Lori Garver, NASA Deputy Administrator, Confirms Ambitious USA Plans To Return To Moon During Speech At AIAA Conference In Pasadena, CA; Uncrewed Mission Scheduled For 2017, Human Orbital Mission By 2021; NASA Report To US Congress Outlines Plan For “Nearly Self-Sustaining Surface Habitat” On Moon For Long-Duration Astronaut Missions, Capable Of Extracting Oxygen, Water, Silicon, Etc In Situ
Image Credit: NASA, Stephan Wlodarczyk
50th Anniversary Of JFK “We Choose To Go To The Moon” Speech Commemorated As Man Who Took That Giant Leap Is Memorialized In Washington DC; NASA TV Will Broadcast Public Memorial Of Neil Armstrong Today 10:00 EDT; Support Growing For 20 July Federal ‘Exploration Day’ Holiday; 100-Year Starship Event Underway In Houston TX Projecting Human Interstellar Travel Within Next 100 Years
Image Credit: NASA, 100yss.org
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin Says Russia Should Set ‘Super Goal’ Of Building Large Base On Moon To Refocus Space Industry; Base Could Facilitate Leaps Of Science & Future Deep Space Projects; Possible Collaboration With USA / ESA; Moon Is Seen As Logical Next Step For Russia Exploration As Mars Is “Too Far And Too Expensive”
Image Credit: Roscosmos, wn.com
Program & Abstracts Now Available For 22-24 Oct 2012 LEAG Annual Meeting In Greenbelt Maryland; Presentations / Discussions On Science Objectives, Robotic Human Exploration Strategies & Technologies, Moon As Necessary Stepping Stone To Rest Of Solar System; Organizers Plan To Celebrate Apollo Legacy 40 Years After Apollo 17, Look Forward To Next Generation Of Lunar Missions; Pictured (BC): LEAG Chair Charles Shearer
Image Credit: LPI, NASA, University of New Mexico
Extended Science Phase Of GRAIL Mission From 30 Aug – 3 Dec; Spacecraft Will Take Even Closer Look At Lunar Gravity Field By Dropping To Average Orbit Of 23km (Compared To 55-km Orbit On Primary Mission); Objective Of NASA Mission Is To Generate The Most Accurate Gravity Map Of Moon & From That Derive Its Internal Structure / Evolution
Image Credit: NASA
First Person To Walk On Moon Strongly Advocated Return To Moon As Vital Next Step For USA / Human Space Exploration, Often Noted There Are Over 36 Million Square Km Of Unexplored Lunar Sites, Moon Is Ideal Location For Preparation / Training For Future Solar System Exploration; Memorial Service To Honor Neil Armstrong Will Be Held 13 Sep At Washington National Cathedral
Image Credit: NASA / Bill Ingalls
National Astronomical Observatories Of Chinese Academy Of Sciences (NAOC) Set To Sign MOU With International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) Tuesday In Hawai`i; ILOA International Team Of Astronomers Will Conduct Galaxy / Astronomy Research With Lunar Telescope Aboard Chang’e-3 Lander (2013) For Global 21st Century Education, In Exchange NAOC Will Receive Observing Time On ILO-X & ILO-1 Mission Instruments (NET 2014-2015)
Image Credit: ILOA, NAOC
Mini-RF Radar On LRO Estimates Maximum Amount Of Ice Likely Inside Shackleton Crater; 5-10% Of Material In Walls Of The Permanently-Shadowed Crater Could Be Patchy Ice According To Team Led By Bradley Thomson Of Boston University; Instrument Detects Distinctive Radar Polarization Signature Of Water Ice To Depth Of 2m Below Surface; Mini-RF Currently Acquiring New Bistatic Radar Images To Locate Volatile Deposits Using Arecibo Radio Telescope
Image Credit: NASA, bu.edu
Researchers From University Of Bern Switzerland Make Breakthrough That May Lead To Answer For ‘Lunar Paradox’: Dominant Theory Of Moon Formation Does Not Explain Identical Isotropic Properties Of Moon & Earth; By Utilizing Different Geometry Of Collisions Than Previously Simulated, Considering New Impact Configurations / ‘Hit & Run Theory’, Researchers Coming Close To Matching Constraints From Earth-Moon System
Image Credit: University Of Bern Switzerland
Prototype Lunar Lander Completes Another Successful Test Flight At NASA Marshall SFC; Vehicle Navigated Autonomously Flying On Pre-Programmed Flight Profile For 35-Second Run; Flew To 30-m Altitude, Identified New Landing Target 30m Away, Took Pictures, Processed Images & Landed Safely; This Begins New Series Of Flights Testing Lander’s Autonomous Rendezvous & Capture Abilities
Image Credit: NASA, Angry Birds