Category Archives: Cislunar Space Development

Thursday / 26 June 2014

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China Preparing Final Steps Of Uncrewed Lunar Exploration Phase, Eyeing Human Missions

ChinaMoonOuyang0614

China Lunar Exploration Program Senior Adviser Ouyang Ziyuan Says Simulation Lunar Return Satellite Will Be Launched Later This Year In Preparation For Moon Sample Return Chang’e-5 Mission Which Is Scheduled To Launch In 2017 Via Long March 5 Rocket From New Hainan Launch Center, Return Up To 10kg Of Lunar Samples; Exploration Program Will Then Shift To Human Moon Missions, & Possible Building Of Lunar Base; China Then Intends To Conduct Systematic Exploration Of Solar System 

Image Credit: CNSA

Tuesday / 24 June 2014

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ESA Senior Exploration Officer Calls For Moon Mining Cooperation

BernardMoonbase0614

Bernard Foing Calls For International Cooperation / World Strategy For Exploration & Utilization Of Moon; Suggests Precursor Landers Should Be Operated In Coordinated Robotic Village, Utilize In-Situ Resources, To Prepare Sustainable Path Towards Humans Living Off The Land In International Bases; “Moon Is Like The 8th Continent Of Earth… Only Reasonable We Want To Mine It”; Comments Made At Ongoing EuroScience Open Forum Meeting In Copenhagen

Image Credit: Corbey Waste, esof2014.org, sg.hu

Friday / 20 June 2014

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Smooth Sailing For China Lunar Program,
Next Moon Missions

Chang'e-5, CLEP

Chang’e-5 Flight Test Module Launching To Moon Later This Year To Verify Return & Re-Entry Technology, Successfully Passes Thermal Vacuum Test, Further Tests Upcoming; According To Lunar Program Chief Designer Weiren Wu Presenting At ISCOPS Conference In May, Chang’e-4 Lander / Rover Being Reconfigured For Advanced Science, Expected To Launch 2015-2017; Chang’e-5 Sample Return Able To Carry 2kg Of Rocks & Regolith Launching Late 2017

Image Credit: ILOA, spacechina.com, CNSA, NASA

Tuesday / 17 June 2014

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China Moon Program & Implications Of Lunar Helium-3

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Growing Demand For Energy, Leading-Edge Moon Exploration Program Lead Some To Believe China Seeking To Advance Helium-3 Nuclear Fusion Technology; Estimated 1.1M Tonnes Of Helium-3 On Lunar Surface, 1 Tonne Of Helium-3 Could Produce Equivalent Of 50M Barrels Of Crude Oil, Virtually No Waste, Negligible Radiation; International Cooperation / Participation In Moon Development May Determine Whether China Moon Activities Lead To Helium-3 Monopoly / Energy Supremacy, Or Equitable Sharing For Benefit Of All Humanity

Image Credit: CNSA, weeklysciencequiz.blogspot.com, greenoptimistic.com

Friday / 13 June 2014

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SpaceMETA Becomes 3rd GLXP Team To Announce Official Launch Agreement

SpaceMETA

Brazil-Based SpaceMETA Signs MoU With Alcantara Cyclone Space Co To Deliver ‘Solitaire’ Payload To Orbit For Subsequent Translunar Orbit Injection; Cyclone Family Has 222 Successful Launches, Developing 3-Stage Cyclone 4 With Goal Of ~US$50M Launch Cost; Astrobotic & Barcelona Moon Announced Launches Earlier; Founder Of SpaceMETA Sergio Cabral Cavalcanti – Presenter At Inaugural 2013 Galaxy Forum Brazil – Wants To Create Ambitious Starting Point From Which Future Generations Can Expand

Image Credit: SpaceMETA, GLXP, ACS

Friday / 6 June 2014

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Ken Murphy Cislunar Cinema Inventory

Cislunar Cinema

President At The Moon Society & Space Finance Group Holdings LLC, Ken Murphy (BR) Details 87 Films From 1902-2013 Focused On Cislunar Space; Parts 1 & 2 Put Films Into Context Based On Era (Space Age, Post-Apollo…) & Generation (Baby Boomers, Gen X…) With Analysis Of Past, Present, Future Trends; Planned 2015 GLXP Video Streaming From Moon Surface May Be Most Valuable / Catalytic Lunar Film Of 21st Century; Moon Needs More Advocates For Its Own ‘Mars One Reality Show‘

Image Credit: GLXP, G. Pal, S. Kubrick, J. Lancett, S. Fenegan, Moonandback Media

Friday / 23 May 2014

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LADEE Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration Performance To Be Detailed

LLCD 2014

New Comprehensive Overview Of LLCD To Be Presented At CLEO 2014 Conference 8-13 June By Team From MIT Lincoln Laboratory (Developer Of Primary Lunar Laser Ground Terminal); Will Describe Techniques To Achieve Error-Free Performance Over ~400,000km Distance / Atmospheric Disturbances; Transmitted Data From Earth To Moon At 19.44 Megabits Per Second – Beat Previous Record By Factor Of 4,800; Significant For Moon & Beyond Missions, Real-Time Communication & 3-D HD Video

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 May 2014

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SpaceX Innovations

Boost Future Of Lunar Exploration

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NewSpace Powerhouse Disrupting Launch Industry, Driving Innovation & Efficiency – Boon To All Who Seek High Frontier; Successful Tests Of F9 First Stage Controlled-Flight Recovery (18 Apr) & Grasshopper 1000-Meter Hop (2 May) Show Company Is Revolutionizing Future Of Exploration; Re-Usability Might Reduce Cost-To-Orbit By Half, Controlled Landing Systems Have Applications For Lunar / Planetary Exploration

Image Credit: SpaceX

Friday / 2 May 2014

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Lunar CATALYST Partnerships Begin

Lunar CATALYST

Astrobotic, Moon Express & Masten Negotiating No-Funds-Exchanged Space Act Agreements With NASA For Lunar Cargo Transportation And Landing By Soft Touchdown (Lunar CATALYST) Initiative To Advance Lunar Lander Capabilities; NASA To Provide Technical Expertise, Equipment / Software Loans, Access To Test Facilities For 3 Years; Astrobotic (Griffin Lander) & Moon Express (MX-1) Plan To Launch To Moon 2015 / Win GLXP; Masten Refining / Testing Xombie & Xaero, Designing Xeus

Image Credit: ME, Astrobotic, Masten, NASA

Thursday / 1 May 2014

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Exploration Science Forum Special Session Focuses On Exploration Destination Objectives

LED050114SSERVI Announces 1st Annual NASA Exploration Science Forum (ESF) 21-23 July At NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field CA; 3rd Day Special Session Examines Objectives / Benefits Of Human Activities At Various Global Exploration Roadmap (GER) Destinations; Topics Include ‘Lunar Surface Presence: Outpost Or Sorties?’ And ‘The Role Of The Moon In Further Exploration Destinations’; Destinations Include Moon / Cis-lunar Space, NEAs & Mars; Abstract Deadline Extended Until 2 May

Image Credit: NASA