Largest Full Moon Of 2012, Saturday 5 May, 17:35 HST, Just 35 Minutes After Perigee; At 356,955km, Moon Will Be 24,622km Closer Than Average, Causing It To Appear 16% Larger & Exert 42% More Tidal Force; 5 May Also Midpoint Of Northern Hemisphere Spring; NASA Goddard Chief Scientist James Garvin Says SuperMoon “Attests To Wonderful New Wealth Of Data NASA’s LRO Mission Has Returned For The Moon”
Image Credit: NASA
Hawaii Lawmakers Expected To Pass 2 Bills This Week Advancing Importance Of State In Emerging NewSpace Age; 1st Bill Will Establish Hawaii Spaceport Initiative, Capitalize On Projected BillionUS$ Industry; 2nd Bill Will Support Construction Of International Lunar Research Park On Hawaii Island; ILRP Will Help Design / Develop Human Moon Settlement Within 10 Years
Image Credit: hawaii.gov, UHH, Aerospace Hawaii
Image Credit: British Antarctic Survey, Amundsen
Moon Miners’ Manifesto #254, April 2012 Edition Expounds The Value Of Learning From Earth South Pole Development In Preparation For Lunar Habitation; Cooperative Spirit & Plan / Philosophy Of Sharing Resources, Facilities, Equipment Is Ideal For Future International Moon Settlement; Model Could Be Refined Through Antarctica Lunar Research Park; Importance Of Sports In Antarctica & Moon
Image Credit: NASA
Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) System Under Development At NASA Will Enable Safe Landings In Locations Apollo Never Could Have Gone; Terrain Relative Navigation System Utilizes 3 Sensors (Optical, Lidar, Laser Altimeter) & Stored Data To Determine Lander Position & Velocity; Hazard Detection System Generates DEM With 10-cm Resolution
Image Credit: Uchusen Company, Naviblog
Uchusen Company, University Of Southampton & DeltaCAT Ltd., Present ‘Hopper Alpha’ Demonstrator; Team Went From Blank Paper To Core Physical & Electronics Framework Ready For Gimbal/Thruster, Firing & Hovering Phase, In Under 1 Calendar Year; Managing Director Mandali Khalesi: Project Is Initial Step Towards Agile Spacecraft Development Required In New Century; Could Be Utilized For Lunar Or NEO Missions
Image Credit: NASA
American Astronaut Marsha Ivins Speaks To Students About Benefits / Importance Of Space Travel At Nehru Planetarium In Mumbai India; “Traveling Again To The Moon Is The Right Thing To Do”; Says Image Of Milky Way Galaxy Provides Her With Inspiration / Commitment To Support Space Exploration; Ivins Spent 55 Days In Space During 36-Year NASA Career That Included 5 Spaceflights
Image Credit: southtek.com, K. Pichumani, ISRO
ISRO Chairman Radhakrishnan Says Chandrayaan-2 Launch Will Follow 2 Successful Launches Of GSLV Rocket With Indigenous Cryogenic Engine; GSLV Systems To Undergo Series Of Tests & Modifications To Rectify Problems From 2 Failed Launches; Next Launches Scheduled For Fall 2012, Early 2013, Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter / Lander / Rover Launch NET 2014
Image Credit: NASA, GLXP, Team Puli
4 GLXP Teams Present Their Plans To, Invite Science Payloads From, 170 Lunar Scientists At Recent European Lunar Symposium In Berlin; Puli, AMALIA, FREDNET, Synergy Moon Among 11 GLXP Teams With Significant European Involvement; Radio Antennae, X-Ray Spectroscopes Among Payload Concepts Proposed During Highly Successful Session
Image Credit: NASA, Planetary Resources Inc, Astrobotic Technology Inc
New Wave Of Interest In Lunar / Asteroid Mining Peaking With Announcement Of Billionaire-Backed Planetary Resources Inc., Developing Plans Of Moon Express & Astrobotic Technology; Craig Covault Notes Importance Of LRO High Resolution Mapping Capabilities To Prepare For Future Human-Tended Robotic Surface Mining Operations; LRO Orbiting At Altitude Of 24-29km
Image Size: NASA, ILOA
John Young, Charlie Duke Are Only 2 Humans To Ever Walk On Lunar Highlands, Spent 3 Days On Lunar Surface, Logged 26.7km On Lunar Rover, Returned 95.8kg Of Samples, Deployed First Observatory On Moon; 40 Years Later, Next Frontier Of Lunar Exploration Is Similarly Challenging Environment: Mountainous South Pole; Commander Young Now Serves As Honorary Director Of ILOA