Category Archives: Cislunar Space Development

Friday / 13 May 2016

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ESA Lunar South Pole Drill Undergoing Tests For Russia Luna-27 Mission ~2021

Russia Luna Program 25-29

Ice Drill Prototype Intended To Penetrate 1-2 Meters Into Lunar Surface Near South Pole Being Tested At -140°C (Will Aim To Test At -240°C); Drill Developed For ESA By Finmeccanica Of Italy, Will Allow Samples To Be Chemically Analyzed & Resources Identified; Aligns With Russia Luna Program Launching From New Vostochny Cosmodrome At 53°N & 128°E To Set Up Future Human Base Beginning With South Pole Missions: Luna-25 Lander (2018), -26 Orbiter (2020), -27 Lander (2021), -28 Sample Return (2023), -29 Lander & Rover (2025)

Credit: ESA, Finmeccanica, Roscosmos, Anatoly Zak, RussianSpaceWeb, NASA, LROC, LCROSS

Friday / 6 May 2016

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Two Conferences Supporting Moon, Mars, & Asteroids Investigate Opportunities

Two ConferencesStimulating Renewed Support In Moon / Space Activities Two Conferences Moving Into Year 8 Scheduled To Address: Lunar Exploration & Enterprise, Solar System, Near Earth Asteroids; 7-9 June Golden Colorado School Of Mines To Host  SRR, PTMSS & LPI With PISCES Rob Kelso Discussing ISRU Construction – Lunar Launch/Landing Pad; Ames Research Center Holding Annual Lunar & Small Bodies Graduate Conference (LunGradCon 2016) In Mountain View California 19 July; NASA SSERVI Topics To Include Missions & Human Exploration

Credit: SRR, PTMSS, LPI, NASA, SSERVI, PISCES

Wednesday / 4 May 2016

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Discussions Continue With Renewed Energy At ‘New Views Of The Moon 2’ Lunar Workshops 24-26 May

USRA LPI Wrokshop

Workshop In Houston Texas Held By USRA / LPI Soliciting Lunar Community Support, Proposing New Ideas, Collaborating & Developing Writing Teams; Clive Neal (L) & Charles “Chip” Shearer (R) To Host Welcome Reception / Opening Remarks; Goal Of Updating The 2006 (New Views Of The Moon 1) Publication Is Instrumental In Providing Current / Relevant Data From Lunar Missions & Up-To-Date Earth-Based Observations; Paul Spudis To Speak On “Development Of The Moon”; Plenary & Oral Presentations, Workshop Sessions, Extensive Poster Session Part Of Event Covering Topics Including: Volatiles, Magmatic Evolution, Future Lunar Exploration & Commerce

Credit: LPI, USRA, University of Notre Dame, University of New Mexico

Friday / 22 April 2016

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LRO Providing Critical Information & Inspiration For New Wave Of Lunar Progress

LED-4-21-16

Flying 20 Km Over South Pole, 165k Km Over North Pole In Elliptical Orbit; LRO Providing Highest Resolution Data Ever, At A Rate Of ~440 Gigabits Image Data Per Day; Thomas R. Watters, LRO Co-Investigator And Senior Scientist At Smithsonian NASM, Notes The Narrow Angle Camera Instrument Alone Has Returned Well Over 1 Million Images, “More Digital Data Than Every Other Planetary Mission”; Resurgence Of Lunar Interest For National Space Agencies, Commercial Enterprises, Individuals Across The Globe

Credit: NASA.

Friday / 8 April 2016

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ISRO On Track To Launch Indigenous Chandrayaan-2 Three-Craft Mission To Moon Late 2017 / Early 2018

ISRO chandrayaan 2

Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter, Lander, Rover To Be Launched Via GSLV-Mk 2 December 2017 Or Early 2018 To Observe / Perform Mineralogical & Elemental Studies Of Lunar Surface; Mission Allocated US$91 Million; 1,400-kg Orbiter With 5 Science Instruments Including Camera, 3 Spectrometers & Radar To Fly At 200-km Altitude; 20-kg Rover To Have 2 Spectroscopes & HD Video Camera; 1,250 kg Lander To Contain Ka-band Altimeter, HD Video Camera, Position & Hazard Detection / Avoidance Cameras; NASA May Provide Deep Space Network Communication Services

Credit: ISRO

Friday / 1 April 2016

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Long-Term Observation From Moon Surface For Earth, Space, Weather Studies

Astronomy from the Moon 2016

 Guo Huadong Of CAS Proposing Series Of Sensors For Macro Phenomena On Earth / Global Changes, China Chang’e-3 Observing Galaxy With LUT From Stable Platform Of Moon Surface, Future Landers To Be Fitted With Similar & More Advanced Cameras; ILOA ILO-1 & ILO-X Being Developed To Study Galaxy Stars, Earth, Moon Local Environment From Unique Vantage Of Moon Surface; Upcoming European Lunar Symposium (18-19 May) Will Explore Astronomical, Astrophysical Topics & ‘Science From The Moon’

Credit: CEODE, CAS, NASA, SSERVI, ELS, NAOC, ILOA

Friday / 25 March 2016

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New Space Journal Offers 4 Moon Articles From Prominent Lunar Scientists, Advocates

New Space Journal

New Space Vo. 4 No. 1 Free Online Access Through April 7 Presents ‘What Do We Do With The Moon?’ By Editor-In-Chief Scott Hubbard, ‘Toward A Low-Cost Lunar Settlement’ By Alexandra Hall, Chris McKay, John Cumbers, ‘Lunar Station: The Next Logical Step In Space Development’ By Bruce Pittman, Lynn Harper, et al, ‘Site Selection For Lunar Industrialization, Economic Development, And Settlement’ By Dennis Wingo; Team Outlines Potential Human Moon Settlement Perhaps In 5-7 Years For US$10B

Credit: New Space, Mary Ann Liebert Inc. Publisher, NASA, GLXP

Friday / 18 March 2016

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Moon Worker Buzz Aldrin Points To Moon Missions, International Cooperation As Strategy Towards Mars

Buzz Moon Mars

Buzz Aldrin Says In Order To Reach Mars By 2040, Key Would Be For USA, Starting In 2018, To Support International & NewSpace Lunar Exploration, Specialize In Humans & Landers, Build Upon Known Technologies, Develop Reusable Spacecraft & ‘Cycling Ships’, Increase Knowledge / Experience Of Human Life Support Systems; While Human Space Exploration Missions Can Be Dangerous & Costly, Aldrin Says “Robots Aren’t Good Enough”

Credit: H2M, NASA, Buzz Aldrin

Friday / 4 March 2016

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GLXP ‘Moon Shot’ Documentary To Air,
X PRIZE Plans Successor To GLXP Competition

GLXP 2016

16 GLXP Teams Remain In Race, Moon Express With Verified Rocket Lab Launch Contract And SpaceIL Verified SpaceX Launch Plan For 2017 Moon Missions; J.J. Abrams ‘Moon Shot’ 9 Short Documentary Films On GLXP Teams To Debut For Free March 15 And 17; X Prize Foundation Andrew Barton Discusses 2nd Space-Related Competition Under Development, May Be Announced After Dec 2017 When GLXP Officially Ends

Credit: GLXP, SpaceIL, Moon Express, J.J. Abrams, Bad Robot, Epic Digital, et al

Friday / 19 February 2016

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Rocket Lab Secures Another Multi-Launch Contract After Moon Express

Rocket Lab ME

Rocket Lab To Launch 2 Moon Express Missions In 2017, With A 3rd To Be Scheduled, And Possibility To Purchase 4th & 5th; Spire Satellite Company With Offices In Singapore, UK, USA, Recently Contracted 12 Launches With Rocket Lab To Begin 2016-17; Rocket Lab Also Won US$6.9M Contract With NASA; Electron Small Launch Vehicle Under Development, Planning 1st Test Launch Mid-2016 & Constructing 2 Launch Sites In New Zealand, Mahia Peninsula Site To Be Operational Q1 2016

Pictured: (TL) Peter Platzer of Spire; (BL) Bob Richards of Moon Express; (BR) Peter Beck of Rocket Lab.

Credit: Rocket Lab, NASA, Moon Express, Expert File / Peter Beck