Author Archives: LED Editor

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 Feb 2018

Posted on by

SpaceX Falcon Heavy Demo Success Could Mean Human Occupied Lunar Base Soon To Come

Upcoming 6 Feb Falcon Heavy Launch With Reusable Rocket Components Will Increase Space Travel Sustainability And Possibility Of Permanent Lunar Base; CEO Elon Musk States Aspirations Of Sending Humans To Mars In 2024 At ~US$200K Per Person With Launch Seating Capability Of 100 People, Also Plans To Accommodate Commercial And Government Desire To Reach Moon First As Stepping Stone Into The Solar System; Musk Envisions His Interplanetary Transport System On Self-Proclaimed “Moon Base Alpha” Leading To Speculation Of Personal Interest In Lunar Settlement

Credits: NASA, SpaceX, Elon Musk

Friday / 2 Feb 2018

Posted on by

Human Exploration Research Analog HERAnauts To Begin 45-Day Space Simulation Mission

Group Of 4 Compensated Volunteers Out Of ~400 Applicants To Perform >18 Investigations During HERA XVI Mission (Campaign 4 Mission 4) At Johnson Space Center, Houston TX 3 Feb – 19 Mar; Closed Habitat Of 148.1 m3 Volume Consists Of 3-Story Core, Airlock & Hygiene Facilities; Research Will Focus On Behavioral Performance, Team Performance, Crew Medical, And Enabling Technologies Including Low Latency Teleoperations Study, Lighting Protocols for Exploration, ISS Food Intake Tracker, STARWatch™ Sleep Measures For Spaceflight; Results Will Support Future Human Moon, Mars, Solar System, SLS / Orion, Potential Deep Space Gateway Missions

Credits: JSC, NASA, HERA

Wednesday / 31 Jan 2018

Posted on by

ILOA Confirms 4-7 December For Galaxy Forum China 2018 Hainan

International Lunar Observatory Association Will Host A 3-Day Interglobal Conference On “International Human Moon Missions” & “Astronomy From The Moon” At Hilton Wenchang On Tropical Island Of Hainan – Home Of China Spaceport (19°N) At Wenchang Satellite Launch Center; Co-Sponsorship Already From International Astronautical Federation, Chinese Society Of Astronautics, National Astronomical Observatories / Chinese Academy Of Sciences; Feature Presentation By Andy Aldrin & Other World Space Leaders To See Humans On The Moon ASAP; Program & Registration Available Soon At ILOA Website

Credits: ILOA, CSA, NAOC, IAF, Google, NASA, SPC

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 26-29 Jan 2018

Posted on by

Emerging USA Policies Could Support Human Moon Missions Early 2020s

Upcoming 2018 Presidential State Of Union Address 30 January May Give Indication Of Future Lunar / Space Exploration, National Space Council, Space Policy Directive 1, ISS; 2019 Fiscal Budget Expected Release Early February; Possibility Of Public-Private Lunar Exploration Catalyzed By US$200M Allocation; NASA Budget Could End ISS Funding By 2024, Currently About $4B Out Of Total $19.65B, To Develop International Deep Space Gateway; National Focus Would Shift To Cislunar Space, Mars And Beyond Utilizing Space Launch System And Orion Crew Vehicle

Credits: NASA, Boeing, CNN

Friday / 26 Jan 2018

Posted on by

New Views Of The Moon 2 – Asia To Contribute To Synthesized International Database On Lunar Research

Multinational Lunar Experts Will Share Cutting Edge Data And Research At 2018 New Views Of The Moon 2 Being Held At University of Aizu, Japan 18-20 April; Following Successful Meetings In Europe (Germany) And USA (Houston TX) The 2008-2018 NVM2 Initiative Consists Of Topical Workshops, Special Meeting Sessions And Web-based Resource Collections, Leading To A Published Book; Featured Speakers Include (L-R) Clive Neal, Makiko Ohtake, Chip Shearer, Lisa Gaddis, Sam Lawrence, Steve Mackwell, Naru Hirata

