Author Archives: LED Editor

Thursday / 8 January 2015

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Is Helium-3 Most Valuable Resource On Moon?

He3Change5

Projections Indicate Clean Fusion Technology Powered By Helium-3 Can Produce 18.4 MeV Of Energy, 1 Metric Ton Of The Rare Element Could Power Tokyo For 1 Year; Could Be Used To Propel Spaceships Facilitating Trips To Mars In <100 Days, Jupiter In <200 Days; Potential Fuel For Thermonuclear Weaponry Which Could Be Used To Protect Earth From Dangerous Asteroids; Speculation Abounds That Interest In He-3 Is Primary Driver Of China & Perhaps India Lunar Program, Next Step For China Is 2017 Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission

Pictured (TR): Chang’e-1-Produced Map Of He-3 Distribution On Nearside Moon

Image Credit: NAOC, ocw.mit.edu

 

Wednesday / 7 January 2015

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Astronaut Hoffman: Human Moon Missions Logical Next Step

HoffMoon2_0115

Former NASA Astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman Says It Makes More Sense To Revisit Moon Before Attempting Mars Missions; Moon On Average  Is ~600 Times Closer, Mission Would Be Cheaper, Shorter & Safer; Human Explorers Could Confirm Extent Of Water Ice Deposits, Potentially Begin Transforming Those Resources Into Rocket Fuel, Air, Drinking Water, Thereby Transforming Economics Of Space Travel; Hoffman Says, After 43 Years, USA / Humanity Needs To Get Used To Planetary Exploration Again, Practice / Test Systems & Prepare To Expand Society Into Solar System

Image Credit: ESA, ISU

Tuesday / 6 January 2015

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Astrobotic Seeking To Make Pittsburgh A Space-Faring City

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Red Whittaker Hopes Astrobotic Will Soon Have Hundreds Or Thousands Of Employees Working On Multiple Moon Missions, Says Pittsburgh – With Its History Of Building Industry – Is Ideal Location To Create Strong Commercial Space / Moon Industry; Company Now Has 20 Employees Working On GLXP Mission, Confident There Is Large Market For Flying Payloads To Moon, Company Leaders Report They Are Now Getting More Interest From Funding Sources

Image Credit: Astrobotic Technology

Breaking News Special New Year Edition
Thursday / 1 January 2015

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Moon-Based Telescope Observation
Of M101 Spiral Is First Galaxy Imaged From The Moon

m101GalaxyFromMoon1214Great Astronomy From The Moon Potential Confirmed By China Chang’e-3 Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope LUT Observations On 2 December At Beginning Of Lunar Day 13; Iconic 2014 Photo To Be Refined Further By NAOC Astronomers In Beijing, In Collaboration With ILOA And UHH, CFHT Lunar Astronomy Team On Hawai`i Island USA, Introducing Bright, Robust New Year 2015

Image Credit: National Astronomical Observatories of China & International Lunar Observatory Association; University of Hawaii Hilo, Canada France Hawaii Telescope

New Year / Holiday Edition
Thurs / 25 Dec 2014 – Mon / 5 Jan 2015

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50 Years After Humans Return To Moon,
50,000 Lunar Visitors Per Year?

SPoleAnalogNewYear2015

Antarctica, A Valuable Analog Site For Testing Lunar Base Systems, May Also Be A Prophetic Model Of What Is To Come On The 8th Continent- Luna; Race To Earth South Pole Won In 1912, No Human Returned Until UN IGY 1957, Now About 50 Years Later The Site Receives About 50,000 Visitors / Year (90% Tourists), With 30+ Countries Maintaining Permanent Research Stations; Human Return To Moon Similarly Delayed, Now Expected ~2020; 50 Years Of Development Could Manifest A Situation Similar To Today’s Antarctica; International Space Powers – India, China, USA, Japan, Russia & NewSpace Enterprises Should Take Note: Those Making 1st Pioneering Steps To Settle / Develop Energy & Resource-Rich South Pole Moon Will Reap The Benefits & Be Well Positioned For 21st Century Solar System Leadership

