Author Archives: LED Editor

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 30 May-2 June 2014

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Chang’e-3 Lander / Yutu Rover Continue To Exceed Expectations

chinaLUTstillHere

China Moon Lander With Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope & Extreme Ultraviolet Camera Continue To Gather Scientific Data / Demonstrate Value Of Astronomy From The Moon, While Yutu Rover & Its Mechanical Problems Dominate International News Coverage Of Mission; Now In Lunar Night 6, Rover Has Exceeded Projected 3-Month Lifespan, Chang’e-3 Lander Also Expected To Exceed 1-Year Projected Lifespan; Chang’e-3 LUT International Partner ILOA (With SPC Affiliate) Has Produced An Estimated Lunar Day-Night Cycle For Chang’e-3 Mission

Image Credit: CNSA, silvercoinstory.com

Friday / 30 May 2014

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ISEE-3 Team Achieves Contact,
Close Lunar Flyby Upcoming

ISEE-3 Reboot Project

ISEE-3 Reboot Project Team Will Attempt To Command 36-Year-Old Spacecraft, Fire Engines ASAP; ISEE-3 Is ~250,000km From Where It Should Be, Increasing Possibility Of Moon Impact Without Corrective Maneuvers; Lunar Flyby Trajectory Estimated At 50km-Altitude; Recently Established 2-Way Communication Will Allow For Refinement Of Engine Burn Techniques; Goal Is To Use Moon Gravity To Enter Orbit At Sun-Earth L1, Resume Original Mission To Investigate Solar Wind, Share Data With Public

Image Credit: ISEE-3 Reboot Project

Thursday / 29 May 2014

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GLXP Team SpaceIL Advances Mission Funding

SpaceIL$514

SpaceIL Crowdfunding Campaign Seeks To Raise $1 For Every Mile To The Moon (240,000), Runs Through 17 June, US$58,000 Raised In First Week, Team Says Overarching Goal Is To Raise Awareness / Create Apollo-Like Excitement Among Youth; Israel-Based Team Already Raised $20M Of Projected $36M Mission Budget, Including $16.4M Grant From Casino Magnate Sheldon Adelson; A Private Group Is Looking To Send Hand-Printed Torah Scroll To Moon, Group Working On Payload Contract With Barcelona Moon Team After Talks With SpaceIL Broke Down

Image Credit: SpaceIL, Yuya Shino

Wednesday / 28 May 2014

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LRO Celebrates Moon As Art For 5th Anniversary

LROmoonArt

Public Invited By NASA To Select Cover Image For ‘The Moon As Art’ LRO Image Collection, Voting Open Until 6 June; Finalists: Starry Night, Clerke Crater, Diviner North Pole, Linne Crater & Tycho Central Peak; Full Collection Of 24 Images Will Be Released On 18 June, 5th Anniversary Of LRO Launch; The Future Of LRO Remains Uncertain, Mission Could End Sep 2014 Or Be Extended 2 More Years; Fate Will Likely Be Determined By Results Of Biennial NASA Senior Review Expected In June 

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Tues / 23-27 May 2014

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Morpheus Lander Tests Paving Way For Human & Robotic Moon Missions

MorpheusFF0514

Final Morpheus Lander Flight Test At NASA KSC Next Wednesday Night Will Seek To Fine-Tune Performance & Demonstrate How Sensors Work In Darkness; Latest Free Flight Test Attempted To Rely Solely On ALHAT Landing Sensors To Guide Craft To Best Landing Site; Vehicle Rose To 240m Then Used Laser Sensors To Identify Up To 5 Safe Landing Sites; ALHAT Sensor Performance Not As Precise As Engineers Hoped & Pre-Set Trajectory Was Implemented To Land Morpheus; Successful Flight Tests Will Increase Likelihood Technology Will Be Incorporated Into Human / Robotic Moon Missions

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 23 May 2014

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LADEE Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration Performance To Be Detailed

LLCD 2014

New Comprehensive Overview Of LLCD To Be Presented At CLEO 2014 Conference 8-13 June By Team From MIT Lincoln Laboratory (Developer Of Primary Lunar Laser Ground Terminal); Will Describe Techniques To Achieve Error-Free Performance Over ~400,000km Distance / Atmospheric Disturbances; Transmitted Data From Earth To Moon At 19.44 Megabits Per Second – Beat Previous Record By Factor Of 4,800; Significant For Moon & Beyond Missions, Real-Time Communication & 3-D HD Video

Image Credit: NASA

Thursday / 22 May 2014

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ESA Advancing Lunar Base Construction Research

ESAMoonBase3Dprint

3D Printing A Lunar Base From Raw Materials On Lunar Surface Found To Be Feasible By Extensive Research Of ESA; Industrial Partners In Study Include Renowned Architects Foster & Partners, UK-Based Monolite Ltd; Concept Uses Inflatable Dome Superstructure, Layers Of Regolith Built Up Over Dome By Rover-Operated 3D Printer To Create Protective Shell; Team Produced 1.5-Mg Building Block As Demonstration (Inset); 2nd European Lunar Symposium Featured Presentations On Human Exploration Of Moon South Pole

Image Credit: ESA

Wednesday / 21 May 2014

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Team Phoenicia Supports RevUp Render Lunar Iditarod Challenge

DogecoinMoonRace

Dogecoin-Fueled Competition Will Take Place In Several Stages Culminating In 3-Way Mini-Rover Race On Moon; DogeSled Rovers Will Be Transported To Lunar Surface Aboard Phoenicia-1 Mission, Along With Penn State Lunar Lion GLXP Rover, Q4 2015; Registration To Compete In 1st Stage Of Competition Due 21 May, Entry Fee 2,250,000 Dogecoins (~US$1,100); Team Phoenicia CEO Will Baird Believes Bringing Together Dogecoin, Robotics, NewSpace Communities Will Help Each Grow Stronger 

Image Credit: Lunar Iditarod, Dogecoin, Team Phoenicia

Tuesday / 20 May 2014

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USA Lunar Surface Mission In The Works: NASA Issues RFI

RFIresolve

RFI Submitted By NASA KSC Seeking Private Industry Sources / Information On Payload Avionics Systems & Avionics Elements For Use In Short-Duration Lunar Surface Resource Prospecting Mission; Submissions Must Be Sent To Christopher Zuber By 20 June 2014; South Pole Moon Resource Prospector Mission (RPM) With RESOLVE Payload Notionally Targeted For 2018 Launch; NASA Has Spent Just Over US$20M On The Mission, Expects Total Mission Cost ~US$250M

 Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 May 2014

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Space Lawyers Outline Challenges Of Commercial Lunar Development At ISDC

ISDCspaceLaw0514

USA-Based Commercial Entities Seeking To Explore, Settle In And Exploit Resources Of Space / Moon May Be Hindered By International Law, Predominance Of Countries That See Space As Shared Resource; Boston Attorney Rosanna Sattler Says Country Of Origin Will Need To Be Responsible For Their Endemic Enterprises, International MoUs Allowing Specific Commercial Activities May Be Easier To Achieve Than A Whole New International Treaty; Other Experts Such As Art Dula Believe Private Companies ‘Absolutely Have The Right’ To Mine / Develop Moon, Asteroids, Etc.

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, Excalibur Almaz, Here & Now