Category Archives: Cislunar Space Development

Friday / 24 July 2015

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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

Weekend Holiday Edition
Friday-Monday / 3-6 July 2015

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Moon South Pole Landers 2017-19
Point To 2020s Human Lunar Decade

July 4 Edition, Moon South Pole

International Fleet Of South Pole Lunar Landers Developing From India (Chandrayaan-2, 2017), China (Chang’e-4 & -5, 2017), Japan (SLIM, 2019), Russia (Luna-25, 2019), Korea (2020), As Well As Independent Enterprises Moon Express, ILOA, Canadensys, Golden Spike Company & Shackleton Energy Company; American Flags On Moon Commemorated 4 July As Pioneering Individuals Look Forward To Earth / International Flags & Multi World Species Endeavors

Credit: NASA, JAXA, CNSA, IIT-Kanpur, ISRO, ILOA, ME

Wednesday / 1 July 2015

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July Space Month 2015 Accelerates
Apollo 50th Considerations, Preparations

LED Moon Mars Jupiter Saturn

Great Time For Bold Thinking / Planning For Human Solar System Exploration Spanning Entire 21st Century; New Horizons Confirmation Of New, Third, Outer Solar System Region Highlights Jupiter / Saturn Systems ‘Strategic Center’ Planning For Comprehensive 21st Century Goals And Complement For Moon / Mars / Asteroids Inner Region Exploration

Credit: NASA, SpaceX

Friday / 26 June 2015

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Lunar & Planetary Institute Hosting Dual Summer Intern Programs

2015 LPI Summer Intern Programs

 LPI 2015 Student Education Program ‘Exploration Science’ Running 26 May – 31 Jul Focusing On Orion EM-1 & EM-2 Moon Missions Planned For ~2018-2021 & Concepts For Human-Assisted Lunar Surface / Asteroid Sample Return Missions ~2028; Students In ‘Planetary Science’ Program 1 Jun – 7 Aug Working One-On-One With LPI Or Johnson Space Center Scientists On Cutting Edge Lunar & Planetary Research Projects; Experts Include (TL-R) Paul Spudis, Walter Kiefer, David Kring, Allan Treiman

Credit: LPI, NASA, SSERVI, CLSE, ISECG

Friday / 19 June 2015

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LADEE Data Indicate Permanent Asymmetrical Dust Cloud Around Moon LADEE

Moon May Have Permanent Cloud Layer Formed By High-Speed Comet Dust Particles On Eccentric Orbits According To University Of Colorado Study Of NASA LADEE Mission Which Recorded 140,000 Impacts Over 80 Days; Lead Author Mihaly Horányi States Moon May Have 120kg Of Dust In Atmosphere At Any Given Time, Other Bodies With Thin Atmosphere Expected To Have Same Phenomenon; Evidence Also Recorded From Apollo Astronaut Observations From Surface & Of Lunar Terminator

Credit: NASA, University of Colorado – Boulder

Tuesday / 16 June 2015

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Propulsion Expert Tim Pickens Expects

GLXP Launches 2017, 2018

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Tim Pickens Of Huntsville, Alabama, Chief Propulsion Engineer For Moon Express States That ME Is Operating In Cape Canaveral To Centralize Its Developments; While Pickens Mentions No Google Lunar X Prize Team Will Launch This Year, 2017 Or 2018 Is Expected; Pickens Currently Working On Propulsion System For Virgin Galactic SpaceShip Two; When Asked To Support Other Projects, Pickens Criteria Is That Involvement Has To Be Fun

Credit:  Moon Express, Tim Pickens, GLXP, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 12-15 June 2015

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Apollo 11 Moonworker Advocates For U.S.-China Cooperation In Space

China US International Cooperation

Buzz Aldrin Writes Article Supporting U.S. Gov / NASA Engagement With China In Space Beginning With Sustained Human Presence At ISS / LEO, Multiple Moon Bases For All International & Commercial Uses As A Prelude For Mars / Deep Space Exploration, Multi World Species, Global Space Cooperation; China Chang’e-3 Craft Reach 18-Months Of Operations / Astronomy From Moon This Weekend, Country Is Developing Chang’e-4 & 5 Moon Missions, 2nd Generation Space Station For LEO

Credit: NASA, CNSA, CCTV, ESA, ATCM, Buzz Aldrin

Wednesday / 10 June 2015

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USA Advancing ‘NextSTEP’
Lunar Mission Concepts

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Cislunar Space To Be Center Of NASA Activity In 2020s As Country / Agency Develop Technologies / Experience To Conduct Long-Duration, Deep Space Missions; Companies Such As Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Bigelow Advancing Cislunar Habitat Concepts Under NASA NextSTEP Awards; Plans Incorporating Likelihood Of Cooperation From International & Commercial Partners Which May Lead To Lunar Surface Missions / Lunar Base Buildout; Sense Of Urgency To Define / Plan These Missions Growing As SLS / Orion Era Fast Approaching

Image Credit: Lockheed Martin, Bigelow Aerospace

Friday / 5 June 2015

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Japan SLIM Moon Mission Now Planned For NET Oct 2019

JAXA SLIM

JAXA First Mission To Moon Surface – 120kg Smart Lander For Investigating Moon (SLIM) – Likely To Be Launched To Moon South Pole In Second Half Of Fiscal Year 2019 To Test Landing Capability Within A Few Hundred Meters; Will Launch On Epsilon Rocket From Tanegashima Space Center At 30.4° N, 130.97° E; Mission Will Advance Technologies Needed For Future Human Missions

Image Credit: JAXA

Thursday / 4 June 2015

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New Horizons May Shed Light On Earth-Moon System Formation

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New Horizons Mission May Facilitate Better Understanding Of  Formation Of Earth-Moon System, Says Mission PI Alan Stern, As Charon Believed To Have Been Formed Through Similar Process; His Efforts To Study Pluto, Its Satellites & Kuiper Belt With New Horizons Mission Should Garner More Attention / Support & Help In Preparations To Achieve Human Missions To Earth’s Moon Via Golden Spike Company Of Which Stern Is Co-Founder

Image Credit: NASA, Golden Spike Company