Attention / Support & Help In Preparations To Achieve Human Missions To Earth’s Moon Via Golden Spike Company Of Which Stern Is Co-Founder

Image Credit: NASA, Golden Spike Company

Wednesday / 3 June 2015

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Canada Space Program Announcement
Sets Stage For Lunar Exploration Involvement

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Canada Industry Minister James Moore & Commander Chris Hadfield Unveil Plans For Country To Continue To Participate In ISS Through 2024, Promote Innovation / Cutting-Edge Technology & Participate With International Partners On Major Projects; With NASA And Other Partners Shifting Exploration Focus To Cislunar Space, Canada Will Likely Have Opportunities To Showcase Expertise In Robotics & Space / Lunar Mining In Coming Decade, The 2 Current Canada Astronauts May Participate In Moon Orbit Or Surface Missions; CSA Annual Space Budget A Modest US$260M

Image Credit: CSA, NASA, canadianbusiness.com

Tuesday / 2 June 2015

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China Showcasing Lunar Exploration Program Successes, Eyeing Next Steps

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China Lunar Exploration Exhibit Open At Museum On Hainan – Site Of Wenchang Launch Center / Future Moon Program Launches Including Chang’e-5 Sample Return In 2017; Additional Exhibit To Be Featured In Kunming, Yunnan Province 12-16 June; Exhibits Feature Objects From CLEP, Models Of Chang’e-3 Lander / Yutu Rover, Presentations By Lunar Experts; Chief Lunar Exploration Engineer Wu Weiren Says Chang’e-4 Mission May Be Destined For Far Side Of Moon, Likely South Pole-Aitken Basin Region

Image Credit: CLEP, Huang Benqiang, Li Peng

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 29 May – 1 June 2015

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International Lunar Decade Initiative
Gaining Momentum

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Initiative Of NSS, ILEWG, & FOTONIKA-LV Garnering Increased Attention After Being Featured At Several Conferences Including ISDC2015; ILD 2017-2029 Seeks To Foster International Collaboration Leading To Industrial Development Of Moon & Cislunar Space Enabling Self-Sustaining Space Economy; Next Step Is To Achieve Support Of COPUOS & UN General Assembly – 58th COPUOS Session 10-19 June In Vienna; Architects Of Initiative Seeking Aggregate 10-Year Investment Of US$150B From Main Spacefaring Powers

Image Credit: NASA, FOTONIKA-LV, cislunarnext.org