Author Archives: LED Editor

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 8-11 August 2014

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Decision On LRO Fate May Be Released Next Week

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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Set To Complete First Extended Mission In Sep 2014, No Funding For Second Extended Mission Has Yet Been Granted, Will Likely Depend On Results Of Senior Review Of NASA Planetary Science Missions; Reports Indicate Senior Review Is Complete & Results Should Be Released Next Week; LRO Competing Against Other Missions Such As Cassini & Mars Opportunity Rover; Many Argue Using Existing Assets Such As LRO To Achieve New Discovery-Class Science Objectives Represents Highest Possible Return; The Lunar Orbiter Would Require Only US$8.1M For 2015 Operations

Pictured: LRO Project Scientist Richard Vondrak

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 8 August 2014

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ISEE-3 Moon Flyby Set For 10 August

ISEE-3 Lunar Flyby

ISEE-3 Reboot Mission, Privately Funded By ~US$160K Public Campaign, Scheduled To Cross Bow Shock Of Earth Magnetosphere Saturday Afternoon & Fly By Lunar Surface At 12,000km Altitude Sunday 10 Aug – Will Lose Power For 1st Time In Decades While In Lunar Shadow; 35-Year-Old Craft Will Continue On Original Heliocentric Orbit Trajectory To Deep Space, Will Be 15 Years Until Craft Is This Close To Earth Again; Team Will Gather Data From 4 Working Instruments Including Magnetometer; Previously Planned To Fly By Moon At ~50km & Achieve Earth Orbit

Pictured: Reboot Team Leads Dennis Wingo (L), Keith Cowing (R)

Image Credit: D. Wingo, K. Cowing, Spacecollege.org

Thursday / 7 August 2014

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China Lunar Program May Develop Lunar Mining Potential

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Sole Country Operating On Lunar Surface May Be Eyeing Lucrative Moon Mining Operation; Chief Scientist Of China Lunar Exploration Program Ziyuan Ouyang Notes Lunar Helium-3 Could ‘Solve Humanity’s Energy Demand For Around 10,000 Years At Least’; He-3 Estimated At 13 Parts Per Billion By Weight In Lunar Regolith, Or ~1,100,000 Tonnes Total; Estimates On Potential Economic Value Of The He-3 Gas Is US$3B / Tonne, Estimated Cost For Fusion Development & Starting Lunar Operations ~US$20B Over 2 Decades; China Has Expressed Interest, Has Not Outlined Concrete Plans To Mine Moon For He-3

Image Credit: Moon Society, cyberphysics.com

Wednesday / 6 August 2014

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Russia Lunar Aspirations Persist
Though Missions Likely Delayed

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Director Of Space Research Institute IKI Lev Zeleny Confirms All Approved Lunar Missions Remain On Table; Domino Effect Of Mission Delays Pushes Luna-Glob / Luna-25 Mission To Test Landing Techniques From 2016 To 2019, Luna-Glob 2 / Lunar-26 Orbiter Mission Now Expected 2021, Luna-Resurs / Luna-27 Lander Mission With Drilling System & Scientific Payloads Pushed Back To 2023; Russia Also Working On ~US$2.8B-Project To Put Humans On Moon By 2031

Image Credit: Russiaspaceweb.com, RIA Novosti

Tuesday / 5 August 2014

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Campaign 2014 & Hawai`i Pacific Space Access
For 21st Century Moon, Galaxy, Stars

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Race For Governor May Highlight 50th, Aloha State Strategic Geography Assets For Inter-Nation, Economy, Science, Education Advancement; New, Hawaii Independent Party Candidate Hannemann (R), With Republican Aiona (L) And Democrat Challenger Ige (LC) Or Incumbent Abercrombie (RC), Can Provide Forum To Consider Hawaii Space Age Location, Location, Location, Location — Omni-Direction Pacific Launch / Space Access, Equator Proximity, Center Between 2 Main Lands, Mauna Kea

