Author Archives: LED Editor

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 October 2014

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“Forget Mars, We Should Live On The MOON”

LED-10-17-14

Canada Hero, CSA Astronaut, Former ISS Commander, Chris Hadfield Advocates For Permanent Settlement Of Moon As Among Highest Priorities For Human Space Exploration; Mars About 500 Times More Distant On Average, Making Many Things Much More Difficult: Communications, Mission Timeline, Safety Parameters, Abort Procedures, Earth-Based Mission Control; Hadfield Suggests We’ll Be Living On The Moon Several Generations, Then Eventually Go On To Mars

Image Credit: CSA, NASA, ESA, L. Oleastri

Friday / 17 October 2014

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MIT Celebrates 100 Years Of
Aeronautics & Astronautics

100 Aero,Astro at MIT

MIT AeroAstro Centennial Symposium 22-24 Oct In Cambridge MA Will Feature Panel Discussion Of Astronauts Who Participated In Apollo – Buzz Aldrin, Karol Bobko, Michael Collins, Vance Brand, Philip Chapman, Walter Cunningham, Charlie Duke, Rusty Schweickart & James Lovell; MIT Created Astronautics Program For Buzz Aldrin (1st Person To Receive Doctorate In Astronautics, ScD 1963); Speakers Including Maria Zuber, Jeff Hoffman, Laurence Young & Elon Musk Will Discuss Innovative Research & Technologies, Perspectives On Future Of Space Exploration

Image Credit: NASA, MIT

Thursday / 16 October 2014

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China To Launch Reentry Test Orbiter
To Moon 23 October

Chang'e Test Orbiter, 4M OHB

Moon Orbiter To Test Reentry Technologies For 2017 Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission Set To Launch 23 Oct On Long March 3C/E From Xichang Satellite Launch Center; 14-Kg Manfred Memorial Moon Mission Designed By OHB To Measure Radiation & Transmit Radio Signals Is Attached To 3rd Stage Booster; Chang’e Capsule Carrying Cameras (Perhaps Other Science Instruments) Filled With Samples, To Separate From 3rd Stage 20 Mins After Launch, Closest Approach 28 Oct At 00:33 UT ~13,000 Km Altitude, Return To Earth Oct 31/Nov 1 At 11 Km/s, Parachute-Assist Landing

Image Credit: CASC, CNSA, CCTV, OHB, LuxSpace

Wednesday / 15 October 2014

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Space Horizons 2015:
McMurdo On The Moon?

LED101514Brown University Hosts Annual NASA Sponsored Event Space Horizons 2015, 18-19 Feb; Antarctic McMurdo Station Inspires Asking “What Can 50+ Years Of Science In The Toughest Setting On Earth Tell Us About Working On The Moon?”; Workshops Examine Analog For Breakthrough Technologies To Realize Lunar Settlement; Brown’s 250-Year Anniversary Celebration Highlighted By Contributions In Planetary Science; Cutting Edge Virtual Reality Exhibit Allows Viewer To Fly Over Moon And Antarctica; Online Registration Now Open

 Image Credit: USAP, NASA, Brown University

Tuesday / 14 October 2014

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Russia: Moon Is Core Of Space Program Russia Moon

Roscosmos Head Of Strategic Planning Department Yuri Makarov States Moon Is Central To Space Program & Will Enable Solar System Missions, Envisions International Cooperation; During This & Next Decade Focus On Automatic Spaceships & Stations, In 2030s Lunar Orbital Stations & Vehicles, 2040s Crewed Lunar Station Near Moon South Pole, 2050s Inhabited Bases & Optical Laboratories; Robotic Missions Luna-25 (Which May Cost Tens Of Billions Of Rubles ~US$250M) Through Luna-29 (2016-2021) To Be Followed By Human Moon Flyby 2025, Landing By 2030

 Image Credit: Roscosmos, Andrey Sokolov, Alexey Leonov, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 October 2014

