Author Archives: LED Editor

Thursday / 22 January 2015

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GLXP Team Hakuto Advancing Mission
With Milestone Prize Tests

Hakuto0115

Japan-Based GLXP Team Hakuto Awaiting Announcement Of Results After Completing Milestone Prize Tests To Prove Flight Readiness Of Pre-Flight Model Rovers Moonraker & Tetris; Team Conducted Vibration, Thermal Vacuum & Field Mobility Tests; Field Tests In Nakatajima Sand Dunes, Overseen By GLXP Judge David Swanson & 25 Media Reps; 2 Rovers Successfully Climbed 30-Degree Slope, Navigated Through Obstacles, Completed 500-m Trek In ~4 Hours, Demonstrated Potential For Skylight Navigation Through Dual-Rover Towing System

Image Credit: Hakuto

Wednesday / 21 January 2015

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Moon Landing Upcoming Priority
For New ISRO Chair

Kumar2MoonSP

Upon Assuming Leadership Of India Space Agency, New Chairman A S Kiran Kumar (R) Asserts That ISRO’s Current Primary Focus Is Readying Chandrayaan-2 Moon Lander / Rover Mission For 2016 Or 2017 Launch; ISRO Leaders Such As Prof UR Rao (BL) Have Long Indicated Moon South Pole As An Optimal Destination For Chandrayaan-2; Achieving 1st Landing At This Next Great Frontier May Be Even More Rewarding / Exciting Feat Than Becoming 1st Asia Nation To Orbit Mars

Image Credit: ISRO, missionchandrayaan2.blogspot.com, Pravin Indrekar dna

 

Tuesday / 20 January 2015

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State Of The Union, USA:
The Moon, Mars, Stars, Beyond

StateOfUnion2015_2

21st Century Pioneering Americans Work To See Multi World Citizens Once Again, This Time For Good; New Frontier At Moon South Pole Has Resources, Energy To Enrich And Empower, Perspective To Solve Earth’s Most Intractable Conflict – In Peace For All; Nothing Gained By Presiding Over Greatest Retreat In US History

Image Credit: Sol Loeb, pdxmim.com, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 January 2015

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Moon South Pole
Drawing New Lunar Pioneers

MSPNewEnterprises0115

New Moon South Pole Ventures Including UK-Based Lunar Mission One & Russia-Based Lin Industrial Join Established Declarations Of Interest In Moon South Pole Missions By USA (RPM), American Enterprises Such As Shackleton Energy Corporation, Japan (SELENE-2), India (Chandrayaan-2), Russia (Luna-Glob), ESA, ILOA; Moon South Pole – Replete With Valuable Resources & Providing A Relatively Stable Thermal Environment – Is Generally Considered Optimal Location For Human Lunar Exploration / Settlement

Image Credit: JAXA, Lunar Mission One, Lin Industrial

Friday / 16 January 2015

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Moon Express Steadily Advancing
Moon Lander Technologies

ME 2015

Moon Express Preparing For Phase 2 Test Flight Campaign Of Hydrogen Peroxide Fueled MTV-1X Lander After Successful Dec 2014 Test Flights At Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility “Moonscape” In Florida; Testing Is Being Conducted In Partnership With NASA Lunar CATALYST Program & In Pursuit Of GLXP Lander & Mobility Terrestrial Milestones Prizes; MTV-2X Vehicle Scheduled To Be Built & Tested In Q1 2015

Image Credit: Moon Express, NASA

Thursday / 15 January 2015

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Science Lectures: Lunar Swirls For Space Exploration, Origin Of Moon

SwirlyTheia

Ruth Bamford At BIS London 21 Jan To Explain How Mini Magnetospheres (Lunar Swirls) On Moon May Provide Key For Interplanetary Travel / Radiation Protection; Using Technology Based On This Phenomenon, Radiation Protecting Hardware Mass Could Be Kept Below 3000kg Requiring Only 10-20kW Of Power, Well Within Practical Expectations; Sarah Stewart Of UC Davis To Give SETI Lecture On 27 Jan Detailing Models Of The Giant Impact Believed To Have Created The Moon, A Follow-Up From Recent Billy Quarles SETI Lecture On “Theia’s Date With Destiny“

Image Credit: Fahad Sulheria, RAL Space, UC Davis, NASA

 

Wednesday / 14 January 2015

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China Service Module Back In Lunar Orbit, Preparing For CE-5 Sample Return Mission

ChinaServiceMod0115

Chang’e-5 T1 Service Module Enters 127-Minute, 200-Km Lunar Orbit After 2-Month Stay At L2 Lagrange Point; China Officials Will Utilize The Probe To Conduct Long-Range Guidance Tests For Lunar Orbit Rendezvous & Docking In Feb & Mar; Orbiter Will Image Projected 2017 Chang’e-5 Landing Site With Its Dual-Resolution Camera In Early April

Image Credit: CNSA

Tuesday / 13 January 2015

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Helium-3 2015 Revisit: India, Europe, China

moonminingRaoCraw

Ever-Increasing Activities Towards Moon Exploration Indicate India, China & Other Space Powers Driven By Potential Economic Value Of Lunar Resources Including Helium-3; Former ISRO Chairman Prof UR Rao Says India Interested In Power-Generation Capacity Of Lunar He-3; UK-Based Researcher Ian Crawford Says Lunar Poles May Hold Higher Concentrates Of He-3, Polar Lander Required To Confirm; Orbiters Have Confirmed Presence Of Resources, ISRU Systems Already Tested On Earth, Time Has Come To Demonstrate Systems On Surface Of Moon

Image Credit: NASA, ISRO, Birkbeck College

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 9-12 January 2015

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China Advancing Space Program With New Launch Center / ‘Moonport’

WenchangSLC0115

Launching Of Space Station Capsules & Crewed Moon Missions From New Wenchang Satellite Launch Center “Just A Matter Of Time” According To China Officials; 19-Degree Latitude Will Increase Carrying Capacity Of Rockets By 10% & Island Location Will Allow For Easier Transport / Delivery Of The Larger Rockets / Payloads Needed For Country To Achieve Next Phase Of Ambitious Lunar Exploration Program; Site Will Host Huge Long March 9 Rocket, Expected To Be Ready By 2030; Chang’e-5 T1 Service Module Currently Returning To Lunar Orbit To Collect Data In Preparation For 2017 Chang’e-5 Sample Return 

Image Credit: Digital Globe, astronomy.wiki.com

Friday / 9 January 2015

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Cube Quest Challenge Summit For
Missions Near & Beyond Moon

Cube Quest Challenge Summit 2015

2-Day Summit At Moffett Field CA Held 7 & 8 Jan Introducing US$5M NASA Program For Teams To Design, Build & Deliver Flight-Qualified, SmallSats Capable Of Advanced Operations Near & Beyond Moon; Winner(s) Qualify For Mission To Launch On Maiden Flight Of SLS ~Nov 2018; (L-R) Ames Research Center Director Pete Worden, Cube Quest Challenge Administrator James Cockrell, Planetary Protection Officer Cassie Conley & Others Discuss Mission & Engineering Details, Secondary Payloads, How Cube Quest Relates To Human Exploration

Image Credit: NASA, Ames Research Center