Former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin Endorses Comments Made By Roscosmos Head Vladimir Popovkin / International Leaders At GLEX: Human Return To Moon Is Humanity’s “Next Outward Step…The Path To Which We Will Return”; Paul Spudis Asserts That World Sees Moon As “The Enabling Asset” To Build Permanent, Lasting Space Faring Capability; Ian Crawford Outlines Scientific Case For Lunar Exploration
Image Credit: NASA, Lifeboat Foundation
International Cooperation & Development Of Cis-Lunar Space Were Dominant Themes At Recent Global Space Exploration Conference; Russia, Japan & India Note Value / Intention Of Extensive Human Lunar Exploration; Moon Next Logical Step For ISS Partnership; Desire For More Cooperation With China; Lockheed & Boeing Officials Affirm Cis-Lunar Capabilities Will Come Quick After SLS / Orion Online
Image Credit: NASA, GSEC
Team Displays Early Prototypes Of Descent Vehicle & Rover At Bay Area Maker Faire In CA; Phoenicia Planning To Do Much Development Of Flight Hardware In-House; Has Plans For 2014 Launch As Secondary Payload With SpaceX; Already Raised Over US$5M For Lunar South Pole Mission; Currently Listed In 3rd Place In Unofficial Evadot Scorecard; Potential Collaborators On Human Moon Mission
Image Credit: Team Phoenicia, pcworld.com
66 Undergraduate & Graduate School Teams From Around The World Will Compete In 3rd Annual NASA Lunabotics Competition 21-27 May At Kennedy Space Center; Teams WIll Have 10 Minutes To Maneuver Through Obstacle Course Of Lunar Regolith Simulant, Collect As Much Regolith As Possible; NASA Awarding Bonus Points For Autonomous Robots; Lunar Mining / ISRU Critical For Development Of Lunar Outpost
Image Credit: NASA, tuscaloosanews.com
Preeminent Space Advocate Rick Tumlinson Says Human Space Development & Solar System Settlement Must Be Shared Goal / Direction Of USA Space Program; Enabled By Infrastructure, Ingenuity & Economic Drive Of Commercial Space; Country Must Harness Space Agency, Industrial Base, New Generation All In Need Of Purpose
Image Credit: distantgalaxy.com, NASA, SFF
Hawaii Lawmakers Expected To Pass 2 Bills This Week Advancing Importance Of State In Emerging NewSpace Age; 1st Bill Will Establish Hawaii Spaceport Initiative, Capitalize On Projected BillionUS$ Industry; 2nd Bill Will Support Construction Of International Lunar Research Park On Hawaii Island; ILRP Will Help Design / Develop Human Moon Settlement Within 10 Years
Image Credit: hawaii.gov, UHH, Aerospace Hawaii
Image Credit: NASA
Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) System Under Development At NASA Will Enable Safe Landings In Locations Apollo Never Could Have Gone; Terrain Relative Navigation System Utilizes 3 Sensors (Optical, Lidar, Laser Altimeter) & Stored Data To Determine Lander Position & Velocity; Hazard Detection System Generates DEM With 10-cm Resolution
Image Credit: NASA
American Astronaut Marsha Ivins Speaks To Students About Benefits / Importance Of Space Travel At Nehru Planetarium In Mumbai India; “Traveling Again To The Moon Is The Right Thing To Do”; Says Image Of Milky Way Galaxy Provides Her With Inspiration / Commitment To Support Space Exploration; Ivins Spent 55 Days In Space During 36-Year NASA Career That Included 5 Spaceflights
Image Size: NASA, ILOA
John Young, Charlie Duke Are Only 2 Humans To Ever Walk On Lunar Highlands, Spent 3 Days On Lunar Surface, Logged 26.7km On Lunar Rover, Returned 95.8kg Of Samples, Deployed First Observatory On Moon; 40 Years Later, Next Frontier Of Lunar Exploration Is Similarly Challenging Environment: Mountainous South Pole; Commander Young Now Serves As Honorary Director Of ILOA
Image Credit: Masten Space Systems, Phil Smith
Space Agencies & Commercial Enterprises Refining Plans For Human Lunar Development; ULA Forms Organization For Human Launches Beyond LEO; Masten Reveals Human Lunar Lander Design; Space Adventures Advancing Circumlunar Mission; China Lunar Exploration Program Progressing; Russia Reinvigorates Push For Moonbase; Human Lunar Presence Ensures Multi-World Species Future