Friday / 7 November 2014

Moon Educator & Cislunar Space Workshops Promoting Lunar Science

Lunar Workshops

Lunar Educator Workshop For 45 Teachers Will Feature Apollo Missions Moon Rocks & Regolith At JPL In Pasadena CA 8 Nov; International Workshop On Scientific Opportunities In Cislunar Space: Lunar Science Illuminating The Universe On 9 Nov In Tucson AZ To Focus On Testing Deep Space Instruments In Cislunar Space (LEO To Moon Far Side Halo Orbit LL2) & Cislunar Scientific Analogs Which Can Imitate Many Extreme Conditions From Mercury To Pluto

Image Credit: NASA, Select Investor

Thursday / 6 November 2014

Bootstrapping A Moon Base

Metzger1114

In 3-Part Interview, Former NASA KSC Research Physicist Philip Metzger Outlines How NASA / Global Private / Public Community Could Begin Today To Develop Sustainable Lunar Base With Fraction Of Current Budget; Plan Relies On Robotic Manufacturing / Extracting Of Resources In Space To Reduce Launch Mass, Advance Immediate Payback Opportunities, Spread Cost & Development Over Extended Period Of Time; Progressive Robotic Technological Development In Cislunar Space Could Bring Benefits To Life On Earth While Facilitating Settlement Of Solar System & Beyond

Image Credit: NASA, PhilipMetzger.com

Friday / 31 October 2014

India Public, Private Moon Missions 2015-2016

ISRO, Indus Moon Missions

India ISRO Satellite Centre Director S. Shiva Kumar Says Indigenous Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter / Lander / Rover Launching To Moon 2016 Will Enable Spacecraft Development For Proposed 2nd Mars Mission In 2018; GSLV Mk 3 Rocket, Expected To Launch Again First Half Of Dec, Vital For High-Mass Moon, Mars, Deep Space & Human Missions; Privately-Funded GLXP Team Indus Aiming For Moon 2015, Integrating Engineering Model Of Lander & Prototype Of Rover, Needs To Secure PSLV Launch & US$35M

Image Credit: ISRO, Team Indus

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 October 2014

“Forget Mars, We Should Live On The MOON”

LED-10-17-14

Canada Hero, CSA Astronaut, Former ISS Commander, Chris Hadfield Advocates For Permanent Settlement Of Moon As Among Highest Priorities For Human Space Exploration; Mars About 500 Times More Distant On Average, Making Many Things Much More Difficult: Communications, Mission Timeline, Safety Parameters, Abort Procedures, Earth-Based Mission Control; Hadfield Suggests We’ll Be Living On The Moon Several Generations, Then Eventually Go On To Mars

Image Credit: CSA, NASA, ESA, L. Oleastri

Thursday / 16 October 2014

China To Launch Reentry Test Orbiter
To Moon 23 October

Chang'e Test Orbiter, 4M OHB

Moon Orbiter To Test Reentry Technologies For 2017 Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission Set To Launch 23 Oct On Long March 3C/E From Xichang Satellite Launch Center; 14-Kg Manfred Memorial Moon Mission Designed By OHB To Measure Radiation & Transmit Radio Signals Is Attached To 3rd Stage Booster; Chang’e Capsule Carrying Cameras (Perhaps Other Science Instruments) Filled With Samples, To Separate From 3rd Stage 20 Mins After Launch, Closest Approach 28 Oct At 00:33 UT ~13,000 Km Altitude, Return To Earth Oct 31/Nov 1 At 11 Km/s, Parachute-Assist Landing

Image Credit: CASC, CNSA, CCTV, OHB, LuxSpace

Tuesday / 14 October 2014

Russia: Moon Is Core Of Space Program Russia Moon

Roscosmos Head Of Strategic Planning Department Yuri Makarov States Moon Is Central To Space Program & Will Enable Solar System Missions, Envisions International Cooperation; During This & Next Decade Focus On Automatic Spaceships & Stations, In 2030s Lunar Orbital Stations & Vehicles, 2040s Crewed Lunar Station Near Moon South Pole, 2050s Inhabited Bases & Optical Laboratories; Robotic Missions Luna-25 (Which May Cost Tens Of Billions Of Rubles ~US$250M) Through Luna-29 (2016-2021) To Be Followed By Human Moon Flyby 2025, Landing By 2030

 Image Credit: Roscosmos, Andrey Sokolov, Alexey Leonov, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 3-6 October 2014

International Lunar Geophysical Year Campaign May Help Advance Cislunar Development

ILGY1014

National Space Society International Committee Chair David Dunlop Proposes 2017 Be Labeled International Lunar Geophysical Year; Several Initiatives Such As Organizing New Lunar-Focused Conferences & Highlighting International Lunar Initiatives At Major Conferences Will Aim To Expand Human Econosphere To Moon / Cislunar Space; Campaign Will Broaden & Compliment Lunar Science Mission Initiatives By National Space Agencies, GLXP Teams, Lunar CubeSat Missions & Independent Missions Like Those Of International Lunar Observatory Association

Image Credit: NSS, ILOA

Friday / 3 October 2014

Canada Moon Commerce Plans

Canada Moon Commerce Plans

As Highlighted By 65th IAC & ILOA Galaxy Forum In Toronto, Canadensys Aerospace Corp Developing ILO-1 Observatory For Moon South Pole, Representatives Christian Sallaberger (L), Nadeem Ghafoor, John Hackett Meeting With ILOA Directors For Fundraising / Collaborative Partnership Considerations; Walter Natynczyk (C), President Of CSA, Focusing On International Cooperation & Collaboration; James Moore (R), Canada Minister Of Industry, Recently Affirmed Canada Will Send People To Moon & Mars

Image Credit: CSA, ILOA, CAC

Thursday / 2 October 2014

International Moon South Pole Exploration Discussed At Galaxy Forum Canada 2014

GFCanada14LED

Galaxy Forum Canada 2014, In Conjunction With IAC In Toronto, Highlights Moon South Pole As New Frontier Of Lunar Exploration & Development, As Exciting & Enriching As Humans On Mars Or Trillion Dollar Asteroids; Representatives From CSA, NASA, JAXA, KARI, ESA Provided Snapshots Of Moon Mission Plans / Activities; Keynote By Author David Schrunk; Panel Discussion Moderated By Commercial Space Journalist Chuck Black On Advancing Moon Pole Missions Through National / International / Independent Consortia

Image Credit: Galaxyforum.org, ILOA, IAC, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 26-29 September 2014

IAC 2014 To Provide Extensive Overview Of International Lunar Missions

IACtoronto

Premier Astronautical Event – 28 Sep To 3 Oct In Toronto – To Feature 3 Sessions On Robotic Lunar Exploration 30 Sep: Review Of Past / Present Missions (Including SMART-1, Chang’e-1 & 3 / Yutu, LADEE), Prospective Missions From USA, China, Canada, ESA, Russia, India, Korea, Japan, GLXP Teams, Update On Technology Developments For South Pole Moon Prospector Mission By Nadeen Ghafoor Of Canadensys Aerospace Corp; Human Exploration Of Moon / Cislunar Space 1 Oct: Lockheed & Boeing To Present Ideas For Cis-Lunar / L2 Outpost, Lunar Skylights / Lavatube Exploration, Concepts For Lunar Greenhouse

Image Credit: IAC, NASA