Category Archives: Advanced Technology

Friday / 12 December 2014

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China Chang’e-4 Mission To
Moon South Pole?

Chang'e-4 MSP

Building Upon Success Of Chang’e-3 Mission, Backup Craft Chang’e-4 Could Be Launched 2015-2016 To Potentially Ignite The Race To New Frontier Of Exploration – Moon South Pole; With Other Nations / Private & Public Ventures Considering South Pole For Scientific Research, Resources Mapping & Mining, And Human Base Build Out, Chang’e-4 Could Provide Valuable Data As 1st Mission To Lunar Pole For Landing, Communications & Solar Power Technologies

Image Credit: CNSA, CCTV, NASA

Thanksgiving Edition
Thu-Mon / 27 Nov – 1 Dec 2014

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CubeQuest Challenge To Advance Lunar Exploration

CubeQuest1114

With New Centennial Challenge NASA Offers 1st In-Space Competition & Largest Prize Ever; CubeQuest Challenge Offers 3 Separate Prizes: 4 (US$500K) Ground Tournaments To Qualify For Flight On First SLS Launch, Deep Space Derby $1.5M Prize To Demonstrate Communication / Durability At >400,000,000 Km From Earth, Lunar Derby $3M For Placing CubeSat In Stable Lunar Orbit & Demonstrating Communications / Durability; Program Manager Eric Eberly Says Contest Could Dramatically Improve Affordability Of Space Missions & Increase Research Possibilities

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 21-24 November 2014

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ILOA Progressing With 4 Moon Missions,
International / Private / Public Collaboration

ILOA 4 Moon Missions 2015

ILOA Board of Directors Annual Meeting On Hawai`i Prepares For 2015 Advances With ILO-X Joint Venture Partner Moon Express Inc, ILO-1 Partner Canadensys Aerospace Corp, ILO Human Service Mission Partner Golden Spike Company, And ILOA / CNSA, NAOC Chang’e 3,4 / ISRO IIA Chandrayaan-2 Moon South Pole Collaboration: ILOA Principal Operating Partnerships (POP) Considered With Canada, China, Southeast Asia; Galaxy 21st Century Education Enabling New Solar System Vision

Image Credit: ILOA, ME, NAOC, GSC, ISRO

Thursday / 20 November 2014

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UK Privately-Funded Mission To
Moon South Pole 2024

UK Moon South Pole

‘Lunar Mission One‘ Proposed By British Space Consultant David Iron To Send Lander To Moon South Pole, Bore At Least 20 Meters Into Crust, Extract & Analyze Samples; After 6 Months Of Science, Craft Will Then Seal Capsules Of Human DNA (Strands Of Hair) & Digital Data (Messages, Photos, Videos) In Boreholes; Planning To Launch 2024, Mission To Be Funded Entirely By Public, Estimated To Cost £500M (~US$784M); Initial £600K Crowdfunding Campaign Running Until 17 Dec

Image Credit: Lunar Missions Ltd

Tuesday / 18 November 2014

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Morpheus Lander Set To Initiate New Series Of Test Flights

ALHAT1114

First In New Set Of Morpheus Tests Today – Weather Permitting – Will Be A Tethered Flight, 2 Free Flights Scheduled For 1st Week Of Dec; Team Decided Additional Tests Were Warranted After Making Software Updates Related To Navigation Algorithms & Hardware Improvements Including Relocation Of Doppler Lidar Velocimeter; Morpheus Is Simply A Vehicle To Test ALHAT Technology Which Could Be Utilized For Future Moon / Planetary Landing Missions, Enabling Identification & Avoidance Of Rocks As Small As 0.3m & Missions To Previously Inaccessible Locations Such As Moon South Pole

Image Credit: NASA

 

Friday / 14 November 2014

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S Korea Advancing Toward 2020 Moon Mission

KARI 2020

S Korea Indigenous Lunar Orbiter & Module / Launch Vehicle-2 Feasibility Study Conducted By Ministry Of Strategy & Finance States Project May Create ~US$296M Added Value & 4,800 Jobs, Potential Value From Lunar Exploration Is ~US$3.5B (5.17 Times Budget Allotted – $677M); Hopes To Launch Orbiter In 2020 With Help From NASA Joint Research Agreement, 15 Government-Funded Research Institutions Led By KARI; Also Planning To Develop 10-20 Kg Rover To Look For Rare Minerals

Pictured: S Korea President Park Geun-Hye (L) & KARI President Seung Jo Kim

Image Credit: KARI

Wednesday / 12 November 2014

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China: Space Dominance Or Key International Partner?

ChinaDominantCooperate

Noting Ambitious Series Of Lunar Missions – Chang’e-2 Elaborate Post-Moon Trajectory, Chang’e-3 Expansive Payload Capacity, Chang’e-5 Plans For Lunar Orbit Rendezvous – Paul Spudis Speculates That China Is Moving Ahead With Cislunar Space Dominance / Permanence / Control; Xu Dazhe, Head Of CNSA & China State Administration Of Science Technology & Industry For National Defense Says Country Welcomes International Colleagues To Join China Lunar Exploration Program; Buzz Aldrin Declares Cooperation With China Is Most Important Priority To Ensure USA Success In Space

Image Credit: Xinhua / Gin Ying, spudislunarresources.com, ama2007.com

Friday / 7 November 2014

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Moon Educator & Cislunar Space Workshops Promoting Lunar Science

Lunar Workshops

Lunar Educator Workshop For 45 Teachers Will Feature Apollo Missions Moon Rocks & Regolith At JPL In Pasadena CA 8 Nov; International Workshop On Scientific Opportunities In Cislunar Space: Lunar Science Illuminating The Universe On 9 Nov In Tucson AZ To Focus On Testing Deep Space Instruments In Cislunar Space (LEO To Moon Far Side Halo Orbit LL2) & Cislunar Scientific Analogs Which Can Imitate Many Extreme Conditions From Mercury To Pluto

Image Credit: NASA, Select Investor

Thursday / 6 November 2014

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Bootstrapping A Moon Base

Metzger1114

In 3-Part Interview, Former NASA KSC Research Physicist Philip Metzger Outlines How NASA / Global Private / Public Community Could Begin Today To Develop Sustainable Lunar Base With Fraction Of Current Budget; Plan Relies On Robotic Manufacturing / Extracting Of Resources In Space To Reduce Launch Mass, Advance Immediate Payback Opportunities, Spread Cost & Development Over Extended Period Of Time; Progressive Robotic Technological Development In Cislunar Space Could Bring Benefits To Life On Earth While Facilitating Settlement Of Solar System & Beyond

Image Credit: NASA, PhilipMetzger.com

Wednesday / 5 November 2014

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USA Advancing Moon Resource Prospecting Missions

NASARPMflashlight

2 Separate NASA Moon Missions Seek To Advance Human Capacity To Live Off-World; Lunar Flashlight PI Barbara Cohen Of NASA Marshall SFC Says Solar Sail Orbiter Mission, With The Goal Of Obtaining Data Of Purity & Accessibility Of Lunar Volatiles, May Launch On Debut SLS Flight In Late 2017; Resource Prospector Mission Project Scientist Tony Colaprete Of NASA Ames Says Rover Mission Will Map & Collect Samples Of Surface / Subsurface Hydrogen At 2 Yet-To-Be-Determined Polar Sites; Demonstration Of ISRU Could Facilitate Human Moon Settlement

Image Credit: NASA