Wednesday / 14 October 2015

Space Agency Heads At IAC2015; Discussing “Moon First” Approach To Space Exploration

10142015International Participation & Cooperation, IAC2015 Plenary Session Includes Israel Space Agency Chairman Isaac Ben-Israel, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, CNSA Administrator Xu Dazhe, ISRO Scientific Secretary Krishna Murthy, Roscosmos Head Igor Komarov, JAXA President Naoki Okumura, ESA Director General Jan Woerner With Panel Moderated By German Journalist Uli Bobinger; 3 Goals Emerging: Need For Stronger International Cooperation, Moon As Next Destination, Need For Measurable Benefits To The Public; CNSA Xu Dazhe Discussing China CE5 Moon Sample Return Mission & CE4 Lander on Far Side Moon; HOA Panel Consensus Of Further Moon Exploration & Moon Before Mars As Logical Step

Credit: IAC2015, NASA, ESA

Wednesday / 30 September 2015

Helium-3 Has Tenuous Potential As Lunar Energy Resource

9302015Engineering Capabilities Of Unproven Helium-3 Fusion Reactor Technology May Be Decades Out; Apollo Astronaut Harrison Schmitt (T) Advocates For Lunar Mining Of Helium-3 (He-3); China, Russia, Europe, USA, India Also Showing He-3 Interest; Other Energy Solutions Including Lunar Water-Ice Extraction Proposed By Shackleton Energy Company (SEC); Strategic SEC Partnership With Penguin Automated Systems, Dr. Greg Baiden (B) Declares “There’s Also The Potential For Solar Power Stations”

Credit: NASA, Arizona Geological Society, SEC, ESA, Greg Baiden

Tuesday / 15 September 2015

India Considers RTG For Upcoming Chandrayaan-2 Moon Mission

9152015ISRO Work Pace Increases With Goal Of ~2017-18 Launch Of Chandrayaan-2, India Inaugural Soft Landing On Lunar Surface; Second Lunar Mission May Get Boost With Non-Fission Nuclear Energy Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG); Chandrayaan Project Director, Mylswamy Annadurai Affirms ISRO Success With Chandrayaan-1 Confirming Water Traces On Moon & Second Mission To Include Configuration Changes To Orbiter To Accommodate Lander

Credit:  ISRO

Thursday / 10 September 2015

India GSLV Mk2 Success Boosts Chandrayaan-2 Timeline

9102015Chandrayaan-2 Lander / Rover Moon Mission Set To Launch 2017-18; India Space Research Organization (ISRO) Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Demonstrates Reliability & Versatile Orbit Capacity To Enable Chandrayaan-2 Launch Into Lunar Orbit Insertion Via Earth Parking Orbit (EPO) Of 170 x 18,500 Km; Scientific Objective To Understand Origin / Evolution Of Moon & Perform In-Situ Analysis Of Lunar Samples

Credit: ISRO, NASA

Friday / 28 August 2015

GSLV Mk 2 Success Leading India Toward Vital Launch Independence & Advanced Moon, Space, Human Missions ISRO GSLV

India GSLV Rocket With Indigenous Cryogenic 3rd Stage Will Be Declared Fully Operational After Recent Launch Of GSAT-6 Communication To Successful Orbit According To K Sivan, Director Of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre; GSLV Mk 2, Capable Of Carrying 2,500kg To GTO, Scheduled To Launch Chandrayaan-2 In 2017 & Subsequent Moon Missions; GSLV Mk 3, Capable Of Launching 4,000kg To GTO, First Flight Expected Dec 2016 With First Human Mission In 2021

Credit: ISRO, NASA, GSFC

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 August 2015

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Moon Vision Aids India Space Mission Accomplishments

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Human Space Missions To Moon & Mars Proposed By The Late Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam To ISRO Noted Future Economic Benefits; Kalam Moon Impact Probe As Part Of Chandrayaan-I Discovery Of Water On Moon South Pole Prompted Agencies To Further Investigations; India Second Lunar Mission Chandrayaan-II Moon Lander To Launch In 2017 By Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-MkII)

Credit: ISRO, S. Mahinsha, The Hindu

Friday / 7 August 2015

Pete Worden In India Discusses Life In Universe, Says Moon More Suitable Than Mars

India Kalam Worden

Breakthrough Listen Chairman Simon ‘Pete’ Worden Meeting Scientists & Senior Representatives In Bengaluru This Week, Gives Talk At Indian Institute Of Astrophysics & Points Out The Moon (As Well As Enceladus, Europa, Titan) Has Chemicals Needed For Life, Whereas Mars Has High Concentration Of Perchlorates Which Are Useful For Fuel, But Not Likely Suitable For Life / Settlement; India & World Observing Passing Of “India’s Original Rocket Man” & Lunar Proponent Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

Credit: K. Murali Kumar, NASA, AMRC, GSFC/ASU/LOLA/PDS, SVS, Google, Pockocmoc, APL

Wednesday / 15 July 2015

USA NASA / India ISRO
Partnerships Strengthen

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Richard Verma, U.S. Ambassador To India States Positive Relationship Of ISRO & NASA For Chandrayaan Mission / Moon Surface Exploration “From Outer Space To Cyberspace, We’re In It Together”; ISRO Charting Other Planetary Opportunities For Mars, Venus & Return To Moon With Chandrayaan-II Expected NET 2016; Recurring Successful ISRO PSLV Program Bolsters Future Launches Including GSLV-MKII

Credit: NASA, ISRO, United States Dept. of State

Weekend Holiday Edition
Friday-Monday / 3-6 July 2015

Moon South Pole Landers 2017-19
Point To 2020s Human Lunar Decade

July 4 Edition, Moon South Pole

International Fleet Of South Pole Lunar Landers Developing From India (Chandrayaan-2, 2017), China (Chang’e-4 & -5, 2017), Japan (SLIM, 2019), Russia (Luna-25, 2019), Korea (2020), As Well As Independent Enterprises Moon Express, ILOA, Canadensys, Golden Spike Company & Shackleton Energy Company; American Flags On Moon Commemorated 4 July As Pioneering Individuals Look Forward To Earth / International Flags & Multi World Species Endeavors

Credit: NASA, JAXA, CNSA, IIT-Kanpur, ISRO, ILOA, ME

Tuesday / 23 June 2015

Chandrayaan-II Orbital Craft Module Structure Delivered By Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

6232015India Moon Mission & Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Chandrayaan-II, Two Module Configuration Spacecraft (Orbiter & Lander) Orbital Bus Delivered To The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO); HAL Chairman T. Suvarna Raju States “The Orbiter Craft Module Structure Is A Three-Tonne Category Bus”; Chandrayaan-II Planning For Moon Launch In 2017 By Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-MkII)

Credit: ISRO, HAL