Category Archives: Advanced Technology

Wednesday / 7 October 2015

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5th International LunarCubes Workshop Brings Scientists, Engineers, Enterprise To San Jose 6-9 Oct

1072015Robust Lunar Enterprise Workshop Over 4 Days  Focusing On Space Exploration, Collaboration, Technology & Commercial Strategies; NASA Ames Research Center Manager Jim Cockrell (R) Highlights First In-Space Cube Quest Challenge (US$5.5M Prize) To Develop Small Moon Orbiters & Deep Space Satellites; Steve Durst (BL) Discussing ‘Astronomy From The Moon’ As A New Frontier With The International Lunar Observatory (ILO-1); Interorbital Systems Randa Milliron (TL) Will Talk About IOS Neptune Modular Rockets; Annual LunarCubes Workshop Provides Hands-On Activities & Educational Sessions To Further Moon & Space Exploration

Credit: LCW5, ILOA, NASA, Jim Cockrell, IOS, Randa Milliron

Tuesday / 6 October 2015

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Moonspike Endeavor Reflects Growing International, Global Urgency To ‘Touch The Moon’

MoonspikeNewSpace Enterprise To Send Full Scale Rocket To Moon & Embed 1 Gram Payload ‘Moonspike’ Into Lunar Surface Developed Entirely With Private Funding; Founded By Kristian von Bengtson (L) Of Denmark & Chris Larmour (R), Primary Goal Is To Build Full Scale Rockets Capable Of Performing Moon Missions; Mission Will Consist Of 4 Stages: Launch, Orbit & Transit, Course Corrections As Needed, Landing At High Speed To Embed Moonspike; Other Moon Initiatives From India, Japan & China With Current On-Going & Near-Term Projections Corroborate International Desire To Return To Moon; USA Shackleton Energy Company Considering Near-Term Precursor Mission & Moon Express GLXP Launch Possible For 2017

Credit: Moonspike, Kristian von Bengtson

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 October 2015

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Moon South & North Pole Craters Confirmed As ‘Traps’ For Water Ice Deposited By Asteroids

1032015Valery Shuvalov Of Moscow Institute Of Physics & Technology Study Shows Common Asteroids Are Up To 10% H2O & Crystal Lattice Of Minerals Keeps H2O Protected From Heat; 1/3 Of Asteroids Fall On Moon At 14/km/s, 30-40% Remain Intact After Oblique Impact, 60-70% From Vertical Impact; LRO, Chandrayaan & Cassini Missions Providing Data Of Water & Hydroxyl Buried Under Moon Soil; Russia LEND, Mounted On LRO Mapping Flux Of Neutrons To Search For Water Ice In Polar Regions In “Cold Traps”; Presence Of Water Ice Vital For Human Settlement

Credit: NASA, MIPT, LRO

Friday / 2 October 2015

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Moon Express Purchases Rocket Labs Launches For 3 Moon Missions Starting 2017

Moon Express Launch

ME MX-1 Lunar Lander Planning To Fly To LEO On Rocket Labs Electron Rocket (Under Development) From New Zealand Launch Pad Or KSC Florida In 2017; MX-1 Powered By Hydrogen Peroxide Propulsion, Would Use Phase-Looping Trajectory To Get To Moon, Land On Surface, Hop 500 Meters To Fulfill GLXP Requirements; 2 Launches Planned For 2017, 1 For 2018, With Option Of 4th & 5th Launch Thereafter; Lander Is Being Scaled Down To 200kg (Including Fuel); Rocket Labs Launch List Price Is US$4.9M; Agreement May Extend GLXP Deadline To 31 Dec 2017

Credit: ME, NASA, Goddard/NSTA Web Seminars, Rocket Labs

Thursday / 1 October 2015

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Launch Contract By End Of Year Vital For GLXP Competition To Continue

1012015Of Remaining 16 Google Lunar X Prize Teams, One Must Secure Launch Contract By 31 Dec To Extend Competition To 2017; Front Runners Are Moon Express & Astrobotic; Moon Express Developing Lunar Lander Test Facilities At Florida KSC; Astrobotic Technology Lunar Mission One Partnering On Campaign ‘Footsteps On The Moon’ To Place First Digital Archive Of Human Life On Moon