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Moon Orbiter Research, Data Findings & Awards Continue

Orbiters

LRO In Its 6th Year At Moon Traveling In Elliptical 30 X 180-Km Altitude Orbit Passing Over Lunar South Pole, 20th Data Set Release Upcoming – Collecting Data On Moon Radiation (CRaTER), Cold Traps (Diviner), Permanently Shadowed Regions (LAMP), Landing Sites (LOLA), Radio Images (Mini-RF), B&W Optical Images (LROC), Color & Ultraviolet Images (WAC), Hydrogen Distribution & Radiation Neutron Component (LEND), Imaging Chang’e-3; LADEE Receives Popular Mechanics 2014 Breakthrough Award; GRAIL Data Reveals Ocean Of Storms Rift Valleys

 

Image Credit: NASA, Colorado School of Mines

Friday / 10 October 2014

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Moon Spacecraft Lunar Eclipse Observations

Spacecraft Lunar Eclipse

China Chang’e-3 Moon Lander At Sinus Iridum / Mare Imbrium, 44.12°N 19.51°W Operating In Lunar Day 11, Observations / Images Expected From 8 Oct Total Eclipse Of Sun By Earth As Seen From Moon; Through MoU With NAOC, ILOA Encouraging These & Other Types Of Innovative Lunar Astronomy Observations; NASA LRO In Moon Orbit Will Transmit Data Collected On Effects Of Lunar Eclipse On Moon Surface Temperatures; Next Eclipse 4 Apr 2015

Image Credit: CCTV, CNSA, Stellarium, K. Kremer, M. Lorenzo, B. King, NASA

Thursday / 9 October 2014

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Russia To Outline Lunar Exploration Plans At Solar System Symposium

5MS3

The 5th Moscow Solar System Symposium On 13-18 Oct At The Russia Space Research Institute (IKI) Will Feature An Overview Of Upcoming Russia Lunar Missions; Lev Zelenyi (C) & Igor Mitrofanov Of IKI Will Detail The Planned Sequence Of Missions: Luna-Glob, Luna-Resurs, Luna Grunt & Then Discuss The Integrated Program Of Roscosmos Human & Robotic Missions; Bérengère Houdou (L) Of ESA Will Address Europe-Russia Lunar Exploration Cooperation;  Additional Lectures Will Evaluate Potential Lunar Subpolar Landing Sites & The Boguslawsky Crater Landing Site Selection For Luna-Glob

Image Credit: IKI, ESA

Wednesday / 8 October 2014

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USC Graduate Students Present Innovative Lunar Exploration Concepts

USCMadhu1014

Students In USC Astronautical Engineering Course With Prof Madhu Thangavelu Present Concepts For Future Human Solar System Exploration; Projects Evaluated By Faculty, Industry & NASA Experts; Proposals Include Maglev-Operated Lunar Space Elevator Attached To A Station At L1 Lagrange Point, Lunar Lava Tube Explorations With Spiderbots Capable Of Inverted Climbing With Advanced Sensors, Self-Propelled Inflatable Lunar Rovers Which Could Deploy Swarms Of Small Exploration Rovers

Image Credit: USC

Tuesday / 7 October 2014

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4th LunarCubes Workshop: Opening The Lunar Frontier

LunarCubes1014

Scientists, Engineers, Investors & Entrepreneurs Hoping To Open CisLunar Space Through Innovative, Low-Cost Missions Will Convene In Sunnyvale CA For The 4th International Workshop On LunarCubes, 7-10 Oct; Formal Presentations By Speakers Such As Astrobotic President John Thornton, Flexure Engineering CEO Russell Cox & Made In Space CTO Jason Dunn Will Highlight Design, Launch, Payload & Communication Options Available To Future LunarCube Missions, As Well As Overviews Of Missions Currently Under Development; Participants Will Also Contribute To Interactive Design Challenges 

Image Credit: lunarinitiatives.com, Made In Space, Flexure Engineering, Astrobotic