Friday / 17 April 2015

5th International Lunar Surface Applications Workshop Last Day

LSA5

Final Day Of LSA5 In Cocoa Beach FL Will Feature Russell Cox (L) Of Flexure Engineering On ‘The Lunar Initiatives’, David Dunlop (R) Of NSS On ‘International Lunar Decade’, & Presentations On The Business Of Being An Astropreneur; Other Lunar Leaders Include Bob Richards (Moon Express), Dan Hendrickson (Astrobotic), Jim Keravala (Shackleton Energy); Conference Advancing Collaborations, Ideas For Robotic Science / Resource Prospecting & Human Exploration / Settlement Missions; 5th LunarCubes Workshop To Be Held Oct 6-9 In San Jose CA; LSA5 Speech By Astronaut Cady Coleman & Panel Discussion Available

Image Credit: Flexure Engineering, NSS, Bigelow, Isaac Brekken/The New York Times/Redux/Eyevine

Tuesday / 14 April 2015

International Lunar Decade Initiative Seeking UN Support

ILD0415

Initiative Of ILEWG, NSS & University Of Latvia Seeks To Build Foundations For Permanent Human Presence Beyond LEO Through Detailed Framework Of International & Public-Private Partnerships, Legal / Property Rights Resolutions; ILD Working Group Seeking UN General Assembly Sanctioning As Global Activity, 1st Step Is COPUOS Approval, Possibly In 10-19 June 58th COPUOS Session; ILD To Be Discussed / Advanced At Upcoming Conferences In Florida USA, Frascati Italy, Toronto Canada

Image Credit: NASA, ILEWG, UN

Tuesday / 7 April 2015

Moon Reemerging In NASA Plans?

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Reports Surfacing That NASA Is Shifting Plans To Incorporate More Cislunar / Lunar Surface Elements Into Its “Evolvable Mars Campaign”; Chief Of NASA Human Exploration Admits Current 900-Day Direct Mars Mission Plan Not Achievable, Harnessing Reservoirs Of Ice At Lunar Poles For Rocket Fuel & Testing ISRU Technologies At Moon Is Under Consideration; NASA Officials Still Deny Lunar Surface Plans / Any Changes To Current Human Space Exploration Plan; NASA Advisory Council Human Exploration & Operations Committee Meeting In Washington DC 7-8 April

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 3-6 April 2015

China Advancing Human Moon Mission Elements

ChinaHumanMoonElements

Research Paper On New Generation Multi-Purpose Space Crew Capsule Published By Aerospace Manned Flight Center Of China Aerospace Technology & Research Institute, Media Reports Reveal It As 1st China Human Moon Capsule Concept Design; Chang’e-5 Lander, Mission Design Indicate Mission Will Test Elements / Procedures For Human Mission – Large Lander & Reentry Vehicle, Apollo-Like Mission Scenario; China Working On Long March-9 Rocket With 130-Metric Ton Payload Capacity, Reportedly To Facilitate Human Moon Missions

Image Credit: CNSA, China Aerospace Technology & Research Institute

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 27-30 March 2015

Golden Spike Company Progressing Towards Commercial Human Lunar Missions

GSC0315

GSC Optimisitic 2015 Will See Advancement Of Business Plan / Lunar Mission Development; Board Of Directors Newly Reconfigured – With New Members (L-R) NASA Astronaut Terence Henricks & Dylan Taylor Of Space Angels Network – To Reflect Increased Focus On Fundraising For Human Moon Missions; Gerald Griffin, Doug Griffith, Alan Stern, Taber MacCallum Continue In Director Positions; Additional Meetings With Potential Asian Customers Likely In 2015; Company Working To Implement Human Space Transportation Systems To The Moon At Commercially Successful Price Points

Image Credit: GSC, LinkedIn, NASA, Paragon

Friday / 27 March 2015

ARM Project To Revive NASA Human Missions To Cislunar SpaceARM

Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) Under Development By NASA To Launch Humans To Moon Orbit, While Private Companies Such As Golden Spike Aim For Moon Surface 2018-2020s; US$1.25B Robotic Mission To Launch Dec 2020, Travel 2 Years To Asteroid (Potentially 2008 EV5), Spend 400 Days Searching For 4-Meter Diameter Boulder, Bring Selected Boulder To Moon Orbit; Astronauts Will Then Launch 2025 To Moon Orbit, Dock With & Study Rock Via SLS / Orion; Additional Cislunar / Moon Surface Missions Under Consideration

Image Credit: NASA, Boeing Co., New Scientist

Thursday / 26 March 2015

New Russia Cosmodrome Key For Lunar Plans

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With Over US$5B Investment, Russia Leaders Making Every Effort To Complete New Vostochny Spaceport & Begin Initial Steps Of New Moon Program; 885-Square Km Facility Will Have 7 Launch Pads & 25,000-Person ‘Satellite City’ For Rocket Scientists; Delays & Corruption Threatening Timeline For 1st Soyuz Launch, Projected Dec 2015; Site Will Be Critical For Russia Goal Of Creating Permanent Base On Moon By 2035, Likely At North Pole; Russia Leaders Foresee International Competition For The Limited Amount Of Locations Ideal For Moon Base Development

Pictured: (R) Russia President Vladimir Putin, (L) Deputy Premier Dmitry Rogozin

Image Credit: Siberian Times

Tuesday / 10 March 2015

New NASA Moon Rocket Advancing

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ATK Is Set To Conduct First Full-Scale Qualification Static Motor Test For NASA Heavy-Lift Space Launch System Wednesday 11 March In Promontory UT; 2-Minute Test Will Burn 628,225kg Of Solid Propellant In The Two 54-Meter-Long Engines, Producing 1.6 Million Kg Of Force; Rocket – Along With Orion Crew Capsule – Will Be Critical For New Era Of USA Human Lunar / Solar System Exploration; First 2 Test Flights (2018 & 2021) Likely To Include Circumlunar Voyage

Image Credit: NASA, ATK

Wednesday / 4 March 2015

China New Spaceport Critical To Safeguard China Lunar Rights

HainanPlaque

Wenchang Launch Center In Hainan China Will Be Used For Robotic & Human Missions To Moon; China Officials Expect Human Moon Mission Around 2025; Country Leaders See The Launch Center & Moon Program As Critical For “Safeguarding China’s Lunar Rights” According To Plaque In Hainan; Center Is Designed To Handle 10-12 Rocket Launches Per Year, 19-Degree Latitude Allows For Heavier Launches Such As Heavy-Lift Booster Long March-5 Later This Year

Image Credit: CNSA, ILOA

Friday / 27 February 2015

Russia Asserts Plans To Land Humans On
Moon By 2030

Russia Moon 2030

 Roscosmos Announces That It Expects To Begin Landing Humans On Moon By 2030, Continued Missions May Set Up Lunar Base Infrastructures; Plans To Launch Luna-26 Polar Orbiter 2018, Luna-27 Lander To Moon South Pole 2019, Luna-28 Sample Return Mission To Moon South Pole 2020, Luna-29 Lander 2021; Russia Independent Space Station May Serve As Transport Point For Moon Missions

Image Credit: Roscosmos, IKI, NASA