Credits: NVM2, LPI, University of Mexico, University of Aizu, JSC / NASA

Wednesday / 24 Jan 2018

Posted on by

Chandrayaan-2 To Attempt India 1st Touchdown On Another World

Chandrayaan-2 (Sanskrit “Moon Vehicle”) Indigenous US$93M Mission Consisting Of Orbiter, Lander, Rover At 3,250 kg Expected To Launch March-April On GSLV Mk 2; Orbiter To Maintain 100-km Lunar Polar Orbit; Mission Will Collect Data From Water-Ice, Lunar Topography, Mineralogy, Elements, Exosphere; Solar Powered 20-kg Rover Has 3D Vision, Laser-Induced Breakdown And Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectroscopes; Project Director Mylswamy Annadurai States 1,250-kg Lander To Take First On-Site Measurements Near South Pole Region With First Of Its Kind Radio Anatomy Instrument (RAMBHA)

Image Credits: ISRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 Jan 2018

Posted on by

Russia Luna-27 Lander, ESA Lunar Ice Drill Progressing Toward Moon South Pole Launch 2021

Roscosmos Advancing Luna-Resurs Lander (Luna-27) With ESA Contract On Surface Drill (PROSPECT) Design, Planned 2021 Launch; Drill With 1-2 Meter Penetration Capability Through Frozen Regolith Being Tested At -140° C, Lunar Shadowed Surfaces Could Reach -240° C; ESA To Also Provide High Resolution Cameras With LIDAR & Precise and Intelligent Landing using Onboard Technologies (PILOT) System To Assist Landing; Luna-25 2019 Lander To Test Soft-Landing Technologies; Neutron Detector On Luna-26 Launching 2020 To Map Subsurface Ice; Sample Return Planned For Luna-28 In 2023; Luna-29 Lander And Rover In 2025 Could See Human Missions / Future Moon Base

Credits: NPO Lavochkin, Anatoly Zak, RussianSpaceWeb, Roscosmos, NASA, ESA, LROC, Ivanov et al., 2015

Friday / 19 Jan 2018

Posted on by

Blue Origin, Astrobotic and Moon Express Developing Lunar Landers

Blue Origin Near Seattle Designing “Blue Moon” Lander Capable Of Carrying 4,500 kg – Advanced Programs Manager A.C. Charania Says Aiming For 1st Mission In The Next Few Years; Astrobotic In Pittsburgh Developing “Peregrine” Lander Capable Of Delivering Up To 265 kg At US$1.2M/kg – 1st Moon Landing With 35-kg Payload Scheduled For 1st Half Of 2020; Moon Express At Cape Canaveral Planning To Launch “MX-1E” Landers With 10-20 kg Payloads, Including One With ILO-X Telescope & Possibly On Rocket Lab Electron From New Zealand For Google Lunar XPrize; Space.com Mike Wall Writes On Moon Rush

Pictured: Blue Origin Jeff Bezos & A.C. Charania, Astrobotic CEO John Thornton, ME CEO Bob Richards; Credits: Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos, A.C. Charania, Astrobotic, Moon Express, Bob Richards

Thursday / 18 Jan 2018

Posted on by

Lava Tube Entrances May Exist In Moon Polar Regions

Planetary Scientist Pascal Lee Of SETI Institute & Mars Institute Discovers 3 Pits In Philolaus Crater Near Lunar North Pole – Candidate “Skylight” Entrances To Underground Lava Tubes; Permanently Shadowed Inside, These Pits May Give Access To Subsurface Water Ice; Polar Location Provides Solar Power & Direct Earth Communications For Easier Ice Extraction & Human Exploration; New Findings Made At NASA Ames Using Data From Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Credits: NASA, LRO, SETI Institute, Mars Institute, Pascal Lee

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 12-15 Jan 2018

Posted on by

Rocket Lab Second Test Launch Set For NET Jan 20, Could Determine GLXP Finale

Electron Second Test Flight ‘Still Testing’ Planned During 9-Day Launch Window Starting 20 January Could Be Significant Determiner In Google Lunar XPrize 31 March Deadline Further Extension Or GLXP End; Team Indus / ISRO PSLV Contract Cancelled Making It Virtually Impossible To Secure New Contract, Raise Funds, Integrate Lander & Launch Before Deadline; This Leaves Moon Express (Rocket Lab), Synergy Moon (Interorbital Untested Launch Vehicle Neptune), SpaceIL (SpaceX – Team Noted It Needed US$7.5M By 20 Dec 2017) And Team Hakuto (Working To Stay In Competition) To Attempt To Win US$20M Grand Prize

Pictured: Peter Beck, Rocket Lab CEO; Credits: Rocket Lab, Moon Express, GLXP