Author Archives: LED Editor

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 27-30 June 2014

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Moon Takes Center Stage At NewSpace 2014

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Space Frontier Foundation Returns Moon Exploration To High Level Of Prominence At NewSpace 2014 Conference, 24-26 July In Silicon Valley CA; Premier Commercial Space Event Of The Year Will Include Feature Presentations By Bob Richards & Andy Aldrin Of Moon Express, Art Dula of Excalibur Almaz, And Alan Stern Of Golden Spike Company; Agenda Includes Panels On Commercial Development As A Catalyst For Lunar Exploration, And Lunar / Space Property Rights

Image Credit: Space Frontier Foundation

Friday / 27 June 2014

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Moon / Space Apparel Industry Growing

Lunar, Space, Stellar Fashion

Lunar, Space, Stellar Fashion Trending Upward, Signifies Consciousness Of Designers / General Public; Highlighted In Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Feb 2014 By Ana Locking ‘American Landscape’ Fall 2014 Collection, Striking Moon Dress & Moon Clothing Reflect American Dream, Journey, Inspiration; Other Space Age Fall Fashion Debuting Elsewhere Includes Albert Kriemler Mars Surface Dress, Stuart Vevers Apollo Sweater

Image Credit: Theremina, Tumbler, Coach, Instagram, Stylecaster, Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho, WireImage

Thursday / 26 June 2014

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China Preparing Final Steps Of Uncrewed Lunar Exploration Phase, Eyeing Human Missions

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China Lunar Exploration Program Senior Adviser Ouyang Ziyuan Says Simulation Lunar Return Satellite Will Be Launched Later This Year In Preparation For Moon Sample Return Chang’e-5 Mission Which Is Scheduled To Launch In 2017 Via Long March 5 Rocket From New Hainan Launch Center, Return Up To 10kg Of Lunar Samples; Exploration Program Will Then Shift To Human Moon Missions, & Possible Building Of Lunar Base; China Then Intends To Conduct Systematic Exploration Of Solar System 

Image Credit: CNSA

Wednesday / 25 June 2014

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Russia Government Responds To Circumlunar Tourism Plan

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Roscosmos Deputy Chief Denis Lyskov Says Government Will Not Be Involved In Plan To Send 2 Space Tourists On Circumlunar Trip Aboard Modified Soyuz; Space Agency Leaders Disappointed They Were Not Consulted About Project, Have No Plans To Modernize Soyuz; Mission Plan Developed By US-Based Space Adventures & Russia Spacecraft Manufacturer Energia Rocket & Space Corporation; Government Plan To Obtain 51% Stake In Energia & Need For Government Approval May Put Mission In Doubt

Image Credit: CSI, Roscosmos, Space Adventures, Energia

Tuesday / 24 June 2014

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ESA Senior Exploration Officer Calls For Moon Mining Cooperation

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Bernard Foing Calls For International Cooperation / World Strategy For Exploration & Utilization Of Moon; Suggests Precursor Landers Should Be Operated In Coordinated Robotic Village, Utilize In-Situ Resources, To Prepare Sustainable Path Towards Humans Living Off The Land In International Bases; “Moon Is Like The 8th Continent Of Earth… Only Reasonable We Want To Mine It”; Comments Made At Ongoing EuroScience Open Forum Meeting In Copenhagen

Image Credit: Corbey Waste, esof2014.org, sg.hu

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 20-23 June 2014

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LRO Enters 6th Year In Good Health, Uncertain Future

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23 June Will Mark 5 Years In Lunar Orbit For LRO; All 7 Instruments Continue To Provide Valuable Scientific Moon Data & Craft Has Generous Reserve Of Fuel; Funding For 2-Year Mission Extension Dependent On Results Of Ongoing NASA Biannual Senior Review Of Ongoing Missions, Results Expected This Month; Mission Extension Would Cost ~US$8M Annually, Continued Operations Could Be Invaluable To Future Human / Robotic Moon Missions

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 20 June 2014

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Smooth Sailing For China Lunar Program,
Next Moon Missions

Chang'e-5, CLEP

Chang’e-5 Flight Test Module Launching To Moon Later This Year To Verify Return & Re-Entry Technology, Successfully Passes Thermal Vacuum Test, Further Tests Upcoming; According To Lunar Program Chief Designer Weiren Wu Presenting At ISCOPS Conference In May, Chang’e-4 Lander / Rover Being Reconfigured For Advanced Science, Expected To Launch 2015-2017; Chang’e-5 Sample Return Able To Carry 2kg Of Rocks & Regolith Launching Late 2017

Image Credit: ILOA, spacechina.com, CNSA, NASA

Thursday / 19 June 2014

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Astrobotic Wants To Facilitate 1st Race On Moon

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Astrobotic Technology Offering To Carry At Least 4 GLXP Team Rovers To Lunar Surface On Its Inaugural Mission To Lacus Mortis Region; Rovers Would  Simultaneously Begin 500-Meter Race To Win GLXP After Landing; CEO John Thornton Says This Will Create More Exciting Race, 1st International Competition On Another World; New Astrobotic Website Features Innovative ‘Configure Your Mission’ Page For Potential Payload Customers; Charging US$1.2M/kg For Delivery To Lunar Surface

Image Credit: GLXP

Wednesday / 18 June 2014

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CubeSats To The Moon

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RFI Released By NASA To Gather Feedback / Gauge Interest In Deep Space CubeSat Centennial Challenge; 1st Challenge Will Award US$3M To Competitor Able To Meet Or Exceed Propulsion, Communication, Longevity Technical Objectives While In Lunar Orbit; 2nd Challenge Will Award Up To US$1.5M For CubeSat Demonstrations Beyond Lunar Orbit; Additional US$1M For Ground Qualification Competition Reviews; CubeSats Will Be Carried Into Trans-Lunar Trajectory On 1st Launch Of NASA SLS In 2018

Image Credit: NASA, pocketspacecraft.com

Tuesday / 17 June 2014

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China Moon Program & Implications Of Lunar Helium-3

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Growing Demand For Energy, Leading-Edge Moon Exploration Program Lead Some To Believe China Seeking To Advance Helium-3 Nuclear Fusion Technology; Estimated 1.1M Tonnes Of Helium-3 On Lunar Surface, 1 Tonne Of Helium-3 Could Produce Equivalent Of 50M Barrels Of Crude Oil, Virtually No Waste, Negligible Radiation; International Cooperation / Participation In Moon Development May Determine Whether China Moon Activities Lead To Helium-3 Monopoly / Energy Supremacy, Or Equitable Sharing For Benefit Of All Humanity

Image Credit: CNSA, weeklysciencequiz.blogspot.com, greenoptimistic.com