Category Archives: Apollo

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 3-6 May 2019

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Apollo 10 ‘Snoopy’ Ascent Stage May Be Future Target Of Rendezvous

50th Observation Of Apollo 10 Launch Is 18 May; UK Astronomers Assisted By Former Apollo Flight Controllers Find Lunar Module ‘Snoopy’ In Space; Ascent Stage Named For ‘Peanuts’ Beagle Remains In Orbit After Descending To 14.4 km From Surface And Returning In 1969; Surviving Mission Commander Tom Stafford Recalls Having No Idea Where Module Went; Nick Howes Of Royal Astronomical Society Thinks The Unique Historic Crewed Spacecraft Is Future Target For Rendezvous Mission

Credits: NASA, Charles Schulz Museum

Friday / 3 May 2019

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50th Observation Of Apollo 11 Launch To Be Celebrated At Kennedy Space Center And In Worldwide Webex

Apollo 11 Launch 16 July Will Be Observed Worldwide And Online; City Of Cocoa Beach Is Site Of Astronaut Parade 13 July And Women In Space Panel 14 July; Official Apollo 50th Gala Begins 16 July At Kennedy Space Center; Guests Will Include Andrew Aldrin, Rick Armstrong, Rusty Schweickart (L), Jim Lovell (R) And Other Astronauts; Cisco Webex At Gala Will Connect Some Of The 400,000 Workers In The Apollo Program

Credits: Northrop Grumman, Aldrin Family Foundation, NASA

Wednesday / 27 Mar 2019

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USA Sending Retroreflectors On International Lunar Missions 

 NASA Laser Retroreflectors Are On Two Upcoming Lunar Landings, Israel Beresheet (L) Scheduled For 11 April And India Chandrayaan-2 (R) Launching Apr; Unpowered Laser Reflectors Will Be Useful For Lunar Navigation, Measuring The Moon’s Changing Distance From Earth And Fundamental Physics; Retroreflectors Left By 3 Apollo And 2 Russia Luna Landings Still Returning Science; Apollo Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment Reports The 384,402-km Earth-Moon Distance Increasing By 3.82 cm/yr, An Anomalously High Figure That May Indicate The Speed Of Light Changing

Credits: NASA, SpaceIL, ISRO

Tuesday / 19 Mar 2019

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Apollo 11 Lunar Landing To Be Observed Across Earth 

 50th Observation Includes Apollo 11 Documentary In Theaters And ‘First Man’ In Video; Astronauts Gather At MIT Space Week And NYC Explorers Club; Seattle Museum Of Flight 13 Apr Opens Destination Moon Exhibit Featuring Columbia Spacecraft Plus Buzz Aldrin Helmet And Gloves; Aldrin Headlining Gala In Simi Valley CA 13 July; Harrison Schmitt (L) And Gene Kranz (R) Will Be At ApolloPalooza In Denver 13-20 July; Launch Day Events Planned 16 July At Kennedy Space Center And National Air And Space Museum

Credits: NASA, Space Center Houston

New Year Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 4-7 Jan 2019

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Observing Apollo By Aiming For Moon

2019 Will See 50th Observation Of Apollo 9 Lunar Module Test Flight, Apollo 10 Descending To Within 16 Km Of Lunar Surface, Historic Apollo 11 “For All Mankind” Footsteps, And Apollo 12 Precision Landing; The Commercial Space Industry Meets At The International Space Development Conference 6-9 June In Arlington, Near Washington DC; American Institute Of Aeronautics And Astronautics (AIAA) Is Hosting The International Astronautical Congress in Washington 21-25 Oct; While Other Nations Land Spacecraft On The Moon, NASA And Commercial Partners Plan To Make An American Contribution

Credits: NASA, IAC

 

New Year 2019 Edition
Fri-Thur / 21 Dec 2018 – 3 Jan 2019

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2019 Could Be Historic Year For Lunar Landings

21-27 December Is 50th Observation Of Apollo 8 Mission; China Chang’e-4 Attempts Historic First Landing On Far Half Of Moon Targeting 187 Km Von Kármán Crater In South Pole-Aitken Basin; Lunar Dawn At Crater Illuminates Optimal Landing Date Of 3 Jan, Providing 2 Earth-Weeks Of Uninterrupted Light And Solar Power; Queqiao Orbiter Provides Radio Relay To Far Half Of Moon And Carries Netherlands-China NCLE Experiment; Chang’e-3 Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT) Is Still Operational On Surface, Powering Down To Avoid Radio Interference With Chang’e-4; 2019 Will See 50th Observation Of Apollo 9-12

Credits: NASA, CNSA

Friday / 2 Nov 2018

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Moon Rocks Valued At >US$700K Highlights Significance, Worth Of Lunar Resources

Sotheby’s Auction Of 3 Lunar Pebbles Brought Back From Soviet Luna 16 Mission In 1970 Opening 25 November, Expected To Be Sold For $700K – $1M; Approximately 382 kg Collected From Apollo And 326 grams From Luna Missions Are Considered Priceless For Their Rarity, Contributions To Scientific Discoveries, Research Value And General Commercial Appeal; More Than 35 Lunar Simulants Created / Being Studied By International Space Agencies, Universities and Enterprises; Next Lunar Sample Return Mission Chang’e-5 Launching NET 2019 Could Return 2 kg

Credits: Sotheby’s, NAOC, Ilhan Chang, Bembmv

Tuesday / 30 Oct 2018

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Apollo 8 EarthRISE Dinners Look To Future Moon Orbits

 

EarthRISE50 Organization Will Remember Apollo 8 With Worldwide Earthrise Dinners Week Of December 24; Jersey City USA Kickoff Event Nov 8 Will Feature Entrepreneur Joy Mangano; 50th Remembrance Of Apollo 8 Carrying Mission Commander Frank Borman And Pilot Jim Lovell To Moon Orbit And Iconic Earthrise Photo By Astronaut Bill Anders; Replicating Apollo 8 Lunar Orbit Will Be Goal Of Uncrewed Orion EM-1 Mission In 2020 And Crewed EM-2 Mission Funded For 2023; Ongoing Discussion of Lunar Orbital Platform To Be Serviced By Orion In Moon Orbit

Credits: NASA, Virgin Galactic, Joymangano.com

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 20-23 July 2018

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Space Day 20 July 2018 Points To
Apollo 11 Mission 50th Observation,
Rise Of Lunar Enterprise

Apollo 11 Landing 49th Anniversary Honored This Year As Global Entities / Enterprises Plan Latest Moonrush With New Urgency: USA Allocates Resources To Return Humans To Moon 2020s With Long-Term Sustainability Goals, Leads Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway Development, Signs Collaboration Agreements With ESA, Israel, UAE; China Likely To Boost Space / Lunar Investment And Commerce In Response To New Trade Barriers, With Expected Innovation, Cooperation On New Frontiers; New Robust Lunar Programs / Partnerships Manifested By India, Japan, Russia, S Korea

Credits: NASA, White House, ESA, JAXA, CNSA (Pictured: Jim Bridenstine, Jan Woerner, Buzz Aldrin, President Trump)

Friday / 20 July 2018

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Apollo 11 49th Landing Observation And Buzz Aldrin’s Vision Of Moon / Mars Future

Space Exploration Day / First Footsteps Taken On Another World By Neil Armstrong And Buzz Aldrin Commemorated Today For Historic Impact & Perpetual Motivation To Surpass And Explore Beyond; Moonworker Buzz Aldrin Developing Human SpaceFlight Institute In Houston, Publishing To The Moon & Back Co-Authored By Marianne Dyson 16 Oct, And Advocating For ‘The Next Eagle Landing’ To Involve International Cooperation, Including China, To Develop A Path To Mars As Next Stepping Stone Into Solar System

Credits: NASA, GSFC