Pictured (Center): Hawaii Astronaut Ellison Onizuka

Image Credit: hawaii.gov, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 1-4 August 2014

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Lunar Plant Growth Experiment Small Step Toward Human Moon Habitation

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Small Containers Of Seeds Will Be Sent By NASA On 2015 GLXP Team Moon Lander To Evaluate If Plants Can Germinate In Low-Gravity / High Radiation Lunar Environment; ~1-kg Payload Will Contain Arabidopsis Seeds, Cameras, Sensors, Communications Equipment, 5-10 Days Of Air; Duplicate Canisters Will Be Sent To USA Schools For Comparison; If Initial Experiment Successful NASA Plans To Put Garden On Lunar Surface To See If Plants Can Survive Frigid Lunar Night & If Multiple Generations Can Continue 

Image Credit: NASA

 

Friday / 1 August 2014

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Potential Landing Sites & Tests For
China Chang’e-4 Mission

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China Lunar Exploration Program Chief Scientist Prof Ziyuan Ouyang Previews Possible Challenging & Pioneering Objectives For Chang’e-4 Moon Lander / Rover Mission: Could Land At Moon South Pole Region And / Or Mountain Top Peak Of Eternal Light Offering ~90% Illumination Year Round, Stable ~213K (-60°C) Temperatures, Plethora Of Science Benefits; Could Also Launch From Moon Surface To Different Moon Region – Or Directly To Mars, Reminiscent Of Chang’e-2 Orbiter Exploring L2, Asteroid 4179 Toutatis & Deep Space After Moon Mission

Image Credit: NASA, news.cn, CNSA

Thursday / 31 July 2014

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SLS Maiden Voyage To Deliver Cubesats To Moon

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11 Cubesats Will Be Delivered To Cislunar Space On First Uncrewed Mission Of SLS Rocket / Orion Capsule In Late 2017; 3 Missions Have Already Been Selected Including Lunar Flashlight; Led By Barbara Cohen Of NASA Marshall SFC; Mission Will Utilize 80m² Solar Sail To Navigate Into A Highly Elliptical Lunar Polar Orbit That Passes Near Moon South Pole, Solar Sail Will Then Be Redirected To Shine 50kW Of Sunlight Into Shaded Craters While On-Board Spectrometer Measures Surface Reflection & Composition; Data Will Identify Sites With Ample Volatiles Near Surface Ideal For More Expansive Lander / Rover / Human Missions

Image Credit: NASA, Rob Staehle

Wednesday / 30 July 2014

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China Chang’e-5 On Schedule For 2017

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Development Of Chang’e-5 Lunar Sample Return Mission “Progressing Smoothly” Says China State Administration Of Science & Technology Industry Spokesperson Zhijian Wu (L); Mission Will Be 1st Of China Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) Phase 3 (Return) Missions; Probe Will Collect Regolith From Lunar Surface & Scoop Samples From Depth Of 2m, Launch And Rendezvous With Orbiter For Earth Return; Plans For Chang’e-4 Still To Be Confirmed, South Pole Landing Possible Says Ziyuan Ouyang; CLEP Educational Exhibit Opens National Tour At Hong Kong Science Museum, Features ~20 Replicas, Models & Interactive Exhibits

Image Credit: CLEP, Hong Kong Science Museum

Tuesday / 29 July 2014

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Hawai`i To Host Lunar Conference In November

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State Of Hawai`i, PISCES & Aerospace States Association Hosting ‘The Next Giant Leap: Leveraging Lunar Assets For Sustainable Pathways To Space’ In Waikoloa, Hawaii Island, 9-13 November; Conference Will Focus On Benefits / Opportunities For Making Use Of Cislunar Environment, Cost Effective Scenarios To Accelerate Development Of Technologies / Missions To Extend Humanity Through Solar System; Establish Multinational / Public-Private Partnerships To Link Space / Lunar Development Visions & Goals With The Resources To Enable Them

Pictured: PISCES Executive Director Rob Kelso

Image Credit: Aerospace Hawaii