Image Credit: JAXA / Michael Carroll, Amundsen South Pole Station

Wednesday / 24 December 2014

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Angara-5 Test Key Step For Russia Ambitious Moon Program

RussiaAngara5

Angara-5, Largest Rocket Developed By Russia, Achieves Successful Test Flight To GTO; 1st Launch To GEO From Domestic Plesetsk Cosmodrome As Country Moves To Become More Self-Sufficient In Launch Capacities; Largest Of New Generation Of Modular Launch Vehicles Capable Of Carrying 3.8-35 Metric Tons; 1st Crewed Voyage With Heavy Angara Currently Scheduled For 2018; Rocket Capable Of Facilitating Moon Missions, Yet Super-Heavy Launcher Needed To Accomplish Stated Moon Base Goals; President Putin Recently Approved Development Of Super-Heavy Angara With Payload Capacity Of 120-150 Metric Tons

Image Credit: NASASpaceflight, NASA

 

Tuesday / 23 December 2014

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Space Horizons Workshop Focuses On Antarctica Moon Base Analogs

SpaceHorizons2015

Brown University Hosting ‘Space Horizons 2015’ On 18-19 Feb, With Theme ‘McMurdo On The Moon’; 50 Paid Participants & 10 Invited Students Will Examine How McMurdo & Other Antarctica Stations Can Be Studied As Models For Human Bases On Moon & Mars; Day 1 Will Include Participation In CAVE (BL) Virtual Reality Tour Of Dry Antarctic Valleys & Surface Of Moon & Mars; Day 2 Engineering Workshop Will Feature Examination Of Architecture & Technologies To Facilitate Functional Moon Base; Featured Speakers Include (L-R) Marco Lisi Of ESA, James Head Of Brown U, Brent Sherwood Of JPL

Image Credit: Brown University, NASA JPL, ESA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 December 2014

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Moon Express Lunar Missions Progressing With KSC Flight Tests

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MTV-1x Moon Express Lander To Undergo First Tethered Tests This Weekend At NASA KSC In Florida After Successfully Completing Full Pressurization, Telemetry & Static Thruster Tests This Past Week; Team Plans To Return To KSC In Early 2015 For Additional Testing Integrating H2O2 Thrusters, Star Tracker & Flight Vehicle Navigation Controls; 2015 Promises To Be Critical Year For Moon Express: Launch Agreement As Secondary Payload Expected, Payload Advancement To Flight Status, Integration Of ILO-X Payload, Continuation Of Fundraising To Achieve 2016 Launch

Pictured: Moon Express Co-Founders Bob Richards, Naveen Jain, Barney Pell with Buzz Aldrin

Image Credit: Moon Express

 

Friday / 19 December 2014

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GSLV Launch Opens Path To Moon & Solar System For India

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Successful Launch Of GSLV Mk-3 Will Change Destiny Of India Space Program According To ISRO Mission Director S Somnath; Heavy Payload Launch Capacity Will Allow Country To Continue Ambitious & Cost-Efficient Plans To Advance Solar System Robotic & Human Exploration, Beginning With Chandrayaan-2 Moon Orbiter / Lander / Rover Mission In 2016, Likely To Be Humanity’s 1st Mission To Next, Most Promising, New Frontier Of Human Expansion Into Cosmos –
Moon South Pole

Pictured (L-R): ISRO Chairman KS Radhakrishnan, Space Applications Center Director K Kumar

Image Credit: ISRO, NASA

Thursday / 18 December 2014

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Russia Space Station Could Support
Moon Program

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Head Of Roscosmos, Oleg Ostapenko, Says Russia May Build Its Own Space Station As Transfer Point For Moon Missions & For Testing Crewed Spacecraft For Lunar Exploration Program, Projected To Begin Construction In 2017; Roscosmos Will Make Decision In Jan 2015 On New Super-Heavy Rocket Design For Moon Program, Capable Of Lifting 80 Metric Tons Of Cargo, Additional Rocket Capable Of Carrying 130-160 Metric Tons Also Planned; Current Plans Outline Full-Scale Russia Moon Exploration Program In 2016-2025

Image Credit: Roscosmos, NASA