Credit: GLXP, Astrobotic, Moon Express, Lunar Mission One

Wednesday / 30 September 2015

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Helium-3 Has Tenuous Potential As Lunar Energy Resource

9302015Engineering Capabilities Of Unproven Helium-3 Fusion Reactor Technology May Be Decades Out; Apollo Astronaut Harrison Schmitt (T) Advocates For Lunar Mining Of Helium-3 (He-3); China, Russia, Europe, USA, India Also Showing He-3 Interest; Other Energy Solutions Including Lunar Water-Ice Extraction Proposed By Shackleton Energy Company (SEC); Strategic SEC Partnership With Penguin Automated Systems, Dr. Greg Baiden (B) Declares “There’s Also The Potential For Solar Power Stations”

Credit: NASA, Arizona Geological Society, SEC, ESA, Greg Baiden

Tuesday / 29 September 2015

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Audi, GLXP PTS Partnership Expands Lunar Rover Technology & Construction

9292015Continued Developments Underway For Part-Time Scientists (PTS) GLXP Team Including Payload Potential, 3D Printer, Emerging Communications Link By PTS Karsten Becker To Control Audi Lunar Quattro On Lunar Surface; Audi Will Be Supporting Lunar Rover Lightweight Construction Development, Electric Mobility Development, Testing & Quality Assurance; Sturdy Lightweight Design To Be Made Of High-Strength Aluminum & Magnesium To Withstand Radiation On The Moon

Credit: GLXP, Audi, Part-Time Scientist

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 September 2015

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Total Lunar Eclipse To Inspire Astronomy From, On, Of The Moon

9262015Chang’e-3 Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope On Moon Surface At Sinus Iridum / Mare Imbrium, 44.12°N 19.51°W Will Attempt Observations During 74-Minute Total Lunar Eclipse Beginning 27 September 16:10 HST; Through MoU With NAOC, ILOA Supporting Unique Milky Way / Other Galaxy Imaging Opportunities From Moon Surface; ILOA Working To Establish Observatory At Moon South Pole, Lunar Base Build-Out; LRO Diviner Instrument Will Collect Data From Orbit, Professional & Enthusiast Groups To Observe / Study Eclipse

Credit: NASA, CNSA, NAOC-CAS, CCTV, Higherlearning.com

Friday / 25 September 2015

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Galaxy Forum Canada 2015:
Astronomy From The Moon

GF Canada 2015

 ILOA 2015 Galaxy Forum 26 Sep To Be Held At University Of British Columbia In Vancouver, Canada; Will Feature (L-R) Paul Hickson, Steve Durst, Howard Trottier, Mark Halpern, Alma Barranco-Mendoza, Eldon Yellowhorn; Topics Include The Future ILO-1 Moon South Pole Observatory For Milky Way Galaxy Imaging / 21st Century Astronomy Education, Large Optical Telescopes On The Moon Taking Advantage Of The Airless Environment & Slow Lunar Rotation, Canadian Space Society & Canadian Space Agency Perspectives On Human Exploration & Development Of The Solar System, Archeoastronomy & The Cultural Importance Of The Moon

Credit: ILOA, NASA, CSS, UBC, SFU

Thursday / 24 September 2015

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Canada Space Sector Innovating Strategies For Lunar Exploration

9242015 Lunar Night Survival Technologies Being Advanced By Canadensys With Endorsement Of ILOA Evaluating Extreme Moon Surface Temperature Variations From ~50°C In Sunlight To -230°C In Permanently Shadow Areas; Goal Is To Develop Alternative Non-Radioactive Heat Source For Missions Such As ILO-1 Moon South Pole Obervatory; Canadian Space Agency Performing Training & Field Work, Analyzing Data Of Lunar Geology Simulations From Arctic Analog To Aid In Future Moon, Mars, Asteroid Missions

Credit: CSA ACS, Canadensys, NASA, ILOA