23 Teams Remaining In The Google Lunar X PRIZE Will Meet In Santiago, Chile For 4-Day Team Summit Beginning 2 April; Several Major Announcements Are Expected Involving Financing, Launch Agreements, Team Mergers, Etc.; Meeting Should Help Distinguish Contenders From Pretenders As Teams Need To Have Financing And Launch Agreements In Place To Complete Mission By End 2015 Deadline
Image Credit: GLXP
Joint Moon, Mars, Deep Space Missions & Increased Commercial Space Cooperation Agreement Reached By India Ambassador Nirupama Rao & NASA Administrator Bolden; NASA Joins ISRO For Oct 2013 Mangalyaan Mars Mission; Will Continue To Discuss Planetary Science, Policy Issues, New Opportunities For Collaboration; Annual Science & Tech Endowment Fund ~US$2-3M & National Defense Authorization Act Expected To Expedite Space Tech Trade, Promote Innovations
Image Credit: ISRO, NASA, theindiaexpert.com
International Science Workshop Hosted By Golden Spike Co & LPI, 3-4 Oct 2013 In Houston, TX; Overview Of Potential Landing Sites, Experiments & Geological Traverses GSC Astronauts Will Undertake On Moon Starting In 2020; Theme: Lunar Science After 20 GSC Human Moon Missions; Program Committee – Including Alan Stern (L), Steve Mackwell (R), Clive Neal – Hope Event Will Multiply Interest In GSC Missions From International Science & Space Agencies
Image Credit: Golden Spike Co., Lunar And Planetary Institute
Rigorous Testing & Integration Of LLCD System On LADEE Spacecraft Complete; Technology Demonstration Will See Data Sent From Lunar Orbit To Earth At Up To 622 Mbps – 6 Times The Rate Of Advanced Radio Communication Systems; Hundreds Of Millions Of Short Infrared Pulses Sent Precisely Every Second To Any One Of 3 Ground Telescopes In New Mexico, California & Spain; LADEE To Launch In Aug 2013
Image Credit: NASA
Robert Bigelow Confirms Desire To Help Develop Lunar Base; Robert Richards Discusses Moon Express Mission, Implications And Value Of Lunar Mining; Golden Spike Company Conducting Video Contest As Part Of Indiegogo Fundraising Campaign; Canadian Space Commerce Association Head Says Off-World Mining Will One Day Surpass Earth Mining, Suggests Adding Tax Benefits To Start Up Companies
Image Credit: NASA, Moon Express, Bigelow Aerospace, Golden Spike Co.
Hawaii Spaceport Initiative Is Back On The Table According To Hawaii State Representative Cindy Evans; Unhindered Flight Paths, Optimal Latitude For Launch To Moon & Beyond, Cultural Heritage Of Exploration / Navigation Make Hawaii Best Place In World For Spaceport; Separate UH-Hilo Sponsored Initiative Would Develop Hawaii Island Office To Provide Ground Support For Moon-Exploring Robots
Image Credit: NASA, SpaceX, hawaii.gov
China Progressing Steadily On Clearly Defined / Consistently Executed Space Plan; Chang’e-2 Arrival In Outer Space 20M km From Earth Is Breakthrough For China Deep Space Exploration; 5th China Human Spaceflight Set For Jun~Aug 2013; China Upgrades Long March-3B Rocket For Late 2013 Chang’e-3 Lunar Lander Mission, Increasing Carrying Capacity By 30 kg & Allowing For Additional Launch Windows
Image Credit: CNSA, 33rdsquare.com, news.xinhuanet.com
India Commercial Space Company Earth2Orbit Founder Susmita Mohanty Discusses India’s Part In NewSpace Movement & Her Thoughts On How To Accelerate Human Spaceflight Development; Aerospace Companies Over-Engineer / Under-Design Crew Craft With Exorbitant Costs; International Consortium Of Companies Such As Apple, Samsung, SpaceX Could Design Spaceships That Think; Private Astronaut Taxis To LEO & Moon Would Follow
Image Credit: Abhijit Bhatlekar, Earth2Orbit
First China Lunar Rover Mission Set For Late 2013; Vehicle, Named ‘Zhonghua’ (China), Will Weigh 120kg, 20kg Of Payload, Able To Travel Up To 10km On Lunar Surface; 2 Solar Panels & Nuclear Fuel Cells Will Power Rover For 3-Month Life Span; Radar On Bottom Will Explore 100m Beneath Surface; Mechanical Arm Will Take Samples; Preliminary Research Underway For Human Mission In 2025-2030
Image Credit: Xinhuanet, theepochtimes.com
Naveen Jain Of Moon Express Says Over 4B Years Of Well-Preserved Asteroid Impacts On Moon Provide Resources For Asteroid Research & Solar System Exploration; Stable Environment Is Beneficial For Astronomical Observatories & Asteroid Detection; Can Create Fuel Depots, Lunar Bases & Earth Space Port; Private-Public Partnerships For Moon Exploration Will Safeguard Future Of Humankind
Image Credit: NASA, Moon Express