ESA Astronaut Jean-François Clervoy & Astronaut Instructor Hervé Stevenin Reenact Apollo 11 Moonwalk In 2 Underwater Simulations In The Mediterranean Sea Off Marseille, France; Comex-Designed Gandolfi Spacewalk Training Suits Used – Based On Russia Orlan Suit; Test Was 1st Step Toward Developing Europe Expertise In Planetary Surface Spacewalk Simulations, Further Simulations Will Be Co-Financed By EU As Part Of Moonwalk Project
Image Credit: ESA, Comex
Canada Astronaut Jeremy Hansen & 5 International Crew Members Will Live / Work In Sa Grutta Caves In Sardinia, Italy For 6 Days For ESA CAVES Training To Simulate Space Exploration Challenges: Limited Privacy & Supplies, Multicultural Team Work, Technical Issues While Exploring Uncharted Areas; Hansen Spent Time In Canada High Arctic To Learn About Impact Formation & Geology For Future Moon Missions
Image Credit: CSA, ESA, S. Noguchi, NASA/GSFC/ASU
Chinese Academy Of Sciences (CAS) Holds Rally To Send Off Payload Testing Team For Chang’e-3 Lunar Explorer; Director Of Space Science & Applied Research At CAS Ji Wu, Senior CLEP Leadership Team Advisor Ziyuan Ouyang (T), CLEP Applications Chief Scientist Jun Yan (B) & Other Top Officials Present At Rally; About 80 Days Remaining Until Launch Of 1st China Lunar Lander / Surveyor
Image Credit: CLEP, CNSA, ILOA
Team Indus Drawing Up Launch Contract With ISRO To Buy PSLV Launch For US$15M, Estimating Total Cost Of Mission ~US$30M; Several GLXP Team Members Present At European Planetary Science Congress In London To Raise Awareness Of NewSpace Lunar Missions Value / Credibility; Even Missions With No Scientific Payloads Could Provide Valuable Data: Action Of Dust During Landing, Surface Properties, Degradation Of Solar Panels By Dust & Radiation
Image Credit: GLXP, ISRO, EPSC2013
383-Kg Spacecraft Now Making 30-Day Journey To Moon Through Series Of Phasing Orbits That Will Allow It To Arrive At Proper Time / Phase; Flawless Night Launch Provided Spectacular Viewing For East Coast USA; Slight Glitch With Craft Reactor Wheels Corrected By NASA Engineers; Upon 6 Oct Arrival At Moon LADEE Will Go Through 30-Day Checkout Phase & Then 100-Day Science Phase In Which It Will Orbit Moon Between 20-60-Km
Image Credit: NASA, Ben Cooper
LADEE Launch — 6 Sep, 23:27 EDT, Wallops Island VA, Via Minotaur 5 Rocket — Promises To Provide Spectacular Show To East Coast USA Viewers; US$248M-Mission Will Test New System For Ultra-Fast Optical Data Transmission — 600 Mbit/s, Unravel Mysteries Of Lunar Atmosphere / Dust Environment, Premiere Common Spacecraft Bus; Next Flight Of The Bus Likely On Moon Express (ME) GLXP Mission NET 2015; ME Announces Paul Spudis New Chief Scientist, Jack Burns Added To Science Advisory Board
Image Credit: NASA, Moon Express
America Pioneering Lunar Atmosphere And Dust Environment Explorer, With Revolutionary Modular Spacecraft Bus And Ultrafast Laser Optical Communications, Counts Down To Dramatic 23:27 Virginia Coast Night Launch; Equally Innovative PRC Chang’e-3 Moon Lander Mission Suffers Public Relations, Lunar Progress Setbacks With Grave Translation Errors Of UV-Telescope, UV-Camera, Advanced Radar Instruments
Image Credit: NASA, Wallops/P. Black, Dragon in Space
Chris Kraft, 1st NASA Flight Director, Says Many NASA Management Prefer Return To Moon As Next Step For USA / ISS Nations, Reluctant To Speak Up Due To Restrictions From Current Administrations; Congress, Astronauts & Partner Nations Also Prefer Moon Plan; Kraft Also Notes Great Possibilities For Science / Commerce On Moon; Lack Of Motivation / Inspiration Of Next Generation Of NASA Astronauts & Engineers Caused By Unrealistic & Unclear Exploration Plan
Image Credit: NASA, mit.edu
1000 VIPs Expected To Attend LADEE Launch This Fri, 6 Sep 23:27 EDT From Wallops VA; Scientists Enthusiastic To Learn More About Lunar Atmosphere, 1 / 100,000th The Density Of Earth’s, & How Atmosphere / Dust Will Affect Future Human & Robotic Explorers; Whether / When Any Of Those Explorers Will Be American Remains Unclear However As NASA Lacking Any Follow-Up Moon Missions On Current Schedule
Image Credit: NASA
Tyson States It Is “Scandal That Private Enterprise Did Not Take Off Sooner;” Feels Space Shuttle Program Should Have Been Undertaken By Independent Business Leaving NASA Free To Conduct Deep Space Exploration; Believes Increased Government Investment In Space Is Needed To Facilitate Establishment Of Successful Lunar / Space Enterprise; Tyson Has Assisted Golden Spike Company In Advisory Role
Image Credit: Golden Spike Company, brainpickings.org