Category Archives: Lunar Landers

Tuesday / 16 December 2014

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Astrobotic ‘MoonMail’ Brings Moon Mission Participation To Individuals

MoonMail1214

New Service Provides Opportunity For People Around World To Send Special Small Items To Lunar Surface Aboard Griffin Lander On (NET Late 2015) Moon Mission; Packages Range From US$460 For 1.27 X 0.3-cm Hexagonal Package To $25,800 For 2.5 X 5-cm Package; Mission Will Include Lander, Nicknamed Andy, Which Will Attempt To Complete Requirements To Claim GLXP & Potentially Explore Interesting Cave Formations In Lacus Mortis Landing Site (45.0° N, 27.2° E)

Image Credit: astrobotic.com

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 12-15 December 2014

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Successful Launch Of GSLV Mk-3 Will Advance India Moon Landing Plan

GSLVmk3Chandrayaan2

1st Flight Of 3-Stage GSLV Mk-3 Scheduled For 3rd Week Of December; Most Powerful To Date India Launch Vehicle Will Carry 3.65-Metric Ton Crew Module Atmospheric Re-Entry Experiment; Designed To Lift 4-Metric Ton Class Payload, The Rocket – With Lift Off Weight Of 630-Metric Tons – Is Needed To Complete 2016-2017 Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter / Lander / Rover Mission; Scientific Payloads Of Moon Mission Expected To Perform Mineralogical & Elemental Studies Of Lunar Surface; Moon South Pole Is Likely Destination Of Moon Lander

Image Credit: ISRO

Friday / 12 December 2014

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China Chang’e-4 Mission To
Moon South Pole?

Chang'e-4 MSP

Building Upon Success Of Chang’e-3 Mission, Backup Craft Chang’e-4 Could Be Launched 2015-2016 To Potentially Ignite The Race To New Frontier Of Exploration – Moon South Pole; With Other Nations / Private & Public Ventures Considering South Pole For Scientific Research, Resources Mapping & Mining, And Human Base Build Out, Chang’e-4 Could Provide Valuable Data As 1st Mission To Lunar Pole For Landing, Communications & Solar Power Technologies

Image Credit: CNSA, CCTV, NASA

Thursday / 11 December 2014

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China Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope Continues To Prove Value Of Astronomy From Moon

LUT1214

Now In Lunar Day 13, Approaching 1    Year Of Operations On Moon, Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT) On Chang’e-3 Lander Still Providing Unprecedented Opportunities For Astronomical Observations; 150-mm Telescope Is First Long-Term Observatory To Take Advantage Of Thin Atmosphere, Slow Rotation Of Moon Which Allows Long-Duration Uninterrupted Observations Of Variable Stars, Galaxies, etc.; Attempting To Image Galaxy M101 As Part Of Collaboration / MOU With ILOA, ILOA Will Subsequently Provide Observation Time To NAOC / CNSA On Its Upcoming ILO-X Precursor & ILO-1 Polar Missions

Image Credit: NAOC, CNSA, ILOA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 5-8 December 2014

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International Space University LM1 Participation Inspires Students

ISUlm1

ISU Participation In Lunar Mission One (LM1) Exemplifies Potential Of Inspirational Education; 47 ISU MSc Students From Around World Carrying Out Preliminary Mission Design For Near-Term Lunar Orbiting Cubesat To Photograph Moon Surface – Specifically Including LM1 South Pole Landing Site; Satellite Will Send Pictures Back To Earth For Space Education / Outreach, & To Raise Global Awareness Of LM1 – Which Is Planned To Land & Drill To At Least 20m, Analyze 4.5B Year Old Rocks, & Analyze Viability Of Permanent Human Base At Moon South Pole

Image Credit: ISU, Lunar Mission One

Thursday / 20 November 2014

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UK Privately-Funded Mission To
Moon South Pole 2024

UK Moon South Pole

‘Lunar Mission One‘ Proposed By British Space Consultant David Iron To Send Lander To Moon South Pole, Bore At Least 20 Meters Into Crust, Extract & Analyze Samples; After 6 Months Of Science, Craft Will Then Seal Capsules Of Human DNA (Strands Of Hair) & Digital Data (Messages, Photos, Videos) In Boreholes; Planning To Launch 2024, Mission To Be Funded Entirely By Public, Estimated To Cost £500M (~US$784M); Initial £600K Crowdfunding Campaign Running Until 17 Dec

Image Credit: Lunar Missions Ltd

Tuesday / 18 November 2014

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Morpheus Lander Set To Initiate New Series Of Test Flights

ALHAT1114

First In New Set Of Morpheus Tests Today – Weather Permitting – Will Be A Tethered Flight, 2 Free Flights Scheduled For 1st Week Of Dec; Team Decided Additional Tests Were Warranted After Making Software Updates Related To Navigation Algorithms & Hardware Improvements Including Relocation Of Doppler Lidar Velocimeter; Morpheus Is Simply A Vehicle To Test ALHAT Technology Which Could Be Utilized For Future Moon / Planetary Landing Missions, Enabling Identification & Avoidance Of Rocks As Small As 0.3m & Missions To Previously Inaccessible Locations Such As Moon South Pole

Image Credit: NASA

 

Friday / 14 November 2014

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S Korea Advancing Toward 2020 Moon Mission

KARI 2020

S Korea Indigenous Lunar Orbiter & Module / Launch Vehicle-2 Feasibility Study Conducted By Ministry Of Strategy & Finance States Project May Create ~US$296M Added Value & 4,800 Jobs, Potential Value From Lunar Exploration Is ~US$3.5B (5.17 Times Budget Allotted – $677M); Hopes To Launch Orbiter In 2020 With Help From NASA Joint Research Agreement, 15 Government-Funded Research Institutions Led By KARI; Also Planning To Develop 10-20 Kg Rover To Look For Rare Minerals

Pictured: S Korea President Park Geun-Hye (L) & KARI President Seung Jo Kim

Image Credit: KARI

Thursday / 13 November 2014

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ISRO Chief Affirms Lunar Exploration Plans

ISROMoon1114

Chairman Of India Space Research Organization KS Radhakrishnan Says “3 Years From Now, Indian Lander & Indian Rover Will Land On The Moon”; Successful Dec Launch Of GSLV Mark 3 Rocket Will Keep India On Track For Chandrayaan-2 2016/2017 Moon Landing; Rocket Will Also Help The Country Achieve Its Goal Of Obtaining Greater Slice Of US$300B Global Space Market; India Currently Ranks Among Top 6 Space-Faring Nations; Country Also Prides Itself On Financial Efficiency, With ISRO Budget Only 7.5% Of NASA

Image Credit: ISRO

Wednesday / 12 November 2014

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China: Space Dominance Or Key International Partner?

ChinaDominantCooperate

Noting Ambitious Series Of Lunar Missions – Chang’e-2 Elaborate Post-Moon Trajectory, Chang’e-3 Expansive Payload Capacity, Chang’e-5 Plans For Lunar Orbit Rendezvous – Paul Spudis Speculates That China Is Moving Ahead With Cislunar Space Dominance / Permanence / Control; Xu Dazhe, Head Of CNSA & China State Administration Of Science Technology & Industry For National Defense Says Country Welcomes International Colleagues To Join China Lunar Exploration Program; Buzz Aldrin Declares Cooperation With China Is Most Important Priority To Ensure USA Success In Space

Image Credit: Xinhua / Gin Ying, spudislunarresources.com, ama2007.com