Thursday / 9 January 2014

Veteran Canada Astronaut Calls For Cooperation With China Moon Program

HadfieldChinaMoonbase

Canada Astronaut Chris Hadfield, Veteran Of 3 Spaceflights, Says International Efforts To Return To Moon Should Include Collaboration With As Many Spacefaring Nations As Possible; Cooperation With China Especially Important For Exploration / Development Of Moon As “Next Natural Waypoint Out To Space;” China Lunar Exploration Program Officials Confirm They Are Working On Human Moon Landing, Preparation For Lunar Base Construction  

Image Credit: Lauren Crawford, engadget.com

New Year / Holiday Edition
Wed 25 Dec 2013 – Fri 3 Jan 2014

2020 Vision: Humanity A Multi World Species

LED-12-12-13Multi Nation Science And Commerce Human Lunar Expeditions 2019-2020 Preceded By Moon South Pole International Traffic Jam 2015-2016 With Robotic Landings From USA, PRC, Japan, India, Russia, as well as Moon Express / ILOA, Golden Spike, Shackleton Energy, Astrobotic, Lunar Lions, Others; NEOs, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn Next

Ad Astra — Happy New Year / Holidays To All

 Image Credit: NASA, ILOA, ME, Penn State Lunar Lions, Astrobotic Technology

Friday / 20 December 2013

Moon Mining May Be Game-Changer For Space Exploration

Moon Mining

Use Of Abundant Resources On Moon ‘Will Change Humanity’s Future’ Says Bob Richards Of Moon Express; Iron, Nickel, Titanium, Platinum For Fuel Cell & Clean Tech Development, Lithium For Batteries, Helium-3 Fuel For Future Nuclear Fusion Plants, Water For Life Support / Propellant; May Find Undiscovered Resources As Well; Depots On Moon & In Orbit Can Fuel Robotic & Human Missions, Lunar & Mars Habitats; Kg-Sized Samples Of Lunar Material May Be Valued At US$1B

Image Credit: Popular Mechanics, Shackleton Energy Co.

Wednesday / 18 December 2013

China Territorial Claim On Moon Might Speed Lunar Exploration / Development

ChinaLandClaimMoon1213

As Chang’e-3 & Yutu Activate Science Instruments, Space Law Experts Glenn Reynolds (Top) – In USA Today Opinion Piece – & Homer Hickam Posit That Mining / Territorial Claims May Follow; Reynolds Suggests Such An Act Could Stimulate Commercial / Government Lunar Development, Says 1967 Outer Space Treaty Is Main Culprit For 4 Decades Of Lunar Vacancy

Image Credit: ImagineChina, Twitter, NASA

Weekend Edition /
Fri-Mon 13-16 December 2013

New Age For Humanity Dawning

ChinaMoonGalaxy3

Chang’e-3 Successful Landing At Sinus Iridum “Bay Of Rainbows” 44°N 31°W On 14 December 2013 Points To New Epoch For Humanity As Permanent Operations On Moon Are Precursor To Multi World Species Reality; ILOA Milky Way Galaxy Image By Chang’e-3 UV Telescope May Impact 21st Century As EarthRise Photo By Apollo Shaped 20th

Image Credit: chinanews.com

Tuesday / 3 December 2013

Robotic Precursor Missions May Get USA Lunar Program Back On Track

MoonInsitu1213

Aggressive Lunar Exploration Plan With USA Rovers / Landers On Moon To ID Resources, Advance ISRU Technologies, Construct Power Infrastructure Is Currently Feasible With Limited NASA Budget, & Needed To Reassert Leadership In Moon Exploration, Prepare For Human Moon Outposts – Says Nelson Bridwell In Aviation Week

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 22-25 Nov 2013

JFK 50 Years Downrange And Sputnik 2.0

JFK 50 Years & Sputnik 2

China Moon Landing Next Month
Likely To Energize USA New Space, Moon,
Solar System R&D, And Galaxy Awareness,
Including Moon South Pole Power Station Prototype

 

Image Credit: NASA, CNSA

Friday / 22 November 2013

Launching Life To The Moon In 2015

Plants On Moon

Lunar Plant Growth Habitat Team Of NASA Ames Research Center Will Try To Grow Arabidopsis, Basil, Sunflowers, Turnips In Coffee-Can-Sized Aluminum Cylinders On Moon; NASA Expects To Build / Launch For Under US$2M By Buying Space On Commercial Launch Of GLXP Team; Chief Biologist Dr. Robert Bowman (Center) Points Out Need To Understand Plant Ability To Overcome Stress Of Space Radiation, Moon Partial Gravity, Small / Controlled Environment For Use In Human Solar System Buildout

Image Credit: NASA, Hemil Modi

Friday / 15 November 2013

South Korea Commits To
2020 Moon Mission

KARI 2020 Moon Mission

Prime National Objective Announced By S Korea President Park Geun-Hye To Send Lunar Lander, 10-20 Kg Rover To Look For Rare Minerals & Orbiter To Moon In 2020 Aboard Korea Space Launch Vehicle-2 Rockets; 15 Government-Funded Research Institutions Led By KARI To Begin Collaborating In 2014, Hope To Overcome Challenges With NASA Support; May Need ~$655M To Complete Project By 2020; Also Potential For KARI Associate Membership In SSERVI

Image Credit: KARI, K. Dietsch/UPI/Newscom

Thursday / 14 November 2013

Bigelow Report: COTS Model & Property Rights Can Facilitate Lunar Base

BigelowNASAReport1113

Report Prepared By Robert Bigelow Under NASA Space Act Agreement Recommends That NASA Pursue A Partnership With Industry To Develop Beyond LEO / Cislunar Space; Permanent, Semi-Commercial Lunar Base Achievable & Affordable In Next 10 Years; Private Companies / Individuals Would Need To Acquire Property Rights On Moon / Other Bodies If Plan Is To Be Viable; Bigelow Already Applying To FAA / AST For Review Of Lunar Property Rights Policy

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, NASA