Author Archives: LED Editor

Friday / 14 February 2014

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Space Frontier Foundation Welcomes
New Leadership, Developments

SFF Return to the Moon

New Generation Takes Over At SFF: NewSpace Entrepreneur Jeff Feige (R) To Be Chairman, Co-Founder Bob Werb Retires; Next Phase Of Development Should Revisit Past / Fundamental Vision = Open Space Frontier To Human Settlement As Rapidly As Possible With Return To The Moon; Space Settlement & Return To The Moon Projects Still Incomplete; Momentum Of Return To The Moon Conferences (1999-2005) Needs To Be Reestablished

Image Credit: SFF

Thursday / 13 February 2014

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China Chang’e-4, -5, -6 Missions
Likely To Be Reconfigured

Chang'e-3-6_0214

Chang’e-3 Lander Now Into Lunar Day 3 After Apparent Yutu Rover Loss; In Completing ~50% Expected Mission Duration Rover Successfully Used Its Panoramic & Navigational Cameras, Alpha-Proton X-Ray Spectrometer & Underbelly Radar System, Providing Valuable Data; Paul Spudis Says China Accomplished All Of Its Major Mission Objectives; Chang’e-4, -5, -6 Will Be Upgraded & Possibly Delayed, As Mission Engineers Evaluate / Integrate Experience Gained From Yutu

Image Credit: CNSA

Wednesday / 12 February 2014

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Scientists Investigate Origin Of Organic Compounds On Moon

OrganicsOnMoon0214

Cosmic Rays From Outside Galaxy May Turn Simple Molecules In Lunar Ice Into More Complex Organics; Sarah Crites Of University Of Hawaii At Manoa Models Ice Chemistry; Simulation Suggests Up To 6% Of Simpler Molecules In Moon Polar Ice Could Be Converted Into Organic Compounds Such As Methane After 1 Billion Years Of Cosmic Ray Bombardment; David Lawrence Of Johns Hopkins APL Says Data Provides Incentive For Moon Pole Prospecting Missions

Image Credit: NASA, jhuapl.edu, Facebook

Tuesday / 11 February 2014

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4th International Workshop On Lunar Science Applications In Florida This April

LSA40214

8-11 April Event In Cocoa Beach, FL, USA Will Provide Overview Of Current Lunar Mission Data, Planned USA, Russia, GLXP Missions & Opportunities They May Provide For Secondary Payloads To Lunar Surface / Cislunar Space; LSA 4 Designed To Foster Collaboration Among Scientists, Engineers & Entrepreneurs To Solve Challenges Involved With Going To Moon & Beyond; Abstracts Due 28 Feb

Image Credit: lunarinitiatives.com, NASA, Moon Express

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon 7-10 February 2014

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Chandrayaan-2 Rover Mission
Details Emerging

ISROlander214

India Moon Rover Preparing For 2016 / 2017 Launch Via 3-Stage GSLV Will Employ Semi-Autonomous Navigation & Hazard Avoidance On Lunar Surface; Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) & Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) Payloads On Board 6-Wheeled Rover Will Perform Element Analysis Of Surface Near Landing Site; Rover Will Be Capable Of Using Both Lander & Orbiter Communications Relays; IIT-Kanpur Reports It Completed Rover Development In 2010, Still Awaiting ISRO Inspection / Payment

Image Credit: ISRO, IIT-Kanpur

Friday / 7 February 2014

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Centennial Challenges Announces 1st
Competition To Lunar Orbit & Beyond

Centennial Challenges 2014

Proposed 2014 Centennial Challenges For USA Teams Would Allow CubeSats To Launch Aboard NASA Flight, Potentially SLS EM-1 Flight Around Moon 17 Dec 2017; Prizes For 2 Challenges Awarded For Successful Ground Demonstration Of Communications & Propulsion Subsystems, Highest Data Volume Transmitted From
> 356,700 km, Transmission From Farthest Distance Beyond Moon, Achieving Lunar Orbit(s); Request For Information Due 31 Mar

Image Credit: NASA, Flexure Engineering

Thursday / 6 February 2014

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Lunar CATALYST Program Inspiring GLXP, Property Rights Debates

GLXPcatalyst0214

Moon Express & Other USA-Based GLXP Teams Enthusiastic About NASA Lunar CATALYST Program While Barcelona Moon & International Teams Concerned It Unbalances The Competition; Mike Gold (TR) Of Bigelow Aerospace Applauds NASA Initiative, Yet Warns That Private Moon Mission Investment Not Likely Until Rights To Extracted Minerals Clearly Defined; Bigelow Awaiting FAA Response To Recent Moon Mission Licensing Request

Image Credit: Barcelona Moon Team, Moon Express, NASA, Bigelow Aerospace

Wednesday / 5 February 2014

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Space Property Rights: Viable First Steps To Advance Commercial Space Initiatives

SpaceLawBigelow0214

Space Advocates Berin Szoka (T) & Jim Dunstan (B) Outline Plan To Advance Space Property Rights In Near Term; USA Government Should Recognize Ownership Of Extracted Resources By Commercial Space Enterprises, & Bar Interference From Other USA Companies; Territorial Rights Would Be Limited In Scope, Contingent On Ongoing Operations; Need To Clarify Which Government Agency Has Jurisdiction Over Lunar / Asteroid Activities; Remind Global Community That Space Is Vast: Plenty For All Who Make Effort

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, Space Frontier Foundation, Picasa

 

 

Tuesday / 4 February 2014

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LADEE Mission Extended, SSERVI Exploration Science Forum Set For July

LADEEloweredSSERVI

Moon Orbiter, Already With Over 1000 Lunar Orbits Completed, Surprises Mission Team By Having Enough Fuel Remaining For 1-Month Extended Mission; 383-kg Craft Will Be Lowered To 5-Km Orbit Where It Should Find Denser Atmosphere / Dust Environment; Richard Elphic (BR) & LADEE Team Still Investigating Data From Chang’e-3 Landing; NASA / SSERVI Announce 1st Annual Exploration Science Forum At Ames RC, CA, On 21-23 July 2014

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 31 Jan – 3 Feb 2014

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Moon Astronomy Revolution

Chang'eLUT_ILOA0114_3

Chang’e-3 LUT Operating Nominally, According To Jianyan Wei Of NAOC/CAS, After 2 Productive Lunar Days In Which It Observed 23 Stars Of Draco Constellation, Conducted Long-Duration Observation Of Variable Stars & Produced Mosaic Sky Survey; This Historic Precedent Of Viability Of & Opportunity For Astronomy From Lunar Surface Should Give Encouragement & Confidence To Global Astronomy, Space Exploration & NewSpace Communities Seeking To Advance Humanity As Multi World Species

Image Credit: NAOC/CAS, ILOA