Category Archives: Cislunar Space Development

Friday / 29 May 2015

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India SRM University Preparing For
2018 Moon Satellite Mission

India Moon Satellite

Sri Ramaswamy Memorial (SRM) University Of Chennai, India To Develop 10-20kg Nanosatellite To Study Moon Rocks & Chemistry Of Surface; Craft Will Contain Onboard Ignition System, Take 3 Months To Achieve Lunar Orbit From Earth Polar Orbit After Piggybacking On ISRO Rocket Launch; 1st SRM Satellite “SRMSat” Continues Operating In LEO, Team Also Participating In University Rover Challenge 28-30 May In Utah, USA

Image Credit: SRM University, SRMSat, ISRO, NASA

Wednesday / 27 May 2015

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Lunar Initiatives Newsletter LunarCube Mission Opportunities, Upcoming Events

LunarInitiatives

Deep Space CubeSat Missions – Including LunarCubes – Is One Of The Fastest-Growing Elements In Space Exploration, The Lunar Initiatives / Workshops Continue To Organize Events To Support The Growth Of This Field; Its Latest Newsletter Includes Updates Of Upcoming LunarCubes Workshop On 6-9 Oct In San Jose CA, The 2nd International Workshop On Scientific Opportunities In Cislunar Space On 8 Nov, & News From Recent LSA 5 Workshop

Image Credit: lunar-cubes.com, Flexure Engineering

Thursday / 21 May 2015

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ISDC 2015 Focusing On Breakthrough Technologies For Lunar / Space Exploration

ISDC2015

Over 1,000 Attendees Meeting At NSS International Space Development Conference In Toronto, Canada 20-24 May; Robert Richards Of Moon Express To Speak Today On ‘Breakthrough Technologies Shaping Our Future’; Friday To Feature Presentations On The International Lunar Decade By Dave Dunlop & Vid Beldavs, Plus A Keynote Presentation By Apollo 11 Moonwalker Buzz Aldrin; Lunar Workshop To Include Presentations On Lunar Surface Solar Power / Power Beaming, Supporting A Cislunar Econosphere, Mapping Lunar Lava Tubes

Image Credit: National Space Society, Canadian Space Commerce Association, Moon Express, LinkedIn

Friday / 15 May 2015

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Honeybee To Develop Lunar Heat Flow Probe & Craft For ISRU / Space Exploration Honeybee CubeSats Lunar Probe

Honeybee Robotics Of Brooklyn NY Receiving NASA Small Business Phase 1 Contracts Worth Up To US$125K Each To Design: Advanced Lunar Probe (Similar To Apollo 15 & 17 Instrument) For Measuring Moon Endogenic Heat Flow, Thermal Gradient & Conductivity; 3D-Printed Harvester CubeSat With Cold-Gas Thrusters Which Can Continue To Refuel Itself For ‘Eternal’ Moon / Asteroid / Mars / Europa Missions; ISRU Volatiles Extractor For Moon / Mars / Asteroids; Hermetically-Sealed Canisters For Sample Return Missions

Image Credit: NASA, Honeybee, ESA / The Science Office Ltd.

Friday / 8 May 2015

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Moon Express Advances Moon Mission At Kennedy Space Center

Moon Express 2015

Moon Express Testing Lunar Lander Test Vehicle MTV-1X At Shuttle Landing Facility / Company’s New Home At KSC In Florida; Bob Richards States KSC Has Communications, Safety & Hazard-Field Infrastructure, Talent / People, Room To Expand For Moon Mission Development; Company Seeks To Win Google Lunar XPrize, Build New Propulsion System, New Vehicles, Series Of Private Robots To Bring Resources Of Moon To Earth & Solve Current Earth-Moon Transportation Challenges

Image Credit: NASA/Lunar CATALYST Initiative, Ben Smegelsky, Moon Express Inc.

Friday / 1 May 2015

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Copernicus Space Science Program To Feature Space Elevators & GLXP Team Puli GLXP Exosphere

Exosphere Conference In Budapest, Hungary 13-31 July With Theme ‘An Endogenously-Powered Space Elevator’ To Focus On Modeling Various Power Supply Systems, Potential Markets Resulting From Reduced Cost Payload Delivery To / From Orbit, Asteroid & Moon Mining Industries; Hungary GLXP Team Puli Will Demonstrate Its Lunar Rover; Program Supported By PuliSpace Founder (BL) Dr. Tibór Pacher, Space Elevator Expert Larry Bartoszek (BC), Enrico Dini (BR) Of D-Shape Company Which Is Experimenting With 3D-Printed Lunar Bases

Image Credit: Exosphere, GLXP, Team Puli, D-Shape, NASA SSERVI

Wednesday / 29 April 2015

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Bigelow Developing Expandable Technology With Eye Towards Lunar Operations

BigelowCarswell

Expandable Habitats Pioneered By Bigelow Aerospace Could Facilitate Lunar Settlement More Quickly & Affordably Than Generally Believed; Bigelow Set To Launch BEAM Module – With 16 Cubic Meter Volume – To ISS Sep 2015; Larger BA 330 Modules To Follow Before Company Begins Enabling Individuals, Companies & Countries To Extend Human Activity To Moon Utilizing Its Habitat Systems; Basic Lunar Habitat Could Consist Of 3 BA 330s, 4 Propulsion Buses & 4 Docking Nodes

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, Space Age Publishing Company

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 April 2015

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Moon May Be Critical Stepping Stone To NASA Mars Ambitions

SpudsMoon0415

Moon Mission Advocate Paul Spudis Outlines How Human Mars Mission Is Unfeasible Without Use Of Lunar-Produced Propellant; Propellant Would Comprise >80% Of The ~900,000 Kg Of Equipment Needed For Mars Journey; Harvesting Volatiles At Lunar Poles, Creating Working Fueling Depot Close To Deep Space Staging Areas Where Mars Spacecraft Can Be Assembled; NASA Resource Prospector Mission Could Confirm Feasibility Of Using Volatile Deposits On Moon As Fuel / Consumables For Long Duration Spaceflight

Image Credit: NASA, aaas.org

Friday / 24 April 2015

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Russia 2016-2025 Space Program Draft Outlines Human Moon Landing By 2029 Russia Moon

Russia Space Program Submission For 2016-2025 Due June 1, To Consist Of ~US$38B Proposal Including Human Circumlunar Flight 2025, Human Moon Landing 2029, Construction Of Super-Heavy Rocket (Modified Angara-A5 To Increase Payload Capacity By 12,000 Kg, First Test Launch 2021 & Launch To ISS 2024); Construction Of ~1,000 Sq Km Vostochny Cosmodrome First Launch Planned Dec 2015

Pictured L-R: Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, Russia President Vladimir Putin, Roscosmos Head Igor Komarov

Image Credit: Russian Ministry of Defence, Dmitry Rogozin, NASA, kremlin.ru

Thursday / 23 April 2015

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Japan Moon Plans Stimulated By Ambitions & Successes Of Asian Neighbors

JapanMoon0415

JAXA Moon Program Proposal – Which Includes Announcement Of Plan To Send Robotic Lander Mission To Moon In 2018 – Cites Increased Competition For Resources On Moon, Risk Of Power Imbalance As Russia, China, India Advance Lunar Surface Development Plans; Proposal Includes Initial Phase Of Robotic Missions, Possibility Of Human Lunar Visits – Facilitated By International Cooperation – In Post-2025 2nd Phase

Image Credit: JAXA, CNSA, ISRO