Category Archives: Cislunar Space Development

Thursday / 5 February 2015

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FAA Commercial Space Conference Evaluating Future Direction Of Commercial Space

FAAHuerta2

US Gov Officials, NASA & Industry Leaders, Space Entrepreneurs, Astronauts And Space Enthusiasts Meeting On 4-5 Feb In Washington DC For 18th Annual FAA Commercial Space Transportation Conference; Event Comes On Heels Of Announcement That FAA Will Ensure Commercial Activities On Moon / Celestial Bodies Can Be Conducted On Non-Interference Basis; On Day 1 Of Conference FAA Administrator Michael Huerta Says It Is Not Too Early For Industry & Government To Plan For Future Of Regulations

Image Credit: Astrobotic, faa.gov

Wednesday / 4 February 2015

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US Government Takes Step To Support Commercial Development Of Moon

FAABigelow0215

Federal Aviation Administration Supports Request From Bigelow Aerospace To Recognize Private Sector’s Need To Protect Assets & Personnel On Moon, Expanding Scope From Launch Licensing To Lunar Activities Of US Companies; More Legal & Diplomatic Work Still Needed As Issues Regarding Lunar Property & Mineral Rights Pending; Bigelow To Test Inflatable Habitat At ISS This Year, Moon Habitats Around 2025; Moon Express Intends To Return Moon Rocks / Regolith In 3rd Mission

Pictured: TR- FAA Associate Administrator George Nield, BL- Robert Bigelow

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, faa.gov

Thursday / 29 January 2015

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Africa2Moon Mission Funding Campaign Closes In 2 Days

Africa2Moon

Africa2Moon Wants To Send Robotic Craft To Moon Orbit Or Surface To Provide Live Images For Africa Classrooms Thereby Raising Space Awareness, Providing High-Tech Project To Keep Graduates In Country, Bringing Investment Opportunities & Skills Training To Africa; Partnered With UN Foundation #GivingTuesday Initiative, Seeking Private Funding For US$150,000 For Phase 1 Mission Concept & Feasibility Study; Fundraising Campaign Ends 31 Jan

Pictured: Mission Administrator Professor Peter Martinez (L); Project Administrator Jonathan Weltman

Image Credit: Africa2Moon, Rueters, Foundation for Space Development of South Africa, NASA

Wednesday / 28 January 2015

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India Advancing Moon & Mars Missions, GSLV, Human CARE Capsule

India ISRO Moon

ISRO Focusing On Chandrayaan-2 Moon Mission & Considering Second Mars Mission; Working On GSLV Mk 3 & Human-Rated CARE Capsule After Successful Launch Last Month; US President Obama Meeting With India Prime Minister Modi Says “Together, We Unlock New Discoveries – From The Particles Of Creation To Outer Space – Two Nations To Have Gone To Both The Moon & To Mars”; GLXP Team Indus Awarded US$1M Milestone Prize, Needs $35M For Completing / Launching Spacecraft

Pictured: Mahatma Gandhi Crater On Moon At Sinus Iridum 43.7°N 26.8°W – Also Known As Laplace A

Image Credit: ISRO, NASA, Team Indus, GLXP, Vinod Singh/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Friday / 23 January 2015

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Moon Express, Space Florida, NASA
Advancing Florida Moon Missions Legacy

ME FL

ME Testing & Developing MTV-1X Lunar Lander At KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, Will Begin Operations By End Of Q2 2015 At Space Launch Complex 36, Which Was Used To Launch Surveyors To Moon, Mariners To Mars, Pioneers To Jupiter / Saturn / Beyond; Bob Richards (CEO) Says Agreement With Space Florida, & ME Initial Investment Of US$500K Will Allow For “Immediate” Infrastructure Improvements To Make Site Operational; Likely To Build Own “Moonscape”; Block House & Engineering Building To Be Dubbed “Moon Mountain” 

Image Credit: ME, NASA

Friday / 16 January 2015

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Moon Express Steadily Advancing
Moon Lander Technologies

ME 2015

Moon Express Preparing For Phase 2 Test Flight Campaign Of Hydrogen Peroxide Fueled MTV-1X Lander After Successful Dec 2014 Test Flights At Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility “Moonscape” In Florida; Testing Is Being Conducted In Partnership With NASA Lunar CATALYST Program & In Pursuit Of GLXP Lander & Mobility Terrestrial Milestones Prizes; MTV-2X Vehicle Scheduled To Be Built & Tested In Q1 2015

Image Credit: Moon Express, NASA

Friday / 9 January 2015

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Cube Quest Challenge Summit For
Missions Near & Beyond Moon

Cube Quest Challenge Summit 2015

2-Day Summit At Moffett Field CA Held 7 & 8 Jan Introducing US$5M NASA Program For Teams To Design, Build & Deliver Flight-Qualified, SmallSats Capable Of Advanced Operations Near & Beyond Moon; Winner(s) Qualify For Mission To Launch On Maiden Flight Of SLS ~Nov 2018; (L-R) Ames Research Center Director Pete Worden, Cube Quest Challenge Administrator James Cockrell, Planetary Protection Officer Cassie Conley & Others Discuss Mission & Engineering Details, Secondary Payloads, How Cube Quest Relates To Human Exploration

Image Credit: NASA, Ames Research Center

New Year / Holiday Edition
Thurs / 25 Dec 2014 – Mon / 5 Jan 2015

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50 Years After Humans Return To Moon,
50,000 Lunar Visitors Per Year?

SPoleAnalogNewYear2015

Antarctica, A Valuable Analog Site For Testing Lunar Base Systems, May Also Be A Prophetic Model Of What Is To Come On The 8th Continent- Luna; Race To Earth South Pole Won In 1912, No Human Returned Until UN IGY 1957, Now About 50 Years Later The Site Receives About 50,000 Visitors / Year (90% Tourists), With 30+ Countries Maintaining Permanent Research Stations; Human Return To Moon Similarly Delayed, Now Expected ~2020; 50 Years Of Development Could Manifest A Situation Similar To Today’s Antarctica; International Space Powers – India, China, USA, Japan, Russia & NewSpace Enterprises Should Take Note: Those Making 1st Pioneering Steps To Settle / Develop Energy & Resource-Rich South Pole Moon Will Reap The Benefits & Be Well Positioned For 21st Century Solar System Leadership

Image Credit: JAXA / Michael Carroll, Amundsen South Pole Station

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

Friday / 5 December 2014

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Earth-Moon Images As Taken By
Interplanetary Craft

Earth Moon Images

Images Of Earth-Moon / Cislunar System Dating Back To (L-R, T-B) Lunar Orbiter 1 Aug 1966 First View Of Earth From Moon, Apollo 8 Dec 1968 ‘Earthrise’, And Voyager 1 Sep 1977 First Picture Of Whole Earth & Moon In Single Frame Change Human Mindset / Relationship With Earth, Moon, Solar System, Galaxy; 2 Most Recent Pictures Of E-M System Taken By Chang’e-5 T1 Craft Oct 2014; E-M As Seen By Galileo 1992, Venus Express 2005, MESSENGER 2010, Juno 2011, Cassini 2013; Additional Images / Video Of E-M Expected From GLXP Competitors In 2015

Image Credit: CNSA, NASA, ESA, JHU, APL, Caltech, Malin Space Science Systems, Carnegie Institution of Washington