Tuesday / 11 August 2015

Russia Moon Flight Simulations For 2016-2017

81120152With Vision Of Future Human Moon & Mars Missions, Deputy Director Oleg Orlov – Institute Of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) Notes Importance “For Simulating The Conditions Of Space Flights” & Provides Information Of Ongoing & Future Experiments For Simulated Moon Flight; Data From 8-Day Moon Mission Oct-Nov 2015 Experiment Consisting Of Six Russia Female Scientist To Aid Simulations In 2016; Planning For 14-Day Experiment In 2016, Up To 1-Year Experiment In 2019

Credit: NASA, IBMP,  Medical & Biological Problems Institute

Thursday / 6 August 2015

NASA Selects Lunar IceCube To Search For Water Ice

8062015Public-Private Partnerships Selected Under NASA NextSTEP Include Lunar IceCube Mission Led By Morehead State University Professor Ben Malphrus; Massachusetts-Based Busek Company Providing Low-Thrust Electric Propulsion System And GSFC Providing Broadband InfraRed Compact High Resolution Explorer Spectrometer (BIRCHES); IceCube To Prospect For Lunar Volatiles & Water To Aid Future Moon & Deep Space Missions, May Launch On SLS / Orion Exploration Mission 1 In November 2018

Credit: NASA, Morehead State University, Busek Company

Friday / 31 July 2015

Moon Express & Astrobotic Testing Landers / Developing Flight Software

ME & Astrobotic 2015 Jul

Moon Express (ME) Continuing Flight Testing Of MTV-1A Lunar Lander (Successor Of MTV-1X) At Kennedy Space Center ‘Moonscape’ Test Range, Final Version Will Land On Moon & Hop 500 Meters, ME GNC Software Was Also Tested On NASA Mighty Eagle Lander; Through Lunar CATALYST Agreement, Astrobotic Developing Lunar Guidance Systems / Flight Trajectory Plan Using NASA Core Flight Software & LRO Data To Land In Lacus Mortis Region At 44.96°N 25.62°E, Explore Lunar Cave

Credit: ME, Astrobotic, NASA, GLXP

Thursday / 30 July 2015

China Chang’e Fleet, Hainan Moon Port & Long March V Rocket Steadily Advancing

7302015 Change-5 Vehicles Undergoing Plume Deflector Comprehensive Validation Testing; Chang’e-5 T1 Service Module In Orbit Around Moon Collecting Data For Sample Return / Future Landing Missions; Chang’e-4 Team Experts At CNSA & ESA Discussing Objectives, Tasks & Payloads For 2018 Mission; Chang’e-3 & Yutu In Lunar Day 21 Are The Only Spacecraft Operating On Moon Surface; Chang’e-2 Heading Into Deep Space Toward 300M-km Apogee

Credit: NASA, CNSA, Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering

Wednesday / 29 July 2015

Further Details Of ESA Director’s Lunar Vision

7292015Johann-Dietrich Wörner, Director General Of  European Space Agency Clarifies His Vision “To Establish An Infrastructure On The Moon… To Do First-Class Fundamental Research”; International Research Station On Lunar Surface NET 2024 Should Serve As Next Foothold Of Human Expansion Into Solar System After ISS; Moon Focus Increasing ESA Collaboration With China, Russia, Japan & U.S. On Moon / Mars / Space Missions

Credit:  ESA, Foster + Partners

Tuesday / 28 July 2015

Hawai`i MoonRIDERS Receive US$35K Grant

 7282015. PISCES Receiving Grant For MoonRIDERS (Research Investigating Dust Expulsion Removal Systems) Project To Advance Space Exploration & Cultivate 21st Century Workforce STEM Skills For Hawaii Students; Kealakehe High, ‘Iolani High, NASA & PISCES Developing Lunar Experimental Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS) To Repel Particles Via Low Electric Current; Preparations In Process For Early 2017 Launch On GLXP Lander

Credit: PISCES, Kealakehe High School, ‘Iolani

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 July 2015

New Moon Plan For “Evolvable Lunar Architecture” & Campaign 2016 Considerations

7242015Paul Spudis (TR) Of LPI Supports Refining Lunar Water Into Rocket Fuel To Assist Deep Space Exploration; Spudis Raises Concerns On Projected Cost & Quasi-Commercial Lunar Authority Proposing NASA Base To Protect American Interest; Charles Miller (TL) NexGen President & Study’s Principal Investigator Outlines Feasibility Of Returning To Moon By Leveraging Commercial Partnerships; Paper Opens Discussions & Considerations With Upcoming Presidential Elections

Credit: NASA, National Press Club, Lunar and Planetary Institute

Friday / 24 July 2015

16 GLXP Teams Have <6 Months To Confirm Launch, Extend Competition

GLXP July 2015

 One Firm Launch Provider Contract, Designating Launch Window / Date, Required By 31 Dec 2015 To Continue US$20M Moon Challenge; Rideshare Contract Between Astrobotic & Hakuto Confirmed For TBD SpaceX Launch Mid-2016, Team Indus Looking Toward ISRO For Subsidized Launch, Synergy Moon Counting On Interorbital Neptune Rocket, SpaceMETA Has MoU With Alcantor Cyclone Space, Barcelona Moon Working With China Great Wall Industry, Penn State Lunar Lion Launch Reservation Fee Given To Spaceflight Inc / Sherpa Craft

Credit: GLXP, SpaceX, GLXP Teams

Thursday / 23 July 2015

Device On Lunar Lander To Simplify Techniques Of Moon Rock Dating

7232015 Future Design Of Miniature Laser Ablation Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometer For Use In Moon Missions To Date Lunar Rocks And Surface; Instruments Placed On Lunar Lander / Rover Can Analyze Samples In Situ Without Complicated Preparations & Could Be Used On Proposed Moon Age & Regolith Explorer (MARE) NASA Mission; Team Led By Dr. F. Scott Anderson Of Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) Demonstrated Success Of Device On Duluth Gabbro Rock Sample Analogous To Rocks Found On Lunar Near Side

Credit: NASA, SwRI

Wednesday / 22 July 2015

Public-Private Partnerships To Return Humans To The Moon

7222015Preparations For Crewed Moon Missions / Lunar Base In Near Term (~5-7 Years) Possible With Innovative Cost Reducing Strategies Using Partnership Methods & Competing Commercial Service Providers; Benefits Of Lunar Structures / Commercial Mining To Export Propellant To Lunar Orbit As Economic Development For Extended Space Travel & Deep Space Exploration

Credit: NASA