Category Archives: Cislunar Space Development

Friday / 22 August 2014

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CubeSat Technologies Advancing Toward Interplanetary Missions

Lunar SS Cubesats

CubeSat R&D Efforts For Moon, Mars, Solar System Missions Expected To Come To Fruition Soon With Initiatives Including Vermont Tech 10x10x30cm Mooncraft, JPL Dual Spacecraft INSPIRE (Interplanetary NanoSpacecraft Pathfinder In Relevant Environment), JPL Lunar Flashlight With 80m² Solar Sail; Greatest Benefit Is Low Cost To Produce & Launch With High Science Capabilities; Could Navigate Through Planetary Rings, Release PicoSats, Land On Surface; US$50K Vermont Lunar CubeSat Currently In LEO Testing Navigation Components For Moon Mission

Pictured: CubeSat Inventors Bob Twiggs (L) & Jordi Puig-Suari

Image Credit: NASA, JPL, ed-sat.com, Vermont Tech

Thursday / 21 August 2014

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Moon Mining Featured On Science Channel Premier

MEmanVuniverse

GLXP Teams Moon Express & Astrobotic Featured In Premier Of ‘Man vs The Universe’ On Science Channel; Episode Entitled ‘Mining The Moon’ Relates How Private Enterprises Are Utilizing Efficient Low-Cost Designs & Youthful Ingenuity To Reassert USA Leadership In Moon Exploration; GLXP Winner Will Be Well Positioned To Develop Moon Mining Technology, Leading Edge Of Potential $Trillion Industry; Moon Express Confirms South Pole Moon As Ideal Destination

Image Credit: Moon Express, Science Channel, NASA

Friday / 15 August 2014

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Moon / Small Body Spacecraft Initiatives Supported By NASA

NASA Mooncraft Intiatives

Scarab Lunar Rover Being Developed By Robotics Institute Of Carnegie Mellon University To Explore Dark Polar Craters At Moon South Pole; Powered By 100-Watt Fuel Cell Created Under NASA Game Changing Development Program, Rover Can Collect 1m Core Samples For Water & Gas Analysis; Marco Pavone Of Stanford University Awarded US$500K Through NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Program To Continue Developing Hopping / Tumbling Craft With 3 Internal Flywheels Capable Of Exploring Small Bodies – Similar Technologies Could Be Applied To Future Mooncraft

Image Credit: NASA, Carnegie Mellon University

Friday / 1 August 2014

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Potential Landing Sites & Tests For
China Chang’e-4 Mission

Chang'e-4

China Lunar Exploration Program Chief Scientist Prof Ziyuan Ouyang Previews Possible Challenging & Pioneering Objectives For Chang’e-4 Moon Lander / Rover Mission: Could Land At Moon South Pole Region And / Or Mountain Top Peak Of Eternal Light Offering ~90% Illumination Year Round, Stable ~213K (-60°C) Temperatures, Plethora Of Science Benefits; Could Also Launch From Moon Surface To Different Moon Region – Or Directly To Mars, Reminiscent Of Chang’e-2 Orbiter Exploring L2, Asteroid 4179 Toutatis & Deep Space After Moon Mission

Image Credit: NASA, news.cn, CNSA

Wednesday / 30 July 2014

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China Chang’e-5 On Schedule For 2017

Chang'e-5Wu0714

Development Of Chang’e-5 Lunar Sample Return Mission “Progressing Smoothly” Says China State Administration Of Science & Technology Industry Spokesperson Zhijian Wu (L); Mission Will Be 1st Of China Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) Phase 3 (Return) Missions; Probe Will Collect Regolith From Lunar Surface & Scoop Samples From Depth Of 2m, Launch And Rendezvous With Orbiter For Earth Return; Plans For Chang’e-4 Still To Be Confirmed, South Pole Landing Possible Says Ziyuan Ouyang; CLEP Educational Exhibit Opens National Tour At Hong Kong Science Museum, Features ~20 Replicas, Models & Interactive Exhibits

Image Credit: CLEP, Hong Kong Science Museum

Tuesday / 29 July 2014

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Hawai`i To Host Lunar Conference In November

WaikoloaPISCES2014

State Of Hawai`i, PISCES & Aerospace States Association Hosting ‘The Next Giant Leap: Leveraging Lunar Assets For Sustainable Pathways To Space’ In Waikoloa, Hawaii Island, 9-13 November; Conference Will Focus On Benefits / Opportunities For Making Use Of Cislunar Environment, Cost Effective Scenarios To Accelerate Development Of Technologies / Missions To Extend Humanity Through Solar System; Establish Multinational / Public-Private Partnerships To Link Space / Lunar Development Visions & Goals With The Resources To Enable Them

Pictured: PISCES Executive Director Rob Kelso

Image Credit: Aerospace Hawaii

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 July 2014

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Entrepreneurs Look To Advance Commercial Lunar Development At NewSpace 2014

NewSpace2014_0714

NewSpace 2014 Ongoing In Silicon Valley As Space Week / Month Continues To Provide Inspiration & Direction; Property Rights Panel With James Muncy (L) & Berin Szoka To Examine Legal Steps In-Progress / On Horizon And How They Will Help Facilitate Space Enterprise; Andy Aldrin (R) Speaks On Using Existing Technologies To Make Order Of Magnitude Improvements For Space / Lunar Access; Moon Express – Of Which Aldrin Is President – To Sponsor Panel On Commercial Development As Catalyst For Lunar Exploration

Image Credit: NewSpace 2014, Space Frontier Foundation, Moon Express

Friday / 25 July 2014

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ILOA July Meeting Marks Mid-Point For SpaceWeek 2014 In Silicon Valley

ILOA BoD 2014-2015 SV CA

The International Lunar Observatory Association, Based In Hawai`i, Held Its 3rd Board Of Directors Meeting Of 2014 In Mountain View CA, 23 July The Day Before The Space Frontier Foundation NewSpace 2014 Conference & Immediately Following The NASA Solar System Exploration Science Forum; Anticipating A New Lunar / Culture Renaissance In The N Cal / San Francisco Bay Area Similar To That Of The 1960s & ‘70s, ILOA Expects Its 2015 Silicon Valley Board Meeting Again To Overview & Advance Its 4 Moon Missions & Its Galaxy Forum Program For 21st Century Education & Fundraising

Image Credit: ILOA, Canadesys Aerospace Corp., Moon Express Inc., Charles O’Rear

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 July 2014

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Apollo 11 Moonworker Urges USA Space Program To Confront The Future

BuzzMoonMars0714

Upon 45th Commemoration Of Historic Mission, Buzz Aldrin – Member Of First Crew To Visit Lunar Surface – Says Space Enthusiasts Need To Look Forward Rather Than Simply Reveling In “Taking Rear-View Mirror Looks At Apollo 11”; Sees Permanent Human Settlement On Mars As Kennedyesque Goal To Pursue, Acknowledges Importance Of Advancing Human & Robotic Moon Missions Through International Partnerships With China & Other Space Powers, Along With Commercial Enterprise Lunar Development; South Pole Moon Promising New Frontier For Human Exploration & Settlement

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 11 July 2014

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Benefits Of Moon First Strategy

Moon Resources

Space / Moon Experts Urge NASA To Refocus On Moon First Exploration Path: Astronaut Clayton Anderson (TL) Says Humans Should Learn To Live On Moon Before Greater Challenge Of Mars; Larry Kellogg (TR), With Input From Dr. David Schrunk (B), Writes About Apollo Inspiring Next Generation, ‘Infinite’ Resources (Lunar Regolith, Harvestable NEAs), Energy (Sunlight, H2O, Helium-3), Access To Asteroid Belt / Solar System, Potential To Create Earth-Like Environments In Moon Lava Tubes

Image Credit: NASA, Larry Kellogg, ISRO, JAXA /NHK, lifeboat.com