Category Archives: Lunar Geology

Thursday / 13 August 2015

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NASA Drones For Moon Prospecting: Paul Spudis Notes Challenges & Benefits

8132015Latest Advances In Autonomous Teleoperated Arial Craft (Drones) May Revolutionize Lunar & Other Planetary Explorations In Areas Too Difficult For Human Maneuvering & At Lower Cost; Drones Could Prospect Lunar Surface For Ice & Resources Further Promoting The Ability To Access Moon / Deep Space; Paul Spudis Comments On Drone Challenges Of Different Atmospheres & Adaptions Required And Advantages Of Prolonged Flight Viewing Ability For Geologic Data Collection, Prospecting & Mapping Lunar Polar Regions, Craters, Lava Tubes

Credit: NASA, NASA Swamp Works

Thursday / 23 July 2015

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Device On Lunar Lander To Simplify Techniques Of Moon Rock Dating

7232015 Future Design Of Miniature Laser Ablation Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometer For Use In Moon Missions To Date Lunar Rocks And Surface; Instruments Placed On Lunar Lander / Rover Can Analyze Samples In Situ Without Complicated Preparations & Could Be Used On Proposed Moon Age & Regolith Explorer (MARE) NASA Mission; Team Led By Dr. F. Scott Anderson Of Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) Demonstrated Success Of Device On Duluth Gabbro Rock Sample Analogous To Rocks Found On Lunar Near Side

Credit: NASA, SwRI

Wednesday / 24 June 2015

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Harrison “Jack” Schmitt Participates At ISU Space Studies Program (SSP15)

6242015 NASA First Scientist-Astronaut Schmitt Has Busy Week At International Space University (ISU) Hosted By Ohio University; Recognized For His Apollo 17 Mission & Being The Second To Last Human To Step On The Moon His Work Continues On Lunar Exploration & Future Space Policy Issues; Advocate For Human Space Exploration & Author Of “Return To The Moon” Schmitt Describes Private Enterprise Approach & Business Proposition For Lunar Helium-3 Mining

Credit: NASA, IHMC

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 April 2015

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Moon May Be Critical Stepping Stone To NASA Mars Ambitions

SpudsMoon0415

Moon Mission Advocate Paul Spudis Outlines How Human Mars Mission Is Unfeasible Without Use Of Lunar-Produced Propellant; Propellant Would Comprise >80% Of The ~900,000 Kg Of Equipment Needed For Mars Journey; Harvesting Volatiles At Lunar Poles, Creating Working Fueling Depot Close To Deep Space Staging Areas Where Mars Spacecraft Can Be Assembled; NASA Resource Prospector Mission Could Confirm Feasibility Of Using Volatile Deposits On Moon As Fuel / Consumables For Long Duration Spaceflight

Image Credit: NASA, aaas.org

Tuesday / 24 March 2015

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Water On Moon May Have Ancient Origins

LopsidedIce

Moon Ice Concentrations Symmetrically Centered 5.5° From Lunar Poles; Research Team Including Matthew Siegler Of Planetary Science Institute Suggests This Indicates Moon Experienced Ancient Polar Shift Caused By 3.5B-Year Old Lunar Hot Spot At Oceanus Procellarum; If Theory Is Accurate Lunar Ice May Be Nearly As Ancient As Moon Itself, Potentially Locked Up As Hydrated Minerals In Rocks And / Or Protected By Insulated Layer Of Regolith; Team Relied On Data From NASA Lunar Prospector Mission

Image Credit: NASA, UCLA

 

Friday / 20 March 2015

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46th LPSC Revealing Further Data On Moon Evolution, Structure, Habitability

46th LPSC

Final Day Of 46th LPSC At The Woodlands TX Focuses On “Early Lunar Evolution: Accretion To Crustal Formation & More”, “Later Lunar Evolution: How Old Is Old?”, “Impact Craters On Mars & The Moon”;  New Map Of Moon, Produced By Jack Wilson & Team At Durham University, Charts Thorium Spread 70,000km2 From Volcanic Eruption 3.5B Years Ago; Study By David Blair & Colleagues At Purdue University Concludes Moon Lava Tubes Of 1km+ Would Be Structurally Sound For Permanent Bases, Tunnels Are Expected To Be Larger On Moon Than On Earth Due To Lower Gravity

Image Credit: LPSC, LPI, NASA, Durham University, GSFC, ASU, LRO

Thursday / 19 March 2015

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LRO Revealing Changing Surface Features On Moon

lroCrater0315

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Continues To Provide Valuable Data From Lunar Orbit; Probe Has Acquired 10,000 Before & After Image Pairs Of Lunar Surface Since It Began Mapping Moon In Summer 2009; 225 New Impact Craters Ranging From 1.5m – 43m Identified; Recent Discovery Of 18.8m Crater From March 17, 2013 Impact Provided Valuable Opportunity To Test Impact Models & Study Top Meter Of Regolith

Image Credit: NASA

Tuesday / 10 February 2015

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Lunar Sample Research Requests Due This Week

CuratorLunarSample

110,000 Individually Cataloged Samples Totaling 382 Kg Of Lunar Material Returned By Apollo Lunar Surface Exploration Are Currently Preserved At NASA Johnson Space Center; Curation & Analysis Planning Team For Extraterrestrial Materials (CAPTUM) Is Accepting Research Proposals / Lunar Sample Requests For Spring 2015 CAPTEM Meeting Until Friday, 13 Feb Deadline; Samples Can Be Used For Planetary Science Studies Or Engineering & Resource Utilization Studies

Image Credit: NASA

 

Tuesday / 3 June 2014

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PISCES Extending Hawai`i Apollo Moon Mission Contributions To 21st Century

PISCESalohaMoon0614

Hawaii Island Moon-Like Environments Being Utilized By PISCES To Test Moon / Mars-Bound Vehicles & Technologies; New State Resolution Initiating Project To Develop Basaltic ‘Lunar Concrete’, Installation Of A Test ‘Lunar Sidewalk’ Set For Aug; 2nd Initiative Involves Construction-Scale 3D Printing Using Basalt, PISCES & NASA Plan To 3D Print A Landing Pad, Curved Wall, Dome Shelter; Aloha State Was Important Contributor To Apollo Moon Missions – As Depicted In Recently Released Photos – Astronaut Training, Communication Relays, Recovery Of Returning Moonworkers  

Image Credit: PISCES, NASA

Friday / 25 April 2014

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LPI Seminar On Moon Evolution,
SRR / PTMSS Deadline

LPI Lecture & PTMSS SRR

Lunar & Planetary Institute Lecture ‘Constraints On The Formation Age & Evolution Of The Moon From 142Nd-143Nd Systematics Of Apollo 12 Basalts’ Presentation Today By Claire McLeod From University Of Houston; Will Discuss How New High-Precision Neodymium (Nd) Isotope Data For Apollo Mare Basalts Are Used To Evaluate Lunar Mantle Source Reservoirs, And 3 Potential Moon Evolution Scenarios; Abstracts Due Today For 2014 SRR / PTMSS To Advance Commercial Prospects Of Developing Moon, Mars, Asteroid Resources

Image Credit: LPI, SRR / PTMSS, NASA, GSFC, C. McLeod