Category Archives: Human Moon Missions

Friday / 6 December 2013

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Chang’e-3 To Enter Moon Orbit Today

Chang'e-3 LOI

China Spacecraft To Enter 100Km Circumlunar Orbit 09:30 UT After 112-Hour Cruise & Prepare For 14 Dec Landing At Sinus Iridum 44°N, 31°W Between 08:00-12:00; Chief Designer Sun Zezhou (L) States Mission Success Based On Safe Landing, Rover Functionality, Imaging Of Rover & Lander, Reception Of Data By Ground Control; Greg Kulacki (R) UCS China Project Manager Says China May Prefer International Collaboration On Human Moon Missions

Image Credit: CCTV, NASA GSFC, Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering, CNS

Tuesday / 3 December 2013

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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

Thursday / 14 November 2013

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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

Tuesday / 5 November 2013

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Huge China Moon Lander A Precursor To Human Module

chinaLander1113

Chang’e-3 Lander Is 42% Mass & Scale Of Apollo Lunar Descent Module (1200kg Unfueled), Apollo Veterans Aldrin (L) & Cernan Say Size & Design Indicate Craft / Mission Is Precursor To Human Descent Stage; Moonwalkers Encourage NASA / USA To Seek Cooperation With China On Human Moon Return, Form International Lunar Outpost Authority, South Pole Base For ISRU / Prepare For Mars Habitation

Image Credit: China Space News, NASA

Wednesday / 30 October 2013

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ESA Innovating Advanced Robots To Support Future Lunar Exploration

ESAMoonBots1013

European Space Agency Releases Video Depicting Various Lunar Rovers / Robots It Is Designing / Developing; Moon Rover With Multifunctional Wheels (Prototype Already Developed); Concept Teleoperator Robot, Forklift, Bulldozer To Assist Astronauts In Construction Of Moonbase; ESA Positioning Itself As Key Contributor To Future International Human / Robotic Moon Missions

Image Credit: ESA

Tuesday / 29 October 2013

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Chang’e-3 Carrier Rocket En Route To Launch Site

XichangOnDaWay1013

Changcheng 3B / Long March 3B Rocket En Route From Beijing To Xichang Space Center – Chang’e-3 Launch Site, Expected To Arrive 1 Nov; Carrier Rocket Equipped With A Number Of New Technologies To Further Its Reliability; Tests On Chang’e-3 Moon Probe Proceeding Smoothly As China Prepares To Conduct The 1st Soft Landing On Moon In 37 Years; Country Considering Human Moon Mission Between 2020-2025

Image Size: EPA / NG Hong, cntv.cn

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 25-28 Oct 2013

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Golden Spike Company Moon Mission Science Concepts Advancing

GSCrover1013

Golden Spike Company Discussing Advanced Mission Concepts Including Landing Sites Of Interest (South Pole Moon) & Sample Return Missions After Integrating Input Gathered At Recent Workshop With International Lunar Scientists; Robotic-Human Missions Would Involve A Nation Sending Own Rover & GSC Astronauts Retrieving / Returning Rover Samples; GSC Will Host Another Forum In March 2014

Image Credit: NASA, GSC

Tuesday / 22 October 2013

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ESA Hosting Lunar Sample Return Workshop

ESTECsampleReturn1013

Workshop On Science & Challenges Of Lunar Sample Return In ESA ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands On 18-19 Feb 2014; Event Co-Organized By NASA SSERVI & Russia IKI; Objectives: Discuss How Sample Return Missions Can Support Future Exploration, Scientific Priorities, Mission Requirements / Technical Challenges; ESA Intends To Cooperate With Russia On Moon Lander & Sample Return Missions, & With NASA On Human Missions

Image Credit: ESA, IKI, NASA

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 18-21 Oct 2013

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Planetary Security Through
Moon High Ground

LED 10-18-13

Moon To Become New High Ground For Human Operations,
Serve Planetary Defense To Detect Earth Approaching Objects;
New Luna Enterprise From China, America, Independents
Also To Advance Non-Military Precedent Of 7th Continent Antarctica,
Open 8th Continent Opportunities “In Peace For All”

Image Credit: ME, ILOA, CNSA, NASA, G. Nagle, UN

Friday / 18 October 2013

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Stanford On The Moon:
Human Moon Missions

SOM 2013

SOM 2013 Reunion Conference: Human Moon Missions – A Center For 21st Century Leadership, Friday 18 Oct; Talks Given By Visionary Entrepreneurs Advancing Cislunar Travel & Commerce, Moon South Pole As Destination Of Importance / Discovery; (L To R) SOM Alumni Club & ILOA Steve Durst, Golden Spike Co Alan Stern, Moon Express Adrian Adamson, Shackleton Energy Co Jim Keravala, Interorbital Systems Randa Milliron; Over 100 Stanford Alumni To Participate

Image Credit: SOM, ILOA, GSC, Shackleton